Does anyone use there services? Volmet Atis etc

[John Hill]

I spend all my time supporting systems that are used by aviation including a few that are directly used by air crew so, after taking a deep breath, does anyone here use any of these services?

Auckland HF VOLMET
New Zealand ATIS
Kabul (Afghanistan) Flight Information
Kabul ATIS
VHF VOLMET in the Czech Republic
ATIS in the Czech Republic
ATIS in Pyongyang, North Korea


Sorry, there is a typo in the header which I dont seem to be able to change, it should read "these services?"

[Intruder]

I haven't flown through NZ in the past couple years, but I would be using VOLMET if I was.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

John... at age 60 your ought to be enjoying life, mate. Wonder what you do to "support" the Pyongyang ATIS? Perhaps run a collecting box?

These facilities are used constantly by pilots. At many airfields pilots are required to confirm to ATC that they have received the ATIS broadcast to ensure that they are au fait with the latest information. Prior to the advent of ATIS, ATC had to read the weather and other information to every aircraft so it is a mega-useful service.

[John Hill]

At 60 I am not yet dead and if I live as long as my parents there is still a few decades left to enjoy myself.

I dont understand your comments regarding the collection box as surely you know how such things are paid for?

I was not asking about ATIS in general which you so eloquently described but the listed ones in particular.

Are you still using the Marconi system at Heathrow with John West's voice? At least I think that is his name though he would be a bit more than 60 by now and I certainly hope he is enjoying his retirement, nice gentleman, we had lunch once at the 'In Out Club", about 1982 if I recall correctly.

My interest is that I write software for such systems, and other things as well, and I am conscious that our client (usually a civil aviation authority) is never the end user and I rarely get to hear comments from them, the flight deck crew that is.

BTW, in addition to those places listed I would also like to hear from anyone who experiences ATIS and VOLMET in Pakistan or Egypt.

[redsnail]

I use the ATIS in the Czech Republic and I've also used the ATIS in Cairo. I've also used the VOLMET in the Czech Republic too. I can't say any thing really stands out there. I'd hate to see them go.

[411A]

Personally used ATIS and VOLMET at Cairo...works good, lasts a long time (I hope).

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

<<Are you still using the Marconi system at Heathrow with John West's voice? At least I think that is his name though he would be a bit more than 60 by now and I certainly hope he is enjoying his retirement, nice gentleman, we had lunch once at the 'In Out Club", about 1982 if I recall correctly.>>

Only Marconi system I knew at Heathrow was the S264 radar. I've never heard of John West, nor of the "In out club". Sorry (I was there 1972-1993). ATIS was certainly a boon for ATC but it was all recorded by humans (well, I think they were human..) at Heathrow; in fact I did it myself a good few times. I believe in recent times some ATIS broadcasts have been automated.

Not suggesting you're dead.... just don't keep working until you are!

[John Hill]

Thanks for the comments..

Marconi made a VOLMET or ATIS (to be frank I am not sure which) in the very early 80s which I understood was installed at LATCC. The system used recorded voice segments from the gentleman I mentioned and was well regarded in its time. Mr West was ex-Army and I unserstod the "In Out Club" is more properly known as the Army Navy Club but I am an antipodean and such places are totally foreign to me.

Oh, I dont actually work, I dont think I have done a days work since I left school.

[BOAC]

My offering - when I'm allowed as far as the Czech republic I certainly use the ATIS/VOLMET - and to complete HD's education the 'in and out club' got its name from taxi drivers due to the signs on the gates 'IN' and........... 'OUT' - but EVERYONE knows that:)

[John Hill]

That is good to hear BOAC and when you do go to the Czech Republic do they allow you to take your pyjamas as it is a most pleasant place to visit. Now back to that club, what is its proper name please?

[scroogee]

I can only speak of the NZ ATIS- mainly CH and AA. Generally good- though recently a phrase has been added that carrys instructions following a missed approach. This phrase does not flow like the rest of the ATIS- maybe it was recorded at a different time/by a different person? It can be a different volume as well!

[mr ripley]

In and Out = Naval and Military Club
The Naval & Military Club is universally known as The In & Out. This nickname heralds from the famous lettering found on the gate posts of its former home at 94 Piccadilly, which existed to guide London cabbies in and out of the Club.

Think I have used Kabul Flight Information, but nothing stands out about it.

