Why such a lengthy ATIS?

smig said:
Why do so many ATIS's, particularly the automated ones, include so much superfluous information? All we really need is the weather and approach in use, along with any pertinent information that is not already in the notams.

Here are some common examples of information I think we can do without...

"it is mandatory to read back all runway hold short instructions" - it always has been, I don't need the reminder.

"bird activity in the vicinity of the airport" -I have never been to an airport that didn't have bird activity.

"A02 sea level pressure 183748927758938827788999" -Um, I don't care.

Then many atis's go into a lengthy discussion about taxiway closures. If it has already been listed in the notams for a significant amount of time, a simple "numerous taxiway closures in effect, see notams" would cover it all.

Something that should take 30 seconds takes 2 minutes.
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You can blame the local facility's air traffic manager for most of that because they are the ones with the power to decide what to and what not to put on the ATIS.
 
Effective immediately, until further notice, flight operations in the national airspace system by United States civil aircraft and foreign civil and military aircraft are prohibited except for medical emergency, US military, law enforcement and emergency evacuation flights. All aircraft must first contact the Van Nuys tower on 126.6, advise on initial contact you have Sierra.
 
mbundy said:
Effective immediately, until further notice, flight operations in the national airspace system by United States civil aircraft and foreign civil and military aircraft are prohibited except for medical emergency, US military, law enforcement and emergency evacuation flights. All aircraft must first contact the Van Nuys tower on 126.6, advise on initial contact you have Sierra.
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Besides it being VNY, thats the ATIS I had to report in with when launching the days of and after then. Never heard so much silence in the NAS.
 
inigo88 said:
Am I the only one who listens intently to find the automated ATIS's obligatory ill-timed awkward pause?

"Flow control in effect for aircraft landing Las............................... Vegas McCarran airport." :)
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Def not the only one, this past week, "Severe Weather Avoidance.........Program in effect, advise..........you have information India"

One of the funniest things I've heard though was from a pilot co-worker of mine with one of my last jobs. She hadn't been to many airports outside her home area, and when we were getting the ATIS at some Class C airport, she said "I keep hearing this guys voice doing the ATIS at different airports! I didn't know they only used one person to record all the ATISs for big airports"
 
"Remarks, Den-sitty altitude two thousand, three hundred... Lightining, Distant, South?"

Soo, is there lightning or what AWOS man?
 
MikeD said:
Besides it being VNY, thats the ATIS I had to report in with when launching the days of and after then. Never heard so much silence in the NAS.
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I remember tuning in Camarillo's ATIS that week, I don't think I've ever heard anything on the (aeronautical) radio that made me so sad.
 
Landis said:
As long as we're on the ATIS subject...

Why is it that right after a new ATIS is recorded the information seems to instantly change? The controller comes up on tower or ground and says "ATIS information zulu now current, wind 250 at 12, altimeter 29.93, runways 28 in use." And inevitably when you listen to the new ATIS the wind is 260 at 8 and the altimeter is 29.89. What happened in the 3 minutes since it was recorded and why is this info different? I get why it's different 30 minutes later, but right when it's announced?
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The hourly atis weather is a weighted observation over the last half hour. Winds, for example, are taken from the preceding 30 minutes, with the last 10 minutes double weighted in the average. If there is significant deviation in the average, you will see the wind shift, or peak winds etc.

When ATC gives you the winds, they are reading it from the cab. Now, I have a question for you, in the event that the hourly reported winds are greater than the crossiwnd component of your airplane, but the tower calls them below the limit, which is controling?
 
TUCKnTRUCK said:
When ATC gives you the winds, they are reading it from the cab. Now, I have a question for you, in the event that the hourly reported winds are greater than the crossiwnd component of your airplane, but the tower calls them below the limit, which is controling?
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Neither, because maximum "demonstrated" crosswind component is not an operating limitation. :)


To answer the question though, I'd say ATC is controlling, not the hourly automated report.
 
Apophis said:
Neither, because maximum "demonstrated" crosswind component is not an operating limitation. :)
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Most, if not all 121 carriers have a crosswind limitation listed in their POH.

I would go with the winds reported from the tower in most cases, as they are the latest winds. There is no specific guidance in the FAR's or OpSpecs however. It is a judgement call.
 
Apophis said:
That's nice, when did he ever say anything about a part 121 carrier?
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He mentioned the word "limit". It appears that he has a picture of a B1900 in his avatar. One could logically deduce that he is talking 121. When did he say anything about part 91?
 
MCAS Miramar has a bunch of extra stuff they have to throw on the end of their ATIS, and then to keep it short they say it ridiculously fast. It took me about six tries to comprehend the following:

"...PAR, TACAN, Surveillance and ILS approaches in use. Overhead downwind available. Yuma, I-15, Fairways and Beach arrivals are available. Runway 24R approach end gear de-rigged, all other gear rigged. Advise on initial contact you have Tango."

That's a lot to try and retain in ten seconds. :crazy:
 
inigo88 said:
MCAS Miramar has a bunch of extra stuff they have to throw on the end of their ATIS, and then to keep it short they say it ridiculously fast. It took me about six tries to comprehend the following:

"...PAR, TACAN, Surveillance and ILS approaches in use. Overhead downwind available. Yuma, I-15, Fairways and Beach arrivals are available. Runway 24R approach end gear de-rigged, all other gear rigged. Advise on initial contact you have Tango."

That's a lot to try and retain in ten seconds. :crazy:
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All standard info, and good to know for planning purposes on arrival.
 
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