Mobile phones have evolved quite a bit since I purchased my first one in the late 80s. My first “mobile” phone was about the size of a shoe box that I could carry with me in my car. If memory serves me correctly, I paid around $200 for it. It was just a phone, and it stayed in my truck most of the time — it wasn’t mobile enough to carry it with me at all times.

Jump forward twenty years. I now have a Blackberry Pearl flip phone (affectionately known as my Crackberry for my addiction to its utility!). Like all mobile phones these days, it is very portable and slips easily into my front pocket or in a belt holster. I paid $40 for it with a two-year service commitment. It is a “smart phone,” giving me the opportunity to receive e-mails and keep up with appointments. It also has video and photo capabilities.

The use of text messaging has skyrocketed with the evolution of mobile phones. For years, users have been able to send each other text messages using short messaging service (SMS). The younger generation was the first to embrace text messaging. They quickly mastered the skill of tapping on the phone’s number keys to create short text messages. Over time a variety of acronyms evolved that were used in text messaging to save time. Here are just a few examples:

Oh my God: OMG
Later: L8R
See you later: CUL8R
Looking forward to it: LFTI
Laughing out loud: LOL

These acronyms and many others are used by people when text messaging. They are also used by some in e-mails and online forums. Someone even used one as a headline for his editorial column in D.O.M. magazine.

Unfortunately, a novice user who comes across these acronyms for the first time may have no idea what they mean. Fear of appearing stupid or ignorant may lead them to avoid asking what they mean and taking a guess instead. If they guess wrong, they might then use the acronyms incorrectly from that point forward unless they are corrected.

This happened to a friend of mine. To protect the innocent, let’s just call him John Doe. John has two daughters in their early 20s that live away from home. John and his daughters frequently e-mail each other. John often receives e-mail jokes and forwards some of them to his daughters. A reply to one of his jokes was something like, “Thanks for forwarding that joke dad. LOL!” It was the first time John had seen “LOL.” He assumed it meant “lots of love,” and started to use it as such. “LOL” just doesn’t have the same meaning when used as “lots of love” instead of “laughing out loud.” Imagine his daughters’ confusion when they received e-mails from him saying, “Sorry you are having such a difficult time at school. LOL, Dad.” Or, “I have some bad news. The dog passed away. Your mom is taking it very hard. LOL, Dad.” John eventually learned the errors of his ways, but not before confusing the heck out of his daughters and giving his friends and co-workers a good laugh at his expense.

Aviation is an acronym-heavy industry. We use many different acronyms in our daily communications. An A&P at an MRO may ask her DOM about a new STC for the AOA system. ATA, ISBAO, FAR, TC, TBO, FBO, AOG and many more acronyms are used as part of our aviation lingo. To a new mechanic, it might seem like we are speaking in tongues. Add to that the acronyms we use in our own maintenance shops, and it can seem even more confusing. I once saw a maintenance logbook signoff that read something like: “C/W LH MLG R&R IAW H-90 MM. Rig & Ops check good. ATAF.” That translated to, “Complied with left-hand main landing gear removal and replacement in accordance with H-90 maintenance manual. Rigging and operational check good. All tools accounted for.”

Although we rely on acronyms in our daily conversations, we need to ensure that everyone understands them. We can’t afford a breakdown in communication when it comes to aircraft maintenance. We need to make sure our egos don’t get in the way of effective communication. If we don’t understand something, we need to ask. Making incorrect assumptions can lead to disaster.

Misunderstanding “LOL” in an e-mail might be funny. Misunderstanding an acronym on the hangar floor might lead to a maintenance error. That is definitely nothing to laugh at.
Thanks for reading,

Joe