Pilot/Controller Glossary

8/15/19

PCG P

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4

PREFERRED IFR ROUTES

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 Routes established

between busier airports to increase system efficiency
and capacity. They normally extend through one or
more ARTCC areas and are designed to achieve
balanced traffic flows among high density terminals.
IFR clearances are issued on the basis of these routes
except when severe weather avoidance procedures or
other factors dictate otherwise. Preferred IFR Routes
are listed in the Chart Supplement U.S. If a flight is
planned to or from an area having such routes but the
departure or arrival point is not listed in the Chart
Supplement U.S., pilots may use that part of a
Preferred IFR Route which is appropriate for the
departure or arrival point that is listed. Preferred IFR
Routes are correlated with DPs and STARs and may
be defined by airways, jet routes, direct routes
between NAVAIDs, Waypoints, NAVAID radials/
DME, or any combinations thereof.

(See CENTER’S AREA.)
(See INSTRUMENT DEPARTURE

PROCEDURE.)

(See PREFERENTIAL ROUTES.)
(See STANDARD TERMINAL ARRIVAL.)
(Refer to 

CHART SUPPLEMENT U.S.

)

(Refer to NOTICES TO AIRMEN PUBLICATION.)

PRE-FLIGHT PILOT BRIEFING

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(See PILOT BRIEFING.)

PREVAILING VISIBILITY

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(See VISIBILITY.)

PRIMARY RADAR TARGET

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 An analog or digital

target, exclusive of a secondary radar target,
presented on a radar display.

PRM

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(See ILS PRM APPROACH and PRECISION

RUNWAY MONITOR SYSTEM.)

PROCEDURAL CONTROL [ICAO]– Term used to
indicate that information derived from an ATS
surveillance system is not required for the provision
of air traffic control service.

PROCEDURAL SEPARATION [ICAO]– The sepa-
ration used when providing procedural control.

PROCEDURE TURN

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 The maneuver prescribed

when it is necessary to reverse direction to establish
an aircraft on the intermediate approach segment or
final approach course. The outbound course,
direction of turn, distance within which the turn must
be completed, and minimum altitude are specified in

the procedure. However, unless otherwise restricted,
the point at which the turn may be commenced and
the type and rate of turn are left to the discretion of the
pilot.

(See ICAO term PROCEDURE TURN.)

PROCEDURE TURN [ICAO]

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 A maneuver in

which a turn is made away from a designated track
followed by a turn in the opposite direction to permit
the aircraft to intercept and proceed along the
reciprocal of the designated track.

Note 1: Procedure turns are designated “left” or

“right” according to the direction of the initial turn.

Note 2: Procedure turns may be designated as

being made either in level flight or while
descending, according to the circumstances of
each individual approach procedure.

PROCEDURE TURN INBOUND

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 That point of a

procedure turn maneuver where course reversal has
been completed and an aircraft is established inbound
on the intermediate approach segment or final
approach course. A report of “procedure turn
inbound” is normally used by ATC as a position
report for separation purposes.

(See FINAL APPROACH COURSE.)
(See PROCEDURE TURN.)
(See SEGMENTS OF AN INSTRUMENT

APPROACH PROCEDURE.)

PROFILE DESCENT

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 An uninterrupted descent

(except where level flight is required for speed
adjustment; e.g., 250 knots at 10,000 feet MSL) from
cruising altitude/level to interception of a glideslope
or to a minimum altitude specified for the initial or
intermediate approach segment of a nonprecision
instrument approach. The profile descent normally
terminates at the approach gate or where the
glideslope or other appropriate minimum altitude is
intercepted.

PROGRESS REPORT

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(See POSITION REPORT.)

PROGRESSIVE TAXI

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 Precise taxi instructions

given to a pilot unfamiliar with the airport or issued
in stages as the aircraft proceeds along the taxi route.

PROHIBITED AREA

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(See SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE.)
(See ICAO term PROHIBITED AREA.)

PROHIBITED AREA [ICAO]

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 An airspace of

defined dimensions, above the land areas or territorial
waters of a State, within which the flight of aircraft
is prohibited.