12/2/21 

Pilot/Controller Glossary 

V 

VASI

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(See VISUAL APPROACH SLOPE INDICATOR.) 

VCOA

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(See VISUAL CLIMB OVER AIRPORT.) 

VDP

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(See VISUAL DESCENT POINT.) 

VECTOR

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 A heading issued to an aircraft to provide 

navigational guidance by radar. 

(See ICAO term RADAR VECTORING.) 

VERIFY

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 Request confirmation of information; 

e.g., “verify assigned altitude.” 

VERIFY SPECIFIC DIRECTION OF TAKEOFF 
(OR TURNS AFTER TAKEOFF)

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 Used by ATC to 

ascertain an aircraft’s direction of takeoff and/or 
direction of turn after takeoff. It is normally used for 
IFR departures from an airport not having a control 
tower. When direct communication with the pilot is 
not possible, the request and information may be 
relayed through an FSS, dispatcher, or by other 
means. 

(See IFR TAKEOFF MINIMUMS AND 

DEPARTURE PROCEDURES.) 

VERTICAL NAVIGATION (VNAV)– A function of 
area navigation (RNAV) equipment which calculates, 
displays, and provides vertical guidance to a profile 
or path. 

VERTICAL SEPARATION

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 Separation between 

aircraft expressed in units of vertical distance. 

(See SEPARATION.) 

VERTICAL TAKEOFF AND LANDING AIR-
CRAFT (VTOL)

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 Aircraft capable of vertical climbs 

and/or descents and of using very short runways or 
small areas for takeoff and landings. These aircraft 
include, but are not limited to, helicopters. 

(See SHORT TAKEOFF AND LANDING 

AIRCRAFT.) 

VERY HIGH FREQUENCY (VHF)

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 The frequency 

band between 30 and 300 MHz. Portions of this band, 
108 to 118 MHz, are used for certain NAVAIDs; 118 
to 136 MHz are used for civil air/ground voice 
communications. Other frequencies in this band are 
used for purposes not related to air traffic control. 

VERY HIGH FREQUENCY OMNIDIRECTION-
AL RANGE STATION

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(See VOR.) 

VERY LOW FREQUENCY (VLF)

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 The frequency 

band between 3 and 30 kHz. 

VFR

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(See VISUAL FLIGHT RULES.) 

VFR AIRCRAFT

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 An aircraft conducting flight in 

accordance with visual flight rules. 

(See VISUAL FLIGHT RULES.) 

VFR CONDITIONS

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 Weather conditions equal to 

or better than the minimum for flight under visual 
flight rules. The term may be used as an ATC 
clearance/instruction only when: 

a. 

An IFR aircraft requests a climb/descent in 

VFR conditions. 

b. 

The clearance will result in noise abatement 

benefits where part of the IFR departure route does 
not conform to an FAA approved noise abatement 
route or altitude. 

c. 

A pilot has requested a practice instrument 

approach and is not on an IFR flight plan. 

Note: All pilots receiving this authorization must 

comply with the VFR visibility and distance from 
cloud criteria in 14 CFR Part 91. Use of the term 
does not relieve controllers of their responsibility to 
separate aircraft in Class B and Class C airspace 
or TRSAs as required by FAA Order JO 7110.65. 
When used as an ATC clearance/instruction, the 
term may be abbreviated “VFR;” e.g., “MAINTAIN 
VFR,” “CLIMB/DESCEND VFR,” etc. 

VFR FLIGHT

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(See VFR AIRCRAFT.) 

VFR MILITARY TRAINING ROUTES (VR)

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Routes used by the Department of Defense and 
associated Reserve and Air Guard units for the 
purpose of conducting low-altitude navigation and 
tactical training under VFR below 10,000 feet MSL 
at airspeeds in excess of 250 knots IAS. 

VFR NOT RECOMMENDED

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 An advisory 

provided by a flight service station to a pilot during 
a preflight or inflight weather briefing that flight 
under visual flight rules is not recommended. To be 
given when the current and/or forecast weather 

PCG V

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