G'day Guys
I have finally cracked it with whoever (if anyone) is actually responsible for the dribble and fictional tale which comes forth over 126.25 and 118.55 in a strange robotic voice mentioning letters of the phonetic variety.
Not only is it annoying it is becoming dangerous after todays experience(among other's).
Coming in from off the East Coast via shark we recieve the ATIS stating Few at 1000 scattered at 1600 and vis reducing to 4000m in showers.
Cool conditions not bad ok for a visual approach on breakout on the ILS.
Couldn't be easier so we think.
Anyway on downwind for 16L and we get a message from director that the HIAL's are on.
Why we ask ourselves,as DIR has nothing to add just the HIALs are on.Interesting!
OK we think do a last minute check of the ATIS to get an up to date report.
No changes on the ATIS except HIALS on.
Mmmmmm?
We decide to change config's for a full instrument app all the way to the bottom of the approach(lucky for us!).
Anyway over to the tower cleared to land with NO mention of any low cloud reduced vis on the app etc.
Anyway we became visual at 170ft above the minima 390 on Qnh and with vis down around 3000m in heavy drizzle/low cloud.
What is bloody going on up there!
Every other airport in Australia the tower would have provided an advisory of low vis and low cloud on the approach path.
Provide an ATIS which at least gives some semblence of accuracy as to the real conditions at the field.
On taxiing in and passing advice to the tower that we became visual at approx 400 on QNH this was not passed on to an a/c coming down the ILS.
My experience now at Sy airport is that the ATIS is regularly innacurate in cloud base by up to 1000 feet.
It seems that ATC think cloud base is insignificant as to how we operate aircraft.
If the wind changes by 5kts or 5 degrees a new atis will be out in seconds yet the cloud base can drop by hundreds of feet and vis can be way below quoted value's and no changes or advice from the tower is forthcoming.
I even heard a QF 76 driver speak about the total innacuracy of the ATI only to be given a phone number so he could be "sorted out" by the appropriate person!!!
One of the major causes of the Bangkok overrun was a tower controller not passing on accurate wx info to a crew flying an approach and getting something totally different than first thought and planned for.
We use the ATIS for gaining a mental picture of what is happening with the wx at the field.If its not accurate then it should be changed or info passed on at the first oppurtunity so we can plan a/c configurations approach briefs etc.
I would much prefer an ATIS update for a 600 ft reduction in cloud base than a 10degree change in wind direction anyday.
Get it right.
We depend on it and being able to do our job safely depends on it and accurate weather updates when it varies from it.
No that feels better!
