Descriptionary

machmeter an instrument displaying the Mach number of the aircraft.

mach no a code meaning "I have reached maximum speed and am not closing my target."

mach yes a code meaning "I have reached maxi­mum speed and am closing my target." mark a term used to designate the exact time of a weapon's release, usually preceded by the word "standby."

mark mark command from ground controller for an aircraft to release its bombs.

Mayday distress call.

merged a code meaning "tracks have come together."

midnight a code meaning "changeover from close to broadcast control."

MIM-23 see Hawk.

MIM-72 see Chaparral.

MOAB massive ordnance air-blast bomb; a 21,500- pound bomb dropped from an aircraft, sometimes used for intimidation purposes alone. Also known as the mother of all bombs.

music in air intercept, a term meaning electronic jamming.

napalm powdered aluminum soap or similar com­pound used to gelatinize oil or gasoline for use in napalm bombs.

NATO airspace the airspace above any NATO nation and its territorial waters.

near miss a near collision with another aircraft in flight.

negative term meaning "no" in air communications.

night cap night combat air patrol.

no fly zone an area designated off-limits to aircraft, usually by military order.

no joy a code meaning "I have been unsuccessful," or "I have no information."

notice to airmen a notice containing information on any change in any airport facility, service, proce­dure, or hazard. Also called NOTAM.

offset bombing any bombing procedure that uses a reference or aiming point other than the actual target.

oranges, sour a code meaning "weather is unsuit­able for aircraft mission." oranges, sweet a code meaning "weather is suitable for aircraft mission.

orbiting a word meaning circling, or circling and searching.

ordnance collective term for pyrotechnic weap­ons, including bombs, guns and ammunition, flares, smoke, and napalm.

Orion a four-engine, turboprop, all-weather, long- range, land-based antisubmarine aircraft capable of carrying an assortment of search radar, nuclear depth charges, and homing torpedoes. Also known as a P-3.

OV-IO see Bronco.

overshoot a landing that is aborted.

P-3 see Orion.

pan a code meaning the calling station has a very urgent message to transmit concerning the safety of a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle or of some person on board or within sight.

pancake a code meaning "land," or "I wish to land."

pathfinder aircraft an aircraft with a specially trained crew carrying drop zone/landing zone mark­ing teams, target markers, or navigational aids and that precedes the main force to the drop zone or land­ing zone or target.

pattern bombing the uniform distribution of bombs over a particular area.

payload the cargo and passengers on a flight.

Phantom II a twin-engine, supersonic, multipur­pose, all-weather jet fighter/bomber capable of oper­ating from land or from aircraft carriers and armed with either nuclear or nonnuclear weapons. Also known as an F-4.

photoflash bomb a bomb designed to produce a brief and intense illumination for medium-altitude night photography.

pogo a code meaning "switch to communications channel number preceding 'pogo.' If unable to estab­lish communications, switch to channel number fol­lowing 'pogo.'"

point of no return the point at which an aircraft is incapable of returning to base due to a low fuel supply.

popeye a code meaning "in clouds or area of reduced visibility."

pounce a code meaning "I am in position to engage target."

precision bombing bombing directed at a specific target.

Provider an assault, twin-engine transport that can operate from short, unprepared landing strips to trans­port troops and equipment. Also known as a C-123.

Prowler a twin turbojet engine, quadruple crew, all- weather, electronic countermeasures aircraft designed to operate from aircraft carriers. Also known as an EA-6B.

prudent limit of endurance the time during which an aircraft can remain airborne and still retain a given safety margin of fuel.

punch a code meaning "you should very soon be obtaining a contact on the aircraft that is being inter­cepted."

purple a code meaning "the unit indicated is sus­pected of carrying nuclear weapons."

RA-5 see Vigilante.

radar picket radar picket combat air patrol.

radio beacon a radio transmitter that emits a dis­tinctive signal used for the determination of bearings, courses, locations, and so on.

radio fix the location of an aircraft by determining the direction of radio signals coming to the aircraft from two or more sending stations, the locations of which are known.