ATC English and Automatic

Terminal Information Service

Yuuji Izumo
VATSIM Hong Kong
Standing Committee on Aviation Resource and Education Development

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 Objectives:

At the end of training, trainees should :

- Understanding ATC communications

- Understand message from ATIS and

METAR

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E-mail: vatsim-hk@live.hk

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Today’s Topics

1. Aerospace Simplified English

2. ATC Phases

3. METAR decoding

4. Automatic Terminal Information Service

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Ablatives

ATIS Automatic Terminal Information Service

ATC Air Traffic Control

STEMG Simplified Technical English Maintenance Group

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 Aerospace Simplified English
- Simplified English is a controlled language developed for
Aerospace

- Now many professional aspect like Railway Industries

using Simplified English

- Maintain by the Simplified Technical English

Maintenance Group (STEMG)

- Could be found in “Boeing Simplified English Checker”

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 Rules of Aerospace Simplified English
- Restrict sentence length to no more than 20 – 25 words

- Restrict paragraphs to no more than 6 sentences

- Avoid slang

- Make instructions as specific as possible (Like : GO or NO GO)

- Use simple verb tenses (past, present, and future)

- Use active voice

- Write sequential steps as separate sentences

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 Comparison
- Reduce ambiguity

- Improve the clarity of technical writing, especially

procedural writing

- Improve comprehension for people whose first

language is not English

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 Comparison
- Reduce ambiguity
To decrease doubt

- Improve the clarity of technical writing, especially

procedural writing
Make reading faster

- Improve comprehension for people whose first language is

not English
It can help understanding for people whose first language is not
English

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Examples
Mr. Train Operator, do you want to isolate a wrong type of
door with the number B5 in C801 carriage?

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Examples
Confirm isolating C801 B5 Door?

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Examples
If we don’t use Simplified English,
it will become:

Wing anti-ice is not working.

Altitude alert aural warnings will

not sound.

Pressure indication of hydraulic

system no.1 is not reliable.

Auto ground spoilers

malfunctioned ……
 ATC English

- Base on Simplified English

- Distribute every meaning by different phases

- Issue command directly

- Very short sentence to reduce radio occupied time

- No concern of polite or not

ATC Phases
ICAO spelling alphabet
A – ALPHA N – NOVEMBER
B – BRAVO O – OSCAR
C – CHARLIE P – PAPA
D – DELTA Q – QUBEC
E – ECHO R – ROMEO
F – FOXTROT S – SIERRA
G – GOLF T –TANGO
H – HOTEL U- UNIFORM
I – INDIA V – VICTOR
J – JULIET X – XRAY
K – KILO Y – YANKEE
L – LIMA Z - ZULU
M- MIKE
 ATC Phases
- Request
Ask for permission / information

- Affirm / Negative / Say again

Yes / No / Repeat what you said

- Standby
Wait

- Cleared to …
Approved

-Taxi to runway __ by taxiway A, B, C, D…

Taxi your plane to specified runway via taxiway A, B, C, D

- Hold / Hold short / Hold your position

Stay at one place, Stop and don’t move
 ATC Phases
- Squawking
ATC ask you to adjust your transponder code

- Say intention
Tell ATC your intention of flight

- Vector
ATC guiding your plane by using radar vector method

- Climb FL170 / Descend to 3000ft

Climb to Flight Level 170 / Descend to 3000ft

- Contact _______ on 118 decimal 4 …

Switch your radio and contact a specified ATC
ATC Conversation Sample

Pay attention to the Cathay Plane.

ATC Conversation Sample
ATC Conversation Sample

What did he said ?

ATC Conversation Sample

“Good morning. Cathay

139 descending to 10000,
with information X”
 Weather Report (METAR)
- METAR - METeorological Aerodrome Report

- A Format of weather information

- Initially introduced at 1, January 1968

- Provided by weather observatory or automatic generated

Main information provided:

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 METAR meaning
METAR VHHH 231830Z 06008KT 7000 FEW010 SCT022 20/17 Q1017 NOSIG

METAR Meaning Decoding

VHHH ICAO airport code Hong Kong Airport

231830Z Date / Hour / Minute (UTC) Day of 23 18:30 Zulu time
06008KT Wind Direction / Speed (Knots)Wind heading 060 at 8 knots
7000 Visibility The visibility was 7000 meters
FEW010 Few cloud Few cloud layer at 1000 ft
SCT022 Scattered cloud Scatter cloud layer at 2200ft
20/17 Temperature / Dew Point 20oC / 17oC
Q1017 Atmospheric pressure 1017 HPa
NOSIG TREND Forecast No significant changes

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 Automatic Terminal Information System
- Voice Transcript of METAR

- Recording replays non-stop

automatically

- Pilots can access anytime, reduce

communication

- Now usually finished by computer

generated voice

- Additional information of airport

will be added

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ATIS Sample – Easy

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 What was included inside ATIS ?
Information Meaning Decoding
L Lima Version of ATIS message
1919z Hour : Minute (UTC) 19:19 Zulu Time
Arrival 25R Runway in use Arrival using r/w 25R
SIG WS Significant Wind shear Significant Wind shear
R/W 25L CLSD for MAINT Runway not in use Runway 25L closed for
maintenance
WIND 170/5 Wind Wind 170/5kts
Visibility 9999 Visibility Visibility >9999 Meters
-SHRA Rain Light Rain
FEW025 Cloud Few 2500ft
SCT040 Cloud Scatted 4000ft
Temp 26 Temperature 26c
Dew Point 24 Dew point 24c
QNH1006 Air pressure QNH 1006 hpa
ACK INFO L VATSIM Hong Kong
Reminder Acknowledge info L on first
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contact with ATC
ATIS Sample - Medium

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 What was included inside ATIS ?
Information Meaning Decoding
F Foxtrot Version of ATIS message
1710z Hour : Minute (UTC) 19:19 Zulu Time
Arrival 25R Runway in use Arrival using r/w 25R
SIG WS Significant Wind shear Significant Wind shear
R/W WET Runway surface condition Runway surface wet

WIND 13/17 Wind Wind 170/5kts

Visibility 3000 Visibility Visibility >9999 Meters
TSRA Thunderstorm with rain Thunderstorm with rain
FEW005 Cloud Few 2500ft
SCT012 CB Cloud Scatted 1200ft, Cumulonimbus
Temp 26 Temperature 26c
Dew Point 25 Dew point 25c
QNH1004 Air pressure QNH 1006 hpa
ACK INFO F VATSIM Hong Kong
Reminder Acknowledge info F on first
http://hk.vatsea.net/ (+852) 35947770
contact with ATC
ATIS Sample - Medium

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 What was included inside ATIS ?
Information Meaning Decoding
K Foxtrot Version of ATIS message
1641z Hour : Minute (UTC) 16:61 Zulu Time
Arrival 25R Runway in use Arrival using r/w 25R
WS Significant Wind shear Significant Wind shear
R/W WET Runway surface condition Runway surface wet

WIND 150/07 Wind Wind 150/7kts

Visibility 9999 Visibility Visibility >9999 Meters
-TSRA Thunderstorm with rain Thunderstorm with rain
FEW12 CB Cloud Few 2500ft
SCT030 Cloud Scatted 1200ft, Cumulonimbus

Temp 26 Temperature 26c

Dew Point 24 Dew point 25c
QNH1004 Air pressure QNH 1006 hpa
TEMPO VRB20 - MAX 35 Temporary and fluctuated Wind variable 20 – 35 and
Visibility 2000 weather Information visibility may drop to 2000m
ACK INFO K Reminder
VATSIM Hong Kong Acknowledge info F on first
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contact with ATC
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