Section 4. Airport Advisory Services

4-4-1. GENERAL

Airport advisory services are provided at airports without an operating control tower that have certified automated weather reporting via voice capability. The types of service depend upon the location of the FSS and communications capabilities. There are three types:

a. Local airport advisory (LAA) is a service provided by facilities that are located on the landing airport.

b. Remote airport advisory (RAA) is a remote service which may be provided by facilities that are not located on the landing airport.

NOTE-
LAA/RAA both have:

1. Ground­to­air communication on the common traffic advisory frequency (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.

c. Remote airport information service (RAIS) is a temporary service provided by facilities which are not located on the landing airport but have:

1. Communication capability.

2. Automated weather reporting available to the pilot at the landing airport.

NOTE-
FAA policy requires pilots to access the current automated weather prior to requesting any remote ATC services at non­towered airports. It is the pilot's responsibility to comply with the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) if landing clearance is required.

4-4-2. GENERAL

a. 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.

PHRASEOLOGY-
(Airport name) AIRPORT ADVISORY IS NOT AVAILABLE. REMOTE AIRPORT INFORMATION...

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

PHRASEOLOGY-
MONITOR (location) AUTOMATED WEATHER (frequency). ADVISE INTENTIONS.

1. When the pilot indicates receipt of automated weather, provide the appropriate non­weather elements.

2. If the pilot reports the automated weather is out of service, provide the last reported weather available and the appropriate non­weather elements.

c. 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.

PHRASEOLOGY-
(Airport name) AIRPORT ADVISORY or AIRPORT INFORMATION NOT AVAILABLE. CONTACT (airport name) CTAF (frequency).

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

EXAMPLE-
RAIS:
Pilot ­ “Green Bay radio, Cessna 12RG, ten northeast, landing Eau Claire, request airport information, I have the automated weather.”

FSS ­ “Cessna 12RG, Eau Claire airport information, your traffic is a Cessna 172 entering downwind and a Convair 660 reported on final, both one minute ago. There is an airport maintenance vehicle .

e. 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.

NOTE-
The intent is to reduce frequency clutter while insuring that the pilots are aware of the situation as it changes.

f. 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.

g. 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.

EXAMPLE-
“Verify you have information ALFA.”

h. If the pilot requests special VFR clearance, provide the appropriate elements and follow the procedures in Chapter 4, Section 5, Special VFR Operations.

4-4-3. Airport Advisory/RAIS ELEMENTS AND PHRASEOLOGY

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

EXAMPLE-
(Airport name), AIRPORT ADVISORY . . .

Or

(Airport name), AIRPORT INFORMATION . . .

NOTE-
At FSS facilities with AFIS equipment, if an aircraft has acknowledged receipt of the AFIS message, traffic advisories and additional information need not be preceded by the phrase “(Airport name) AIRPORT ADVISORY.”

b. 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.

3. Altimeter setting.

4. Traffic.

5. NOTAM information/braking action/runway friction.

6. Weather.

7. Density Altitude.

8. Wake turbulence.

9. Final Guard.

c. 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 is a service provided in conjunction with an airport advisory. The specialist must check the current wind data and provide the favored or designated runway information as follows:

(a) For takeoff and landing operations state the runway most nearly aligned into the wind.

(b) 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.

(c) If there is no wind, state the runway currently in use, the runway favored by a shorter taxiway, or other local consideration.

(d) 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.

(e) If the majority of the traffic has been using a runway other than the favored or designated runway, advise the pilot.

EXAMPLE-
Landing airport has runways 27 (longer) and 32 with most pilots utilizing the shorter runway “WIND VARIABLE BETWEEN TWO EIGHT ZERO AND THREE FOUR ZERO AT ONE FIVE GUSTS TWO EIGHT, FAVORED RUNWAY THREE TWO.”

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

PHRASEOLOGY-
ATTENTION ALL AIRCRAFT. (Aircraft type) DEPARTING/LANDING RUNWAY (number).

(g) 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.

(h) The favored or designated runway is never provided with RAIS.

3. Altimeter Setting.

(a) 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.

PHRASEOLOGY-
ALTIMETER IN EXCESS OF THREE ONE ZERO ZERO. HIGH PRESSURE ALTIMETER SETTING PROCEDURES ARE IN EFFECT. RECOMMEND YOU SET ALTIMETER TO THREE ONE ZERO ZERO EN ROUTE.”

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

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

PHRASEOLOGY-
TRAFFIC (Aircraft type), (position), (minutes) AGO.

