G Golf

g force - The acceleration of gravity (g), which is approximately 9.81 meters/second2 . G or g is also used as a stress measurement for bodies undergoing acceleration., or the "loads" imposed on an aircraft or pilot. Loads may be centrifugal and aerodynamic due to maneuvering, usually expressed as g, i.e. 7 g is a load 7 times the weight of the aircraft.

GA - See general aviation

GAP (General Aviation Propulsion) - The goal of NASA's GAP Program is help revitalize the U.S. General Aviation Industry through the development of revolutionary affordable propulsion systems for general aviation light aircraft. See http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/AST/GAP/ for more information.

gate - A controlled entrance or exit for aircraft passengers or cargo at an airport.

general aviation - A term denoting all civil (nonmilitary) aviation other than common commercial transport; includes personal flying, business flying, instructional flying, and commercial flying such as aerial photography and agricultural spraying.

general aviation aircraft - Aircraft smaller than large commercial carriers.

glide slope - (1) The angle between the local horizontal and the glide path of an aircraft. (2) provides vertical guidance for aircraft during approach and landing. The glideslope/glidepath is based on the following:

• Electronic components emitting signals which provide vertical reference to airborne instruments during instrument approaches such as ILS/MLS, or
• Visual ground aids, such as VASI (Visual Approach Slope Indicator) which provide vertical guidance for a VFR approach or for the visual portion of an instrument approach and landing.

glide slope beam - A directed radio wave emanating from a glideslope transmitter located near the approach end of the runway of an instrumented airport to provide an indication of the minimum approach angle that will clear all obstacles to the runway.

Golf - Designator for the letter "G" in the International Phonetic Alphabet.

GPS (Global Positioning System) - Global Positioning System (Navstar). Navigational system using orbiting satellites to determine the aircraft's position on the Earth. Developed at first for military use, then widespread on commercial and private aircraft, it is now expected to replace the ground-based navigational systems for its accuracy and reliability.

GPS (Global Positioning System) - An array of stationary satellites that allows users to locate their exact position on the earth.

gravity - The natural force that pulls an object toward the earth. We experience gravity as weight. An airplane must generate enough lift to counteract the weight of an aircraft .

ground controller - An operator in the Tower that is responsible for directing and approving the movement of aircraft and ground vehicles on the airport surface.

ground incursions - Any occurrence at an airport involving an aircraft, vehicle, person, or object on the ground that creates a collision hazard or results in loss of safe eparation with an aircraft taking off, intending to take off, landing or intending to land.

ground speed - The speed of an aircraft relative to the surface of the Earth.

ground traffic - All vehicles that move along the runways, taxiways and pathways of an airport.

GS - see ground speed

gyroscope - A comparatively heavy wheel mounted on a spinning axis which is free to rotate about one or both of two axes perpendicular to each other and to the spinning axis. The gyroscope is used to sense directional changes and to develop signals for operating automatic pilots and inertial guidance systems.

gyro-compass - A compass consisting of a motor-operated gyroscope whose rotating axis, kept in a horizontal plane, takes a position parallel to the earth's rotation and thus points to the geographical north pole instead of the magnetic pole.