Section 3. Advisory Services

1. DESCRIPTION

Advisory services are those provided at airports without an operating control tower that have certified automated weather reporting via voice capability or at remote locations that have noncertified automated weather reporting (for example, weather cameras) via voice capability. The service depends on the location of the FSS and communications capabilities. There are four types:

1. Local Airport Advisory (LAA). LAA is a service provided by facilities that are located on the airport and have:

1. Ground‐to‐air communication on the CTAF.
2. Automated weather reporting with voice broadcasting.
3. A continuous automated weather data display.
4. Other continuous direct reading instruments or manual observations available to the specialist.

1. Remote Airport Advisory (RAA). RAA is a remote service which may be provided at select locations by facilities that are not located on the airport and have:

1. Ground‐to‐air communication on the CTAF.
2. Automated weather reporting with voice broadcasting.
3. A continuous automated weather data display.
4. Other continuous direct reading instruments or manual observations available to the specialist.

1. Remote Airport Information Service (RAIS). RAIS is a temporary service provided by facilities in Alaska which are not located on the airport but have:

1. Communication capability.
2. Automated weather reporting available to the pilot at the airport.

1. Remote Weather Advisory Service (RWAS). RWAS is a remote service which may be provided at select locations (airports or remote) by facilities that are not collocated but have:

1. A continuous automated weather data display with access to noncertified weather information (for example, weather cameras).
2. Communication capability.

1. GENERAL

1. If a pilot asks for airport advisory services at an airport where the requested service is not available but one of the services is available, inform the pilot about what service is available, and provide the appropriate service.

1. At airports with commissioned automated weather with continuous automated voice capability, instruct the pilot to monitor the automated broadcast and advise intentions.

1. When the pilot indicates receipt of automated weather, provide the appropriate non‐weather elements.
2. If the pilot reports the automated weather is out of service, provide the last reported weather available and the appropriate non-weather elements.

1. Advise the pilot that the requested airport advisory/RAIS service is not available. Provide CTAF frequency and/or the automated weather frequency, when available. When not available, issue the last known surface condition and altimeter.

1. During initial contact, if the pilot indicates receipt of automated weather, provide only the appropriate non‐weather elements. Do not provide weather information unless specifically requested by the pilot or a special report is transmitted.

1. If additional pilots initiate contact a short time after airport advisory services were provided, determine if the new pilot(s) copied the information when it was provided.

1. If the new pilot responds in the affirmative, do not repeat the information.
2. If the new pilot acknowledges the airport advisory information and then requests specific information, provide only the information requested.

1. Final guard is a service provided in conjunction with airport advisory only during periods of significant and fast changing weather conditions that may affect landing and takeoff operations.
2. Where AFIS is available, confirm receipt of the current AFIS information if the pilot does not initially state the appropriate AFIS code. Issue the current AFIS information to pilots who are unable to receive the AFIS or pilots that do not have the information.

1. If the pilot requests special VFR clearance, provide the appropriate elements and follow the procedures in Chapter 4, Section 6, Special VFR Operations.

1. ELEMENTS AND PHRASEOLOGY

1. State the airport name and the type of service being provided: airport advisory or airport information.

1. Provide the following information as needed to best serve the current traffic situation. Do not approve or disapprove simulated instrument approaches.

1. Wind direction and speed.
2. Favored or designated runway. The specialist must check the current wind data and provide the aircraft the favored or designated runway information as follows:

1. For takeoff and landing operations state the runway most nearly aligned into the wind.
2. Inform the pilot when the current wind direction is varying enough that the selection of the favored runway may be affected, when there is more than 10 knots between peaks and lulls, or the pilot has requested the information.
3. If there is no wind, state the runway currently in use, the runway favored by a shorter taxiway, or other local consideration.
4. When airport management has designated a runway to be used under certain wind or other conditions (and has informed the FSS in writing) issue runway information accordingly.
5. If the majority of the traffic has been using a runway other than the favored or designated runway, advise the pilot.

1. When a pilot advises he/she will use a runway other than the favored or the designated runway, inform all known concerned traffic.

1. If a pilot requests the distance between an intersection and the runway end, furnish measured data from the local airport intersection takeoff diagram or other appropriate sources.
2. Do not provide a favored or designated runway as part of a RAIS.

1. Altimeter setting.

1. Airport advisory: Apply special procedures when the altimeter setting is more than 31.00 inches Hg. Stations with the capability of reading altimeter settings above 31.00 inches Hg must issue altimeter settings to aircraft.

1. RAIS. Do not provide the altimeter unless specifically requested. Then, provide the altimeter from the last official weather report.

1. Traffic. Information about observed or reported traffic, which may constitute a collision hazard. This may include positions of aircraft in-flight and/or aircraft and vehicles operating on the airport.

