1. PURPOSE.
This policy outlines the guidelines for configuration of radar client Controller Information and ATIS features.
2. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Office of Primary Responsibility for this Policy is the ZLA Facility Advisory Board. This Policy shall be maintained, revised, updated or canceled by the ZLA Facility Advisory Board or any organization that supersedes, replaces or assumes the FAB responsibilities. Any suggestions for modification/amendment to this Policy should be sent to the FAB for review.
3. DISTRIBUTION
This SOP is intended for all ZLA controllers.
4. REQUIREMENTS
- Therein after, the term "Controller Info Template" will refer to the "Controller Info Template" feature of VRC ATISMaker and the "ATIS" feature of ASRC. The term "Voice ATIS broadcast" will refer to the "Voice ATIS" feature of VRC ATISMaker only.
- The first line of any Controller Info Template should contain the voice channel and frequency in use. It is automatically inserted by radar client software (VRC users), or entered manually by the controller (ASRC users).
- The second line of Controller Info Template should contain the position callsign (spelled out) and a link to www.laartcc.org
- Thereafter in the Controller Info Template, a controller may enter any information he deems relevant for the position being manned.
- Local control and higher positions providing local control services are authorized to host a voice ATIS broadcast. A voice ATIS broadcast should, whenever possible, be hosted on a separate frequency in voice and text form. When the voice ATIS broadcast is active, the primary Controller Info Template must not contain a duplicate textual form of the ATIS broadcast. If multiple positions providing ATC for the same airport are online, only one of them (preferably, Local control) should maintain a voice ATIS broadcast for the airport.
- Ground positions and lower, do not normally host an ATIS, unless there is a controller online providing local services, with whom coordination on the matter has been accomplished and who has approved such an operation. However, such practice is discouraged whenever there's a dedicated Local controller online, capable of providing a voice ATIS.
- When hosted, both, voice and text ATIS broadcasts must include the following items:
- Airport/facility name.
- Phonetic letter code.
- Time of weather sequence (UTC).
- Weather information consisting of wind direction and velocity, visibility, obstructions to vision, present weather, sky condition, temperature, dew point, altimeter, a density altitude advisory when appropriate and other pertinent remarks included in the official weather observation. (The ceiling/sky condition, visibility, and obstructions to vision may be omitted if the ceiling is above 5,000 feet and the visibility is more than 5 miles. A remark may be made, "The weather is better than five thousand and five.")
- If Approach Control is online, specify the instrument/visual approach/s in use (it is the responsibility of the Approach controller to select approaches, and so, the Local controller must coordinate this with the Approach controller before recording an ATIS). Specify landing runways only if different from that to which the instrument approach is made. If Approach Control is not online, the responsibility for selecting types approaches lays on the pilots; under such conditions, the ATIS broadcast should only specify the landing runways.
- Departure runways only if different from the landing runways.
- A statement which advises the pilot to read back instructions to hold short of a runway.
- Instructions for the pilot to acknowledge receipt of the ATIS message by informing the controller on initial contact.
- The Controller Info Template can contain the maximum of 4 lines, 64 characters in length; not including the first line containing voice channel and frequency. The voice ATIS recording must not exceed one minute in length.