5. Braking action/NOTAM. Furnish braking action reports as received from pilots or airport management to all aircraft as follows:

(a) Describe braking action using the terms fair, poor, or nil. If the pilot or airport management reports braking action in other than the foregoing terms, ask them to categorize braking action in these terms.

(b) When known, include the type of aircraft or vehicle from which the report is received.

EXAMPLE-
“Braking action poor.”

“Braking action poor, reported by a Cessna Four­Oh­One.”

(c) If the braking action report affects only a portion of a runway, obtain enough information from the pilot or airport management to describe braking action in terms easily understood by the pilot.

EXAMPLE-
“Braking action poor first half of Runway Six, reported by a Gulfstream Two.”

“Braking action poor Runway Two­Seven, reported by a Boeing Seven Twenty­Seven.”

NOTE-
Descriptive terms, such as first/last half of the runway, should normally be used rather than landmark descriptions, such as opposite the fire station, south of a taxiway.

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

EXAMPLE-
“All runways covered by packed snow 6 inches deep.”

7. Weather. When the pilot does not have the weather conditions, issue the last reported or known weather information as follows:

(a) 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 runway visual range (RVR)/runway visibility value (RVV) for the runway in use where RVR/RVV 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 3 miles or when the ceiling is less than 1,000 feet or below the highest circling minimum, whichever is greater.

8. Weather advisory alert. Provide in accordance with subpara 4­3­5a.

PHRASEOLOGY-
(Advisory description) IS CURRENT FOR (condition) OVER (area).

9. Density Altitude.

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

PHRASEOLOGY-
CHECK DENSITY ALTITUDE.

(b) 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 preflight briefing.

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

PHRASEOLOGY-
CAUTION, WAKE TURBULENCE (traffic information).

NOTE-
Wake turbulence may be encountered by aircraft in flight as well as when operating on the airport movement area. Because wake turbulence is unpredictable, air traffic personnel are not responsible for anticipating its existence or effect.

11. 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. Provide Final Guard as follows:

(a) When the pilot reports “On final” or “Taking the active runway,” the specialist must provide the current wind direction, speed, and altimeter.

(b) 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.

(c) Pilots will not be required or expected to acknowledge the broadcast.

EXAMPLE-
“N12RG, Wind (direction) at (speed).”

NOTE-
Final Guard is never provided with RAIS.

12. Runway Friction. Upon request, provide runway friction measurement readings/values as received from airport management to aircraft as follows:

(a) At airports with friction measuring devices, provide runway friction reports, as received from airport management, to pilots. State the runway number followed by the MU number for each of the three runway zones, the time of the report in UTC, and a word describing the cause of the runway friction problem.

EXAMPLE-
“Runway two seven, MU thirty nine, thirty eight, twenty­eight at one zero one eight ZULU, ice.”

(b) Issue the runway surface condition and/or the runway condition reading (RCR), if provided, to all U.S. Air Force (USAF) and Air National Guard (ANG) aircraft. Issue the RCR to other aircraft upon request.

EXAMPLE-
“Ice on runway, R­C­R zero five, patchy.”

NOTE-
USAF has established RCR procedures for determining the average deceleration readings of runways under conditions of water, slush, ice, or snow. The use of RCR code is dependent upon the pilot's having a “stopping capability chart” specifically applicable to his/her aircraft. USAF offices furnish RCR information at airports serving USAF and ANG aircraft.

4-4-4. CHARTS

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

4-4-5. AUTHORIZED FREQUENCIES

a. Airport Advisory:

1. Provide airport advisory service on the appropriate discrete frequency at non­towered locations and on the tower local control frequency at an airport with a part­time 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 10­mile radius of the airport.

NOTE-
In situations where the inflight position is split, advise pilot of appropriate frequency to obtain Airport Advisory/RAIS.

PHRASEOLOGY-
FOR FURTHER ADVISORY SERVICE AT (airport name), MONITOR (frequency) WITHIN ONE ZERO MILES.

b. 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 para 4­4­2c.

NOTE-
This service is only provided at remote airports that have an existing discrete communications capability between the airport and the flight service station serving the airport and a NOTAM D announcing the availability of the service is in effect.

4-4-6. TRAFFIC CONTROL

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

PHRASEOLOGY-
NO CONTROL TOWER IN OPERATION.

4-4-7. AIRCRAFT EQUIPMENT CHECKS

When requested, provide observed information.

EXAMPLE-
Landing gear appears to be down and in place.