Aeronautical Terms beginning with L

Lag

The delay that occurs before an instrument needle attains a stable indication.

Land as soon as possible

ATC instruction to pilot. Land without delay at the nearest suitable area, such as an open field, at which a safe approach and landing is assured.

Land as soon as practical

ATC instruction to pilot. The landing site and duration of flight are at the discretion of the pilot. Extended flight beyond the nearest approved landing area is not recommended.

Land immediately

ATC instruction to pilot. The urgency of the landing is paramount. The primary consideration is to ensure the survival of the occupants. Landing in trees, water, or other unsafe areas should be considered only as a last resort.

Lead radial

The radial at which the turn from the DME arc to the inbound course is started.

Leans, the

A physical sensation caused by an abrupt correction of a banked attitude entered too slowly to stimulate the motion sensing system in the inner ear. The abrupt correction can create the illusion of banking in the opposite direction.

Lift

A component of the total aerodynamic force on an airfoil and acts perpendicular to the relative wind.

Lines of flux

Invisible lines of magnetic force passing between the poles of a magnet.

Load factor

The ratio of a specified load to the total weight of the aircraft. The specified load is expressed in terms of any of the following: aerodynamic forces, inertial forces, or ground or water reactions.

Loadmeter

A type of ammeter installed between the generator output and the main bus in an aircraft electrical system.

Local area augmentation system (LAAS)

A differential global positioning system (DGPS) that improves the accuracy of the system by determining position error from the GPS satellites, then transmitting the error, or corrective factors, to the airborne GPS receiver.

Localizer (LOC)

The portion of an ILS that gives left/right guidance information down the centerline of the instrument runway for final approach.

Localizer-type directional aid (LDA)

A NAVAID used for nonprecision instrument approaches with utility and accuracy comparable to a localizer but which is not a part of a complete ILS and is not aligned with the runway. Some LDAs are equipped with a glide slope.

Locator middle marker (LMM)

Nondirectional radio beacon (NDB) compass locator, collocated with a middle marker (MM).

Locator outer marker (LOM)

NDB compass locator, collocated with an outer marker (OM).

Long range navigation (LORAN)

[Decommissioned in 2010] An electronic navigational system by which hyperbolic lines of position are determined by measuring the difference in the time of reception of synchronized pulse signals from two fixed transmitters. LORAN A operates in the 1750 to 1950 kHz frequency band. LORAN C and D operate in the 100 to 110 kHz frequency band.

Low or medium frequency

A frequency range between 190-535 kHz with the medium frequency above 300 kHz. Generally associated with nondirectional beacons transmitting a continuous carrier with either a 400 or 1,020 Hz modulation.