1. Unmanned aircraft activity information. Issue unmanned aircraft advisory information for known, observed, or pilot-reported unmanned aircraft activity when, in your judgment, proximity warrants it. If known, include position, altitude, distance, course, and type of unmanned aircraft. For reported unmanned aircraft activity, continue to issue advisories to potentially impacted aircraft for at least 15 minutes following the last report.

1. Braking action/NOTAM. Furnish braking action reports as received from pilots to all aircraft as follows:

1. Describe braking action using the terms “good,” “good to medium,” “medium,” “medium to poor,” “poor,” or “nil.” If the pilot reports braking action in other than the approved terms, ask them to categorize braking action in these terms.
2. When known, include the type of aircraft or vehicle from which the report is received.

1. If the braking action report affects only a portion of a runway, obtain enough information from the pilot to describe braking action in terms easily understood by other pilots. Use descriptive terms (for example, first/last half of the runway) rather than landmark descriptions (for example, opposite the fire station, south of a taxiway).

1. Upon request, provide runway condition codes as received from airport management to aircraft as follows:

1. State the runway number followed by the runway condition code for each of the three runway zones and the time of the report in UTC.
2. Issue FICON NOTAMs upon pilot request.

1. Issue the runway surface condition and/or the RCR, if provided, to all U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard aircraft. Issue the RCR to other aircraft upon request.

1. NOTAM. NOTAMs concerning local NAVAIDs and local field conditions/airspace conditions pertinent to flight (for example, local NAVAIDs, TFRs).

1. Weather. When the pilot does not have the weather conditions, issue the last reported or known weather information as follows (airport advisory/RAIS):

1. Wind direction and speed.
2. Altimeter (except RAIS).
3. Ceiling and visibility to VFR aircraft when less than basic VFR conditions exist.
4. Visibility to VFR aircraft when it is less than three miles in any quadrant.
5. Touchdown RVR for the runway in use where RVR readout equipment is located at the workstation providing the service.
6. To IFR aircraft executing an instrument approach or departure and to the appropriate control facility when visibility is less than three miles or when the ceiling is less than 1,000 feet or below the highest circling minimum, whichever is greater.

1. Weather advisory alert. Provide in accordance with subparagraph 4-2-5a.

1. Density altitude.

1. Facilities at airports with field elevations of 2,000 MSL or higher, transmit a density altitude advisory to departing general aviation aircraft whenever the temperature reaches the criteria contained in TBL 4-3-1.

1. Omit this advisory if pilot states the computation has been done or if the specialist is aware that a density altitude computation for that aircraft was included in the pre‐flight briefing.

1. Wake turbulence. Issue cautionary information to any aircraft if in your judgment wake turbulence may have an adverse effect on it.

1. Final guard is a wind and altimeter monitoring service provided in conjunction with airport advisory during periods of significant and/or fast changing weather conditions that may affect landing and takeoff operations. The specialist must monitor the remote display of the current wind and altimeter and provide the aircraft final guard as follows:

1. When the pilot reports “on final” or “taking the active runway,” the specialist must provide them the current wind direction, speed, and altimeter.
2. If during the landing or takeoff operation conditions change and, in the specialist's opinion, the changing information might be useful to the pilot, the specialist must broadcast the new wind and/or altimeter information in the blind.
3. Pilots are not required or expected to acknowledge the broadcast.

1. CHARTS

Keep charts, or electronic equivalent, depicting runways, local taxi routes, intersection takeoff information, airport traffic patterns, and instrument approach procedures convenient to the position that provides airport advisory service.

1. AUTHORIZED FREQUENCIES

1. Airport advisory:

1. Provide airport advisory service on the appropriate discrete frequency at non‐towered locations and on the tower local control frequency at an airport with a part‐time tower when that facility is not operating.
2. If a pilot calls on another frequency, issue advisories on the frequency to which the pilot is listening, in addition to the appropriate Airport Advisory frequency.
3. Encourage the pilot to guard the airport advisory frequency or tower local control frequency within a 10‐mile radius of the airport.

1. RAIS:

1. Provide RAIS on the existing discrete frequency located at the remote airport.
2. If a pilot calls and appears to be unaware that RAIS is available, offer the service.
3. If a pilot calls on another frequency, issue advisories on the frequency the pilot is listening, in addition to the appropriate airport advisory frequency.
4. If RAIS is requested when it is not offered, inform the pilot that the service is not available and follow subparagraph 4-3-1c.

1. TRAFFIC CONTROL

When there is no control tower in operation and a pilot appears unaware of this fact, inform them as follows:

1. AIRCRAFT EQUIPMENT CHECKS

When requested, provide aircraft equipment inspections such as radio checks or, if able, observed aircraft conditions.