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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/pilot-utc-zulu-reference

Which time abbreviation is commonly called Zulu time in aviation?

Zulu time is UTC.

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  1. UTC ✔
  2. LST
  3. EDT

Why: Aviation uses UTC so flights crossing time zones share one clock. Pilots commonly call it Zulu time.

Huh, didn't know that: UTC is referenced to the zero-degree longitude line through Greenwich, England.

The dad joke
Zulu time never gets jet lag because it stays in one zone.
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References

Answer: UTC. Aviation uses UTC so flights crossing time zones share one clock. Pilots commonly call it Zulu time.

  1. FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 16 www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/18_phak_ch16.pdf
    It is called Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) and is often referred to as Zulu time.
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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