Heathrow Arrival Info 128.075

[TCTC]

Just a couple of "amateur" thoughts/suggestions from a non-aviator:

I am surprised that there is not more information, regarding the state of R/W 27L, other than ".....not available for landing". Is not the presence of the wreck and salvage cranes and activity, important information? I am thinking, for example, about the possibility of some sort of emergency which might cause a pilot to consider 27L as an emergency option for landing.

On a more general note, I am not impressed by the changes of voice, mid-sentence, in the ATIS recordings. I guess it saves a few minutes for the staff, but strikes me as not the best way unambiguously to communicate.

Comments, from those with relevant professional knowledge, would be of interest to me!

Well done to all at LHR for keeping the "show on the road" with some runway missing.

[Vic777]

If considering a rnwy that was not available, you would probably ask why is the rnwy not available ... then upon receiving the info, go to plan B. Most everyone would know why the rnwy was not available (in this case). The ATIS should be as short as possible so that important info, if missed, will "recycle" sooner.

[spekesoftly]

Is not the presence of the wreck and salvage cranes and activity, important information? Full details of such information, when necessary, would be published in NOTAMS* (read by pilots as part of their pre-flight planning).

ATIS broadcasts have to be kept brief - striking a balance between up to date info and information overload.


*Notices to Airmen

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

<<I am surprised that there is not more information, regarding the state of R/W 27L, other than ".....not available for landing". Is not the presence of the wreck and salvage cranes and activity, important information? I am thinking, for example, about the possibility of some sort of emergency which might cause a pilot to consider 27L as an emergency option for landing.>>

I think the ATIS provided all the information which was necessary. No aircraft were being directed to 27L so there was no need to inform inbound pilots about what was happening. At times when the runway is fully serviceable it may still be "not available for landing" for a variety of reasons but the details are not necessarily broadcast.

In the event of an emergency a pilot doesn't simply head for a different runway. The airport authority may have a say in what the preferred runway would be for a real emergency and this would be put to the pilot some way out. If the emergency occurred so close that this information could not be conveyed it would be far too late to switch runways anyway. The decision where to land is the captain's, but he is unlikely to make the sort of radical change to plans which you infer.

The other problem is if, for some extraordinary reason, a pilot landing on 27R suddenly decided it would be better to switch over to 27L he would probably be confronted with a runway on which several aircraft might be lined up for take-off.

Hope all this helps.

[Gonzo]

If an ATIS message is too long, then experience shows that many will switch off before the end, or perhaps they do listen but don't record the information.

[TCTC]

Many thanks, all, for your thoughts.

[superjet777]

If the idea is to keep it as brief as possible so it can 'recycle' quicker, what is the reason the Manchester ATIS regularly has a rather comprehensive weather forecast, much longer than the useful airfield info?

I'm landing in the next 20 minutes... I don't need to know what the weather is going to be like in 4 hours time!

[RadarRambler]

in regard the comment about the Voice change on the ATIS, i couldnt comment about the Heathrow version, but at most airfields its an automated system using a computer synthesised voice, that automatically produces the atis from the various sensors and computer equipment, the system off has also various stored messages built into it(for things that might need adding occasionally - such as windshear etc) However when there is something a little more unique to be added like a blocked taxiway etc, this is normally actualy recorded there and then by an Assistant and added to the standard message, so this will result in a sudden change in voice on the ATIS from the rest of the weather info. Does make it sound a bit strange, but in some ways highlights this unusual information, that may as yet not been notamed, or the crews even had chance to see a NOTAM regarding it as it may have occured whilst they were inflight.

ATIS messages are oftne criticised for their length, as others have pointed out, it needs to contain enough but not too much information that it lost in the gabble.