Royal Air Force

Abbreviations And Slang

 

Updated: February 2009

"N"

(N) – Navigation Instruction Officer

NA – North Africa
NAAF – NorthWest African Air Forces

NAAFI – Navy, Army, Air Force Institute
NACAF – NorthWest African Coastal Air Forces

NARD – Northern Aircraft Repair Depot

NATAF – NorthWest African Tactical Air Forces

NATS – National Air Traffic Services
NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
Nav – Navigator
Navex – Navigation Exercise
NAWW – Night All–weather Wing
NCS – Northern Communication Squadron
NCU – Night Conversion Unit
NCO – Non Commissioned Officer
NEA – Non Effective Airframe
NEAR – Near East Air Force
NEAF – Near East Air Force

NEAFIS – North Eastern Air Flying Instructors School
NEC – Near East Command

NEI – Netherlands East Indies
NFD – No further Data
NFDS/W/U – Night Fighter development Squadron/Wing/Unit
NFF – Night Fighter Flight
NFLS – Night Fighter Leaders School
NFT – No further trace
NFT – Night Flying Test

NFTS – Night Fighter Training Squadron
NI CF – Night Conversion Flight
NORAD – North American Air Defence (Command)
"Nothing On The Clock Except Smiths"

            – To run out of altitude, fuel, etc.

            (nothing showing on the instruments except the

            markers name "Smiths")

NREF – North Russian Expeditionary Force

NS – National Service

NSDU – Navigation synthetic Development Unit
NSPTF – Navigators Staff Pilot Training Flight
NT – No Trace
NTB – Norwegian Training Base
NTS – (Night) Training Squadron
NTU – Navigation Training Unit, Pathfinder Force
NTU – No taken up
NVITS – Night Vision Instructors Training School
NVTS – Night Vision Training School
NwAAF – North West African Air Forces
NwAASC – North West African Air Service Command
NwACAF – North West African Coastal Air Force
NwASAF – North West African Strategic Air Forces
NwATAF – North West African Tactical air Force
NwATBF – North West African Training Bomber Force
NwATC – North West African Training Command

NwATCC – North West African Troop Carrier Command

NWASAF – North West African Strategic Air Force

NSATAF – North West African Tactical Air Force

NWFP – North West Frontier Province

NZF – New Zealand Flight

"O"

OADF/U – Overseas Aircraft Delivery Flight/Unit
OAFU – Overseas Delivery Ferry Unit

(O)AFU – Observers Advanced Flying Unit
OANS – Observers Air Navigation School
OAPU – Overseas Aircraft Preparation Unit
OAR – Obusna Aeroplansva Radionica, (District Aviation Workshop)
OASC – Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre

OATS – Officers Advanced Training School
OBE – Officer (of the Order of the) British Empire

Oblt – Oberleutnant
Obs – Observation (USAAF)
OBS – Observer School
OC – Officer Commanding (or CO)
OCC – Officer Command Course

OCTU – Officer Cadet Training Unit
OCU – Operational Conversion Unit
OEU – Operational Evaluation Unit
OFU – Overseas Ferry Unit

"Office" – Cockpit

OIC – Officer's Initial Course (for RAFVR (T) officers,

          conducted at ACTC)

"On your knees" – Too tired to stand

"One Piper" – An Army second lieutenant

OP or Op –Operation

"Operational" – anything that actually "does the job". For example an aircraft, fountain pen, shoes, weather
OFU – Overseas Ferry Unit
Opl – Operational
ORB – Operations Record Book (Form 540)
ORTU – Operational & Refresher Training Unit
OS – Observers School
(O)SoAG – Observers School of Reconnaissance& Ariel Gunnery
OSC – Officers Senior Course / Overseas Staff College
OSR&AP – Observers School of Reconnaissance& Ariel Gunnery

OTS – Officers Training School/Squadron

OTSCU – Officer Training School Conversion Unit
OTU – Operational and Refresher Training Unit
OTW – Operational Training Wing
OUAS – Oxford University Air Squadron