lincoln
n. countablen. a code word used in aviation to represent the letter L. Pilots and air traffic controllers use it to make sure they are understood clearly over the radio.
n. a phonetic code word representing the letter L, specifically within the United States military and early aviation phonetic alphabets. While largely superseded by 'Lima' in the modern ICAO standard, it remains a recognized historical and regional variant in radio communication.
The pilot identified the aircraft as Lincoln-Alpha-Niner.
Before the international adoption of the NATO phonetic alphabet, American pilots frequently used Lincoln to clarify tail numbers during radio transmissions.
Historical transcripts from mid-century air traffic control towers reveal a transition period where Lincoln was gradually phased out in favor of the now-standardized Lima to ensure global interoperability.
Inherited from Middle English Lincolne, from Old English Lincolle, Lindcolen, Lindcylene, from Latin Lindum Colōnia (“the Roman settlement Lindum Colonia”), from Proto-Brythonic llɨnn (“pool”), from Proto-Celtic lindos (“lake, liquid”), in reference to the Brayford. In the United States, many of the places established since 1865 are named after Abraham Lincoln.
Used as a proper noun in the context of spelling out identifiers; typically capitalized in written logs.