This Just In…
On approach to landing at one of several airports in the Detroit metropolitan area, you hear ATIS Information Zulu. This means
- It’s very late in the day, or the weather has been very unstable, or both. Twenty-six letters is a lot of letters to go through (nominally, at one per hour).
- It might be late in the day, but that doesn’t mean the weather’s been changing; not every letter of the alphabet is used at each of them.
- The weather’s probably not great, but at most, 18 letters can be used in any 24-hour period, regardless of conditions.
- nothing. The ATIS cycle period is independent of a 24-hour day.
Answer: In metropolitan areas such as Detroit, only prescribed ranges of ATIS identifying letters are used for each airport. That way, when you say you have Information Such-and such, ATC knows from which airport you have received the information. In the case of this city, Detroit Metropolitan (DTW), Detroit Willow Run (YIP), or Detroit Grosse Ile (ONZ) each have separate independent ranges of ATIS letter designators. (The correct choice is B.) Additional airports with “split codes” are in Colorado Springs and Denver, along with other places. Where can you find this rule? FAA Order 7210.3, Paragraph 10-4-1: Facility Operation and Administration: in Chapter 10 (Terminal Operations, Services, and Equipment), Section 4, Services, and sub-paragraph “d” on Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS)…it says the following: “Specific sequential portions of the alphabet may be assigned between facilities or for an arrival and departure ATIS when confusion could result from using the entire alphabet for each ATIS.
1. A LOA shall be established between facilities designating the ATIS codes which will be used by each facility.
2. A facility directive shall be developed designating the ATIS alphabet codes which will be used by each facility or for an arrival and departure ATIS.
EXAMPLE-Departure ATIS codes could be assigned codes of ‘Alfa’ through ‘Mike’ and arrival ATIS codes assigned ‘November’ through ‘Zulu.’ The ATIS codes may also be divided between facilities.”
No, er…kidding
The term “voidance apron” means
- a date and time after the expiration of a lease, after which a controlling municipality may appeal for rezoning of an airport property for other public purposes…such as…a park
- a designated non-movement area at an airport where lavatory service trucks may discharge waste into the local sewer system
- a polite term for an airline solution to bowel incontinence, also known as a “s**t wrap”
- the correct term for the surrounding container of an oil reservoir when drive or transmission gears are splash-lubricated
Answer: You probably guessed this one. (It’s the most indecent and indecorous: C)
