Question about ATIS frequencies in the UK
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Question about ATIS frequencies in the UK
Was flying into Inverness the other day and went to dial in the ATIS but its on a VOR frequency that my VFR equipped aircraft can not get, Are there a lot of other larger UK airports similarly setup like this?
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LHR, Southampton.
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ShyTorque LHR, Southampton.
4th Jun 2013 22:19
wb9999 Guernsey and Jersey. Jersey also have a separate com frequency.
4th Jun 2013 22:19
wb9999 Guernsey and Jersey. Jersey also have a separate com frequency.
So i guess if your aircraft is equipped as mine is , you have to call up and get the recording on the mobile, what is the purpose of having the ATIS on the VOR frequency?
Last edited by piperboy84; 4th Jun 2013 at 21:31.
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So i guess if your aircraft is equipped as mine is , you have to call up and get the recording on the mobile, what is the purpose of having the ATIS on the VOR frequency?
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Question about ATIS frequencies in the UK
The ATS your are talking to will be only too happy to give/get you the current weather at your destination or alternate, don't be afraid to ask.
TRY2FLY: the whole point of ATIS is that you don't need to ask ATC for details; some units get a bit 'ratty' if you ask them for the weather etc and it's already being broadcast on another frequency.
Heathrow ATIS for instance is broadcast from OCK and BNN VORs plus from Heathrow itself, so there is no excuse for not listening to it.
Heathrow ATIS for instance is broadcast from OCK and BNN VORs plus from Heathrow itself, so there is no excuse for not listening to it.
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err...... Isn't that 'the excuse', Chevvron? If your aircraft is not equipped with VOR you can't listen to a VOR broadcast ATIS? Not sure how you think it would be reasonable to berate someone for not getting the ATIS in that circumstance.
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No its not an issue with the fact you are asking but with the fact you didn't give them the correct information to start with.
"Negative VOR equipped request ATIS" will get a completely different response to
"Request your latest wx" or "request airfield information"
First one you will be treated as you have a clue the second two you will be treated as someone who is clueless quite rightly
"Negative VOR equipped request ATIS" will get a completely different response to
"Request your latest wx" or "request airfield information"
First one you will be treated as you have a clue the second two you will be treated as someone who is clueless quite rightly
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Presumably this was originally to help those equipped with only one COM/VOR box? In which case I'd have said it was obsolete. Or is it so you can listen to both simultaneously without needing two VHF radios and a fancy intercom?*
Tim
*which we have on the PA28 I fly normally, so I do this quite regularly.
Tim
*which we have on the PA28 I fly normally, so I do this quite regularly.
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Heathrow ATIS for instance is broadcast from OCK and BNN VORs plus from Heathrow itself, so there is no excuse for not listening to it.
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Presumably this was originally to help those equipped with only one COM/VOR box? In which case I'd have said it was obsolete. Or is it so you can listen to both simultaneously without needing two VHF radios and a fancy intercom?*
Last edited by piperboy84; 5th Jun 2013 at 12:35.
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Its a perfectly sensible way to economise on frequencies in an intensive radio environment like Europe. Why use a good comms freq when there's a spare VOR going unused? Not many aircraft are non-VOR equipped so few are inconvenienced, and the few that are can easily be accommodated. It may also give longer range reception.
In the US they take the idea one stage further, you transmit to an air traffic service on its VHF freq and they transmit back - and you receive their reply on the local (or sometimes not all that local) VOR freq. That doesn't economise on the RT spectrum so there must be another good reason for it.
In the US they take the idea one stage further, you transmit to an air traffic service on its VHF freq and they transmit back - and you receive their reply on the local (or sometimes not all that local) VOR freq. That doesn't economise on the RT spectrum so there must be another good reason for it.
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Correct me if I am wrong but recall that at LHR the arrival ATIS is on BNN/OCK VOR versus the departure ATIS is on VHF COM freq - 121.85 MHz?
(Actually, I think it's 121.935 for the departure ATIS).
But unfortunately not all aircraft radios have the correct 8.33 kHz spacing to receive that frequency, nor are they yet mandated to do so.
(Actually, I think it's 121.935 for the departure ATIS).
(Actually, I think it's 121.935 for the departure ATIS).