P TIME- (See PROPOSED DEPARTURE TIME.)
PAN-PAN- The international radio-telephony urgency signal. When repeated three times, indicates uncertainty or alert followed by the nature of the urgency.
PAR [ICAO]-(See ICAO Term PRECISION APPROACH RADAR.)
PARALLEL ILS APPROACHES- Approaches to parallel runways by IFR aircraft which, when established inbound toward the airport on the adjacent final approach courses, are radar-separated by at least 2 miles.
PARALLEL OFFSET ROUTE- A parallel track to the left or right of the designated or established airway/route. Normally associated with Area Navigation (RNAV) operations.
PATWAS- (See PILOTS AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE WEATHER ANSWERING SERVICE.)
PBCT- (See PROPOSED BOUNDARY CROSSING TIME.)
PERMANENT ECHO- Radar signals reflected from fixed objects on the earth's surface; e.g., buildings, towers, terrain. Permanent echoes are distinguished from "ground clutter" by being definable locations rather than large areas. Under certain conditions they may be used to check radar alignment.
PHOTO RECONNAISSANCE- Military activity that requires locating individual photo targets and navigating to the targets at a preplanned angle and altitude. The activity normally requires a lateral route width of 16 NM and altitude range of 1,500 feet to 10,000 feet AGL.
PIDP- (See PROGRAMMABLE INDICATOR DATA PROCESSOR.)
PILOT BRIEFING- A service provided by the FSS to assist pilots in flight planning. Briefing items may include weather information, NOTAMS, military activities, flow control information, and other items as requested.
PILOT WEATHER REPORT- A report of meteorological phenomena encountered by aircraft in flight.
POINT OUT- (See RADAR POINT OUT.)
POLAR TRACK STRUCTURE- A system of organized routes between Iceland and Alaska which overlie Canadian MNPS Airspace.
POSITION REPORT- A report over a known location as transmitted by an aircraft to ATC.
POSITIVE CONTROL- The separation of all air traffic within designated airspace by air traffic control.
PRACTICE INSTRUMENT APPROACH- An instrument approach procedure conducted by a VFR or an IFR aircraft for the purpose of pilot training or proficiency demonstrations.
PREARRANGED COORDINATION- A standardized procedure which permits an air traffic controller to enter the airspace assigned to another air traffic controller without verbal coordination. The procedures are defined in a facility directive which ensures standard separation between aircraft.
PRECIPITATION- Any or all forms of water particles (rain, sleet, hail, or snow) that fall from the atmosphere and reach the surface.
PRECISION APPROACH- (See PRECISION APPROACH PROCEDURE.)
PRECISION APPROACH PROCEDURE- A standard instrument approach procedure in which an electronic glideslope/glidepath is provided; e.g., ILS/MLS and PAR.
(Note: The abbreviation "PAR" is also used to denote preferential arrival routes in ARTCC computers).
Note: Precision approach radars are designed to enable pilots of aircraft to be given guidance by radio communication during the final stages of the approach to land.
PRECISION RUNWAY MONITOR (PRM)- Provides air traffic controllers with high precision secondary surveillance data for aircraft on final approach to parallel runways that have extended centerlines separated by less than 4,300 feet. High resolution color monitoring displays (FMA) are required to present surveillance track data to controllers along with detailed maps depicting approaches and no transgression zone.
PREFERENTIAL ROUTES- Preferential routes (PDR's, PAR's, and PDAR's) are adapted in ARTCC computers to accomplish inter/intrafacility controller coordination and to assure that flight data is posted at the proper control positions. Locations having a need for these specific inbound and outbound routes normally publish such routes in local facility bulletins, and their use by pilots minimizes flight plan route amendments. When the workload or traffic situation permits, controllers normally provide radar vectors or assign requested routes to minimize circuitous routing. Preferential routes are usually confined to one ARTCC's area and are referred to by the following names or acronyms:
PREVAILING VISIBILITY- (See VISIBILITY.)
PRM- (See ILS PRM APPROACH and PRECISION RUNWAY MONITOR.)
PROCEDURE TURN- 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.
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- 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.
PROGRAMMABLE INDICATOR DATA PROCESSOR- The PIDP is a modification to the AN/TPX-42 interrogator system currently installed in fixed RAPCON's. The PIDP detects, tracks, and predicts secondary radar aircraft targets. These are displayed by means of computer-generated symbols and alphanumeric characters depicting flight identification, aircraft altitude, ground speed, and flight plan data. Although primary radar targets are not tracked, they are displayed coincident with the secondary radar targets as well as with the other symbols and alphanumerics. The system has the capability of interfacing with ARTCC's.
PROGRESS REPORT- (See POSITION REPORT.)
PROGRESSIVE TAXI- 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- (See SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE.)
PROPOSED BOUNDARY CROSSING TIME- Each center has a PBCT parameter for each internal airport. Proposed internal flight plans are transmitted to the adjacent center if the flight time along the proposed route from the departure airport to the center boundary is less than or equal to the value of PBCT or if airport adaptation specifies transmission regardless of PBCT.
PROPOSED DEPARTURE TIME- The time a scheduled flight will depart the gate (scheduled operators) or the actual runway off time for nonscheduled operators. For EDCT purposes, the ATCSCC adjusts the "P" time for scheduled operators to reflect the runway off times.
PROTECTED AIRSPACE- The airspace on either side of an oceanic route/track that is equal to one-half the lateral separation minimum except where reduction of protected airspace has been authorized.
PT- (See PROCEDURE TURN.)
PTS- (See POLAR TRACK STRUCTURE.)
PUBLISHED ROUTE- A route for which an IFR altitude has been established and published; e.g., Federal Airways, Jet Routes, Area Navigation Routes, Specified Direct Routes.