Section 9. Automatic Terminal Information
Service Procedures
2-9-1. APPLICATION
Use the ATIS, where available, to provide advance
noncontrol airport/terminal area and meteorological
information to aircraft.
a. Identify each ATIS message by a phonetic letter
code word at both the beginning and the end of the
message. Automated systems will have the phonetic
letter code automatically appended. Exceptions may
be made where omissions are required because of
special programs or equipment.
1. Each alphabet letter phonetic word must be
used sequentially, except as authorized in subpara a2,
beginning with “Alpha,” ending with “Zulu,” and
repeated without regard to the beginning of a new
day. Identify the first resumed broadcast message
with “Alpha” or the first assigned alphabet letter
word in the event of a broadcast interruption of more
than 12 hours.
2. Specific sequential portions of the alphabet
may be assigned between facilities or an arrival and
departure ATIS when designated by a letter of
agreement or facility directive.
REFERENCE-
FAAO JO 7210.3, Para 10-4-1, Automatic Terminal Information
Service (ATIS).
b. The ATIS recording must be reviewed for
completeness, accuracy, speech rate, and proper
enunciation before being transmitted.
c. Arrival and departure messages, when broadcast separately, need only contain information
appropriate for that operation.
2-9-2. OPERATING PROCEDURES
Maintain an ATIS message that reflects the most
current arrival and departure information.
a. Make a new recording when any of the
following occur:
1. Upon receipt of any new official weather
regardless of whether there is or is not a change in
values.
2. When runway braking action reports are
received that indicate runway braking is worse than
that which is included in the current ATIS broadcast.
3. When there is a change in any other pertinent
data, such as runway change, instrument approach in
use, new or canceled NOTAMs/PIREPs/HIWAS
update, etc.
b. When a pilot acknowledges that he/she has
received the ATIS broadcast, controllers may omit
those items contained in the broadcasts if they are
current. Rapidly changing conditions will be issued
by ATC, and the ATIS will contain the following:
EXAMPLE-
“Latest ceiling/visibility/altimeter/wind/(other conditions) will be issued by approach control/tower.”
c. Broadcast on all appropriate frequencies to
advise aircraft of a change in the ATIS code/message.
d. Controllers must ensure that pilots receive the
most current pertinent information. Ask the pilot to
confirm receipt of the current ATIS information if the
pilot does not initially state the appropriate ATIS
code. Controllers must ensure that changes to
pertinent operational information is provided after
the initial confirmation of ATIS information is
established. Issue the current weather, runway in use,
approach information, and pertinent NOTAMs to
pilots who are unable to receive the ATIS.
EXAMPLE-
“Verify you have information ALPHA.”
“Information BRAVO now current, visibility three miles.”
“Information CHARLIE now current, Ceiling 1500
Broken.”
“Information CHARLIE now current, advise when you
have CHARLIE.”
2-9-3. CONTENT
Include the following in ATIS broadcast as
appropriate:
a. Airport/facility name, phonetic letter code, time
of weather sequence (UTC). Weather information
consisting of wind direction and velocity, visibility,
obstructions to vision, present weather, sky condition, temperature, dew point, altimeter, a density
altitude advisory when appropriate and other
pertinent remarks included in the official weather
observation. Wind direction, velocity, and altimeter
must be reported from certified direct reading
instruments. Temperature and dew point should be
reported from certified direct reading sensors when
available. Always include weather observation
remarks of lightning, cumulonimbus, and towering
cumulus clouds.
NOTE-
ASOS/AWOS is to be considered the primary source of
wind direction, velocity, and altimeter data for weather
observation purposes at those locations that are so
equipped. The ASOS Operator Interface Device (OID)
displays the magnetic wind as “MAG WND” in the
auxiliary data location in the lower left-hand portion of the
screen. Other OID displayed winds are true and are not to
be used for operational purposes.
b. Man-Portable Air Defense Systems
(MANPADS) alert and advisory. Specify the nature
and location of threat or incident, whether reported or
observed and by whom, time (if known), and
notification to pilots to advise ATC if they need to
divert.
EXAMPLE-
1. “MANPADS alert. Exercise extreme caution.
MANPADS threat reported by TSA, Chicago area.”
“Advise on initial contact if you want to divert.”
2. “MANPADS alert. Exercise extreme caution.
MANPADS attack observed by tower one-half mile
northwest of airfield at one-two-five-zero Zulu.” “Advise
on initial contact if you want to divert.”
