Definition
An abbreviation used on aeronautical charts, instrument approach plates, and in flight publications to indicate the left side, a left-hand turn, or a left-traffic pattern at an airport.
Plain English
A short way of writing 'left.' You'll see it on charts and airport diagrams to show that something is on the left, or that turns at a runway are made to the left.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA abbreviations, NOTAMs, charts, runway labels, aircraft notes, and procedure text where space is limited.
Why Pilots Care
Traffic pattern direction matters for safety and legality. Most patterns are left-hand by default, but when an airport entry shows 'R' instead of 'L', pilots must turn the other way to stay clear of conflicting traffic and terrain.
Intuition Check
Do not assume L always means the left side from where you are sitting right now. Use the chart, runway direction, aircraft reference, or procedure context to know what left is referenced from.
Example Sentence 1
The airport entry showed Runway 9 with an 'L', so we flew a standard left-hand traffic pattern on arrival.
Example Sentence 2
After takeoff, make a left turnout as published.