Can someone confirm that Golze does indeed only provide a METAR and not full ATIS? I presume that is the case as I’ve never heard of an ATIS datafeed being available?
I believe the correct radio call is “G-YZ request temporary frequency change Bournemouth ATIS”, at least that is what I was taught back in the day. The extra word “temporary” is all that needs to be added to indicate you will be back.
I would never disappear off the frequency without such a call.
Some newer audio panels have a Monitor feature which makes the second (ATIS) COM lower priority such that it mutes on activity on the primary COM. Which is handy unless the primary COM is very busy – then you need to manually “fade in” both.
I always monitor 121.500 on one of the four radios my setup provides me with. I can monitor standby frequencies set up on COM1 and COM2. 121.500 can also be entertaining.
When I come close to the destination I put in the ATIS frequency as active frequency on the COM that is monitoring 121.500. As soon as I see it receiving constantly I turn it on as overlay to the send/receive radio where I talk to ATC. If ATC calls me, I can turn it off with the press of a single button.
When reception is still poor or ATC is busy it does a while and several passes to get all information from the ATIS.
Just listen to it on the other radio. No need to leave the frequency you’re on.
Some radios (eg Garmin GTR225) will let you listen to the standby frequency while still having 2 way communication on the active.
I also ask “to leave the frequency shortly to monitor ATIS”, also in Germany. I’ve had at least one case where I was told to first change heading and stand by, then a minute later I was told I can now leave the frequency for the ATIS. I.e. the controllers are thinking and if they have a potential problem for you in the next minute or two, the will not allow you to leave before you are clear of the problematic situation.
I also take the 2nd radio to listen to the ATIS as soon as possible.
Mostly you need 2 rounds to gather all the info you need because of a busy first frequency.
I’ve noticed in the US, if the en route controller thinks your plane may have one comm radio they’ll get the ATIS for your destination airport and read it to you. If the frequency is too busy to allow that, I generally pick up ATIS during the hand-off to tower. I wouldn’t report ‘negative ATIS’ on the initial call to tower – in the US not having the ATIS on initial call is considered at about the same level as forgetting the aircraft registration, particularly as its the only way you get the altimeter setting. The only time you hear ‘negative ATIS’ is for a minute or so during the hourly update.
When inbound VFR to a non-towered airport I discontinue radio contact with ATC early, on the relatively rare occasions I’d be using en route ATC in that circumstance. At a non-towered airport I think it is particularly important to listen early to traffic calls at the airport, to build a picture of what’s going on before you get there. On more than one occasion I’ve decided ‘forget this’ due to traffic density and gone somewhere else.
alioth wrote:
Some radios (eg Garmin GTR225) will let you listen to the standby frequency while still having 2 way communication on the active.
Even the “humble” TY91 offers that facility.
I can’t remember ever having listened to ATIS in flight. The information or ATC (when entering the TMA) will always tell the QNH. Weather and stuff is of little importance when you are going to land anyway, and being in the air you know what the weather is. If the weather is very varying, showers and stuff, I ask the ATC for the actual situation, which the ATIS cannot tell anyway. The runway is unimportant, it is implicit and given when entering the CTR (for VFR).
For non-towered (G), the usual way is to stay on the information frequency and/or the general 123.5 and switch over to the local in good time. For AFIS airports, you contact the TIA, sometimes TMA and get the needed information.
On the ground I always listen to ATIS.
NTB Oslo April 16th
PRESS RELEASE
Thorbjørn Jagland, the “has been” chairman of the Norwegian Nobel committee that attributed the Peace Prize to Barak Obama for his peacemaking in the middle east before he had even entered office, has attributed the new Nobel Prize for Airmanship to….
I can’t remember ever having listened to ATIS in flight.
This just shows how different people fly in different environments. You would not get away with that in the UK for long – unless you operated “below the radar” so to speak.