REFERENCE-
FAAO JO 7110.65, Para 10-2-13, MANPADS Alert.
FAAO JO 7210.3, Para 2-1-9, Handling MANPADS Incidents.
c. Terminal facilities must include reported
unauthorized laser illumination events on the ATIS
broadcast for one hour following the last report.
Include the time, location, altitude, color, and
direction of the laser as reported by the pilot.
PHRASEOLOGY-
UNAUTHORIZED LASER ILLUMINATION EVENT,
(UTC time), (location), (altitude), (color), (direction).
EXAMPLE-
UNAUTHORIZED LASER ILLUMINATION EVENT, AT
0100z, 8 MILE FINAL RUNWAY 18R AT 3,000 FEET,
GREEN LASER FROM THE SOUTHWEST.
REFERENCE-
FAAO JO 7110.65, Para 10-2-14, Unauthorized Laser
Illumination of Aircraft.
FAAO JO 7210.3, Para 2-1-27, Reporting Unauthorized Laser
Illumination of Aircraft.
d. The ceiling/sky condition, visibility, and
obstructions to vision may be omitted if the ceiling is
above 5,000 feet and the visibility is more than
5 miles.
EXAMPLE-
A remark may be made, “The weather is better than
five thousand and five.”
e.
Instrument/visual approach/es in use. Specify landing
runway/s unless the runway is that to which the instrument approach is made.
Before advertising nonprecision approaches, priority should be given to
available precision, then APV approaches.
f. Departure runway/s (to be given only if different
from landing runway/s or in the instance of a
“departure only” ATIS).
g. Taxiway closures which affect the entrance or
exit of active runways, other closures which impact
airport operations, other NOTAMs and PIREPs
pertinent to operations in the terminal area. Inform
pilots of where hazardous weather is occurring and
how the information may be obtained. Include
available information of known bird activity.
REFERENCE-
FAAO JO 7110.65, Para 2-1-22, Bird Activity Information.
h. When a runway
length has been temporarily or permanently shortened, ensure that the word
“WARNING” prefaces the runway number, and that the word “shortened” is also
included in the text of the message.
1.
Available runway length, as stated in the NOTAM, must be included in the ATIS
broadcast. This information must be broadcast for the duration of the
construction project.
2.
For permanently shortened runways, facilities must continue to broadcast this
information for a minimum of 30 days or until the Airport/Facility Directory
(A/FD) has been updated, whichever is longer.
PHRASEOLOGY-
WARNING, RUNWAY (number) HAS BEEN SHORTENED, (length in feet) FEET AVAILABLE.
EXAMPLE-
“Warning, Runway One-Zero has been shortened, niner-thousand eight hundred and
fifty feet available.”
i.
Runway braking action or friction reports when
provided. Include the time of the report and a word
describing the cause of the runway friction problem.
PHRASEOLOGY-
RUNWAY (number) MU (first value, second value, third
value) AT (time), (cause).
EXAMPLE-
“Runway Two Seven, MU forty-two, forty-one, twenty-eight at one zero one eight Zulu, ice.”
REFERENCE-
FAAO JO 7110.65, Para 3-3-5, Braking Action Advisories.
j. Other optional information as local conditions
dictate in coordination with ATC. This may include
such items as VFR arrival frequencies, temporary
airport conditions, LAHSO operations being con-ducted, or other perishable items that may appear
only for a matter of hours or a few days on the ATIS
message.
j. Low level wind shear/microburst when reported
by pilots or is detected on a wind shear detection
system.
REFERENCE-
FAAO JO 7110.65, Para 3-1-8, Low Level Wind
Shear/Microburst Advisories.
l. A statement which advises the pilot to read back
instructions to hold short of a runway. The air traffic
manager may elect to remove this requirement
60 days after implementation provided that removing
the statement from the ATIS does not result in
increased requests from aircraft for read back of hold
short instructions.
m. Instructions for the pilot to acknowledge receipt
of the ATIS message by informing the controller on
initial contact.
EXAMPLE-
“Boston Tower Information Delta. One four zero zero Zulu.
Wind two five zero at one zero. Visibility one zero. Ceiling
four thousand five hundred broken. Temperature three four.
Dew point two eight. Altimeter three zero one zero.
ILS-DME Runway Two Seven Approach in use. Departing
Runway Two Two Right. Hazardous Weather Information
for (geographical area) available on HIWAS, Flight
Watch, or Flight Service Frequencies. Advise on initial
contact you have Delta.”
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