Glossary
Carrier Qualification
GLOSSARY
A
Air Boss: Officer (located in Pri-Fly) in charge of all flight deck and tower operations within 10 nautical
miles of the ship.
Air Operations Officer: The officer who coordinates all matters pertaining to air operations including
CATCC.
Air Plan: Schedule of carrier flight operations published daily but subject to change.
Angels: Altitude in thousands of feet. For example, Angels 1.5 = 1500 feet.
Axial Winds: Winds down the longitudinal axis of the ship created by the ship’s forward movement. This
causes a right-to-left crosswind across the angled deck.
B
Bingo: Refers to the minimum fuel state required to divert safely to the nearest suitable field. Bingo is an
emergency situation.
Bolter: A touchdown on the carrier in which the arresting hook does not engage the arresting wires.
BRC: Base recovery course, which is the ship’s magnetic course.
Buster: Proceed at maximum airspeed, generally for an immediate Charlie.
C
Carrier Air Traffic Control Center (CATCC): The centralized department responsible for the status-
keeping of all carrier air operations and control of all airborne aircraft involved in launch and recovery.
Case I: Refers to departure/recovery procedures and landing patterns conducted in VMC conditions
3,000/5 or greater exist (3,000-foot ceiling and 5-nm visibility within the carrier control zone). Case I
recoveries will marshal overhead the ship and enter the pattern via the break.
Case II: Weather less than 3,000/5 but greater than 1,000/5 exist at the ship. Case II recovery is a
controlled IMC descent to the break and the VFR pattern. It is used when a VFR penetration cannot be
made. The approach may be via radar vectors or a TACAN or ADF approach. In no case will more than a
section of two aircraft execute a Case II recovery. Case II departure is a procedure used to climb through
IFR conditions to VMC.
Case III: Used for weather less than 1,000/5 or at night or when weather is below 1,000 feet 1/2 hour after
sunset or 1/2 hour before sunrise.
CCA: Carrier-controlled approach similar to a GCA.
Charlie: Refers to the time the first aircraft is expected at the ramp. A “Charlie” or “Charlie on arrival” is a
directive to enter the pattern now. “Charlie five” means be at the ramp in five minutes.
(7-01) Original
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