L1 - ATIS04-05-2006 |
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L1 - ATIS04-05-2006 |
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DEFINITION AND USE :
ATIS stands for Automatic Terminal Information Service. ATIS is the continuous broadcast of recorded noncontrol information in selected high activity terminal areas. Its purpose is to improve controller effectiveness and to relieve frequency congestion by automating the repetitive transmission of essential but routine information. The information is continuously broadcast over a discrete VHF radio frequency or the voice portion of a local NAVAID. ATIS transmissions on a discrete VHF radio frequency are engineered to be receivable to a maximum of 60 NM from the ATIS site and a maximum altitude of 25,000 feet AGL. At most locations, ATIS signals may be received on the surface of the airport, but local conditions may limit the maximum ATIS reception distance and/or altitude. Pilots are urged to cooperate in the ATIS program as it relieves frequency congestion on approach control, ground control, and local control frequencies. ATIS information includes the time of the latest weather sequence, ceiling, visibility, obstructions to visibility, temperature, dew point (if available), wind direction (magnetic), and velocity, altimeter, other pertinent remarks, instrument approach and runway in use. The ceiling/sky condition, visibility, and obstructions to vision may be omitted from the ATIS broadcast if the ceiling is above 5,000 feet and the visibility is more than 5 miles. The departure runway will only be given if different from the landing runway except at locations having a separate ATIS for departure. The broadcast may include the appropriate frequency and instructions for VFR arrivals to make initial contact with approach control. Pilots of aircraft arriving or departing the terminal area can receive the continuous ATIS broadcast at times when cockpit duties are least pressing and listen to as many repeats as desired. ATIS broadcast shall be updated upon the receipt of any official hourly and special weather. A new recording will also be made when there is a change in other pertinent data such as runway change, instrument approach in use, etc. EXAMPLE Pilots should listen to ATIS broadcasts whenever ATIS is in operation. Pilots
should notify controllers on initial contact that they have received
the ATIS broadcast by repeating the alphabetical code word appended to
the broadcast. When a pilot acknowledges receipt of the ATIS broadcast, controllers may omit those items contained in the broadcast if they are current. Rapidly changing conditions will be issued
by ATC and the ATIS will contain words as follows: NOTE: The absence of a sky condition or ceiling and/or visibility on ATIS indicates a sky condition or ceiling of 5,000 feet or above and visibility of 5 miles or more. A remark may be made on the broadcast, "the weather is better than 5000 and 5," or the existing weather may be broadcast. Controllers will issue pertinent information to pilots who do not acknowledge receipt of a broadcast or who acknowledge receipt of a broadcast which is not current. To serve frequency limited aircraft, FSSs are equipped to transmit on the omnirange frequency at most en route VORs used as ATIS voice outlets. Such communication interrupts the ATIS broadcast. Pilots of aircraft equipped to receive on other FSS frequencies are encouraged to do so in order that these override transmissions may be kept to an absolute minimum. While it is a good operating practice for pilots to make use of the ATIS broadcast where it is available, some pilots use the phrase "have numbers" in communications with the control tower. Use of this phrase means that the pilot has received wind, runway, and altimeter information ONLY and the tower does not have to repeat this information. It does not indicate receipt of the ATIS broadcast and should never be used for this purpose.
The ATIS message is identified by a letter and is valid until a significant change has to be made (new runway in use, weather deterioration or improvement, facility failure...). The first ATIS of the day is usually identified as INFORMATION ALPHA (see L1-Letterscod for details about letters codification). The second ATIS message will be INFORMATION BRAVO. Then INFORMATION CHARLIE, DELTA etc... if reaching ZULU, the next will be ALPHA again.
CONTENT (real life) :
There is one single ATIS message for one airfield; an ATIS is not established for several airfields. This message is usually recorded by the ground controller or automated system and broadcasted continuously on a specific frequency which can be found on approach charts. The message contains : - Aerodrome name, identification letter and time (UTC). - Approach procedure in use. - Runway in use and runway conditions (flooded, braking action action poor medium or good...). - Transition level. - Any relevant information (bird warning, navaid unserviceable...). - Weather conditions, including wind, visibility, ceiling and cloudiness, temperature, dew point and altimeter setting (QNH). - Significant weather (rain shower, snow...). - Specific instructions (like speed restrictions); usually an ATIS also ends by "Advise controller you have information x at initial contact". This enable the controller to know you got the current details about the airfield.
Example :
This is Paris-Charles de Gaulle information Mike recorded at 1800 z. Landing runway 27, departure runways 26R/26L. Transition level 60. Locator CGO unserviceable. Wind 300°/9kt, visibility 10 km or more, ceiling scattered at 12000 ft, temperature 24, dew point 11, QNH 1018. Advise controller on initial contact you have information Mike.
CONTENT :
Things are a little bit different and have been adapted to our virtual world. Unlike real life, EVERY virtual controller makes his/her own ATIS which is broadcasted in text mode : - into IvAp each time a pilot selects an active ATC frequency. - when requested by a pilot or a controller by typing .atis XXXX_XXX in the dialog box of IvAp or Ivac. (example .atis SBWH_APP) The content is also a little bit different from a real ATIS. Since IvAc manages the Teamspeak channels automatically, the first line of your ATIS message is the TS IP . The content is not the same for all facilities.
DEL - GND - TWR - APP : - IVAO Teamspeak server and channel name. (br.ts.ivao.aero/SBWH_APP) -ATC Position, Information ident, and time. (This is Belo Horizonte Approach information INDIA recorded at 0244Z) -Active runways (Landing rwy 34 / Take-off rwy 34) -Transition level/Transition altitude. (TL FL065 / TA 6000ft) - Weather (SBCF 020200Z 22002KT CAVOK 20/20 Q1019) - Additional information (if any, like speed restrictions or specific noise abatment procedures, approach in use, etc) CTR - FSS : In real life, centers do not establish any ATIS message. In IvAc, the message is adapted because a CTR controller can deal with aircraft arriving to/departing from several uncontrolled airfields located into his/her area of responsability. It is quite impossible to give details for all those airfields into a single ATIS message. Here is what should be inserted : - IVAO Teamspeak server and channel name. (de1.ts.ivao.aero/MMEX_CTR) - ATC Position / Transition Level / Transition Altitude (Mexico Center / TL FL195 / TA18500ft) -Any comments (specific instructions, NOTAMS, etc) Pilots will get weather information for their destination by the ATIS from the destination controller, or if uncontrolled by using the IvAp client (the ACARS) to get the destination METAR. (See IvAp manual for use of ACARS) and L1-MetarSpeci for details about METAR messages).
ATIS CREATION IN IvAc :
- Click on the ATIS button at the top of the screen. - Fill in all applicable areas. - Preview your message, checking for accuracy. - Click OK to publish your atis.
Your ATIS will now be available for pilots and controllers. (don't forget to create your voice channel on teamspeak now)
Check regularly (every hour at least) the METARs indicated on IvAc and verify your ATIS has changed when necessary (the identifier automatically changes when you make a change or the metar/speci is issued.) If a pilot reports he has got info M whereas N is the current one now, you should inform the pilot of the changes from M to N. In creating your message: No need to include some little things like your name and rating (this can be found via IvAe, the network page of IVAO or Servinfo). There is no need to advise you are in a training session (if so, your callsign should include a T as in LFPG_T_APP). It is better to not add anything to the elements given in the examples in order to keep the message as short as possible.
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