[BOAC]

do they allow you to take your pyjamas - you are making an assumption...........:)

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

<<the 'in and out club' got its name from taxi drivers due to the signs on the gates 'IN' and........... 'OUT' - but EVERYONE knows that>>
But where was it at Heathrow? You don't mean that disgusting place on the ground floor of the tower beloved by taxi drivers and BOAC Captains surely?? ATC staff had a waitress service restaurant in those days on the first floor so we rarely ventured down to the "greasy spoon" as we called it.

[John Hill]

Ummm, did I say the In Out Club was at Heathrow? Sorry if I gave that impression, as far as I can recall it was in the city (London that is) somewhere.

[Simtech]

If I recall correctly, John West was a former Army officer who became Sales Manager of the Marconi division that made the VOLMET equipment (Space and Defence Systems perhaps?)

Several countries other than the UK purchased the system. I remember going on a flight deck familiarisation trip to Naples and hearing his manicured voice reciting the weather for numerous European airports.

[John Hill]

Thank you Simtech, exactly as I was trying to recall. I believe a remark was made at the time that development of the London VOLMET cost two years, two PDP-11s, two engineers and two million quid.

[Dick Whittingham]

Something comes back here from the past. I, too was at Marconi Defence, but only in '86/'87. I vaguely recall that VOLMET and possibly ATIS used computer generated voice messages. Seems logical, as in the UK both would change roughly on the half hour as METARS were issued, plus extras for operational info on the ATIS, and manual re-loading would be a full time job. Any ATC men know the answer?

Dick

[White Shadow]

Where is there?
WS

[Capt Chambo]

What is the Pyongyang ATIS frequency?
I'll be passing by that way again in the New Year and I will have a listen to see(?) whether it works.

As an aside most of us now use ACARS to get the weather, which is a shame really as listening through the old VOLMETs gave you a "big picture" idea of the weather.

[777fly]

John,

I have been through the Kabul FIR more times than I can remember during the past 5 years. From cruising altitude I have never received Kabul ATIS and I was not aware that there was a Kabul FIS. Comms are so poor in Kabul FIR that we use only the very congested main Airways freqs and very weak HF, relying upon datalink for met information.

[dash6]

The "manual"ATIS at Heathrow was recorded by an ATCA instructed to add 5 degrees to the (true) wind direction,as shown on CCTV from Met. Observation,and disregard windspeed less than 5 kts. Hence one day the inevitable" 365 degees magnetic calm ":)

[DeborahC]

The system was indeed a VOLMET, built by (at the time) Marconi Space and Defence Systems.

I was at Marconi in the mid-80s as an intern; amongst other things, I helped build the system being shipped to Italy (I can still hear John West's "Rome Fiumicino" in my head :-). The Heathrow system was built around two PDP 11/34A units, with custom hardware for sound output; a VOLMET only needed one, but the second was as a hot standby. When I was there, I believe the system had been running for several years, and the standby had never been required. This has pretty much been my reliability standard for computer hardware and software ever since! The Italian system only had a single unit, built from a PDP 11/23.

I also built the hardware, and wrote almost all the software for a new iteration of the VOLMET design for Austria (I'm told my standards for what to expect interns to be capable of (as well as software reliability) are a bit unreasonable...) but left shortly afterwards, so I'm not sure where else that might have been installed. I'd be curious to know if anyone remembers hearing John West's voice on the air in the later 1980s in other countries! I know Hungary was a possibility (which was a factor in redesigning the hardware - PDP 11 was simultaneously considered obsolete, and far too high technology to export to the (then) Eastern block!

(With apologies for reviving a very old thread!)

[chevvron]

Something comes back here from the past. I, too was at Marconi Defence, but only in '86/'87. I vaguely recall that VOLMET and possibly ATIS used computer generated voice messages. Seems logical, as in the UK both would change roughly on the half hour as METARS were issued, plus extras for operational info on the ATIS, and manual re-loading would be a full time job. Any ATC men know the answer?

Dick
Before London VOLMET became computer generated, it was recorded by a human voice at the 'old' LATCC radar unit at Heathrow, where Compass Centre now stands.
One morning back in 1970, we were just leaving from a 'first half' duty ie 8pm to 3am when one of the guys accidentally beeped his car horn. A window flew open and a voice shouted profanities. Apparently the guy had just been doing the next VOLMET and was about half way through when this car horn intruded on the tape and he then had to start all over again!!