2-5-1. AUTOMATIC FLIGHT INFORMATION SERVICE (AFIS)

Use the AFIS to provide advance non­control airport, meteorological, and pertinent NOTAM information to aircraft. Specialists must provide local airport advisory (LAA) information when the AFIS is not available.

NOTE-
Use of the AFIS by pilots is not mandatory, but pilots who use two­way radio communication with the FSS are urged to use the service.

a. Begin each new AFIS message with the airport/facility name and a phonetic alphabet letter. The phonetic alphabet letter must also be spoken at the end of the message and be used sequentially, beginning with “Alfa,” ending with “Zulu.” Full­time facilities must repeat the letter without regard to the beginning of a new day. Part-time facilities must identify the first resumed broadcast message with “Alfa.”

b. The AFIS recording must be reviewed for completeness, accuracy, speech rate, and proper enunciation before being transmitted.

c. Maintain an AFIS message that reflects the most current local airport information.

1. Make a new AFIS recording when any of the following occur:

(a) Upon receipt of any new official weather, regardless of any change in values.

(b) When runway braking action reports are received that indicate runway braking is worse than that which was included in the current AFIS broadcast.

(c) When there is a change in any other pertinent data for the airport or surrounding area, such as change in favored runway, new or canceled NOTAMs, WAs, WSs, CWAs, PIREPs, or other information that facilitates the repetitive transmission of essential but routine information.

2. Omit rapidly changing data. When this occurs, the AFIS must contain a statement advising pilots whom to contact for the omitted data.

EXAMPLE-
“For latest ceiling/visibility/altimeter/wind/(other conditions) contact (facility and frequency).”

3. Broadcast, on the LAA frequency, the new airport AFIS phonetic alphabet identifier after each new recording.

4. After establishing two­way radio communication, if the pilot does not state that he/she has the current AFIS code, the specialist must either:

(a) Use LAA procedures to issue pertinent AFIS information, or

(b) Advise the pilot to return to the AFIS frequency.

5. AFIS broadcasts may be suspended within specified time periods. During these periods, the AFIS must contain a brief statement that the AFIS is suspended for the specified time and pilots should contact the FSS for LAA.

PHRASEOLOGY-
(Airport name) FLIGHT INFORMATION BROADCASTS ARE SUSPENDED UNTIL (time). CONTACT (facility name) RADIO ON (frequency) FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION.

6. Part­time and seasonal facilities must record a message with the appropriate frequency and facility contact information as well as known information regarding resumption of LAA.

PHRASEOLOGY-
(Name of FSS) HOURS OF OPERATION ARE (time) LOCAL TIME TO (time) LOCAL TIME. THE COMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCY IS (frequency). PILOT CONTROLLED LIGHTING IS AVAILABLE ON (frequency). FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT (name of FSS) ON (frequency).

(Name of FSS) IS CLOSED FOR THE WINTER SEASON. THE COMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCY IS (frequency). PILOT CONTROLLED LIGHTING IS AVAILABLE ON (frequency). FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT (name of FSS) ON (frequency).

7. Use the following format and include the following in AFIS broadcast as appropriate:

(a) (Airport/facility name) airport information.

(b) Phonetic alphabet designator.

(c) Special routing procedures in effect (when appropriate for the Ketchikan (KTN) area).

(d) Time of the AFIS preparation (UTC) followed by the word, “ZULU.”

(e) Include the current weather observation and other pertinent remarks. The ceiling/sky conditions, visibility, and obstruction to vision maybe omitted if the ceiling is above 5,000 and the visibility is more than 5 miles.

EXAMPLE-
“The weather is better than five thousand and five.”

(f) Favored runway and additional local information, as required.

(g) NOTAMs concerning local NAVAIDs and field conditions pertinent to flight.

EXAMPLE-
“Notice to Airmen, Iliamna NDB out of service.”
“Transcribed weather broadcast out of service.”

(h) 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).

REFERENCE-
FAAO JO 7110.10, Para 4­4­3, Airport Advisory/RAIS Elements and Phraseology.

(i) Low­level wind shear (LLWS) advisory, including those contained in the terminal aerodrome forecast (TAF) and in PIREPs. (Include PIREP information at least 20 minutes following the report).

EXAMPLE-
“Low level wind shear is forecast.”

(j) Unauthorized Laser Illumination Events. When a laser event is reported, include reported unauthorized laser illumination events on the AFIS 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 zero one zero zero Zulu, eight­mile final runway one eight at three thousand feet, green laser from the southwest.”

(k) Man­Portable 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.

PHRASEOLOGY-
MANPADS ALERT. EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION. MANPADS THREAT/ATTACK/POST­EVENT ACTIVITY OBSERVED/REPORTED BY (reporting agency) (location) AT (time, if known). (When transmitting to an individual aircraft) ADVISE ON INITIAL CONTACT IF YOU WANT TO DIVERT.

EXAMPLE-
“MANPADS alert. Exercise extreme caution. MANPADS threat reported by TSA, Anchorage area. Advise on initial contact if you want to divert.”

“MANPADS alert. Exercise extreme caution. MANPADS attack observed by flight service station one­half mile northwest of airfield at one­two­five­zero Zulu. Advise on initial contact if you want to divert.”

NOTE-
1. Upon receiving or observing an unauthorized MANPADS alert/advisory, contact the Alaska Flight Service Information Area Group(AFSIAG) through the Alaskan Region Regional Operations Center (ROC).

2. Continue broadcasting the MANPADS alert/advisory until advised by national headquarters the threat is no longer present. Coordination may be through the AFSIAG or the Alaskan ROC.

REFERENCE-
FAAO JO 7210.3, Para 2­1­9, Handling MANPADS Incidents.

(l) Any other advisories applicable to the area covered by the LAA.

(m) Local frequency advisory.

PHRASEOLOGY-
CONTACT (facility name) RADIO ON (frequency) FOR TRAFFIC ADVISORIES.

(n) Instructions for the pilot to acknowledge receipt of the AFIS message on initial contact.

EXAMPLE-
“Dillingham airport information ALFA. One six five five Zulu. Wind one three zero at eight; visibility one five; ceiling four thousand overcast; temperature four, dew point three; altimeter two niner niner zero. Favored runway one niner. Notice to Airmen, Dillingham V­O­R out of service. Contact Dillingham Radio on one two three point six for traffic advisories. Advise on initial contact you have ALFA.”
“Kotzebue information ALFA. One six five five Zulu. Wind, two one zero at five; visibility two, fog; ceiling one hundred overcast; temperature minus one two, dew point minus one four; altimeter three one zero five. Altimeter in excess of three one zero zero, high pressure altimeter setting procedures are in effect. Favored runway two six. Weather in Kotzebue surface area is below V­F­R minima ­ an ATC clearance is required. Notice to Airmen, Hotham NDB out of service. Contact Kotzebue Radio on one two three point six for traffic advisories and advise intentions. Transcribed Weather Broadcast out of service. Advise on initial contact you have ALFA.”