D-ATIS for Military Base Airports

Pilots approaching many U.S. military base airports can now receive clearer and more detailed information on local weather and runway conditions, thanks to an economical new Digital Automatic Terminal Information Service (D-ATIS) now available from ARINC Incorporated.

Introduced in 2003, the ARINC system is already used at 14 military bases and will soon be deployed to 5 more. It was developed in partnership with STR-SpeechTech of Victoria , B.C., Canada , and provides the features of traditional D-ATIS systems used at commercial airports, but in a compact design that is cost-effective for smaller airfields.

All airports must broadcast ATIS voice radio messages to report weather, runway conditions, and other required notices. But recording these voice messages is a burden on airport controllers, and copying the voice messages is a chore for pilots. D-ATIS technology provides automated voice and text messaging to aircraft and eliminates manual voice recording and copying.

ARINC and STR-SpeechTech engineered the new low-cost, compact, integrated D-ATIS package for military and commercial airfields. The technology features a natural-sounding text-to-voice translator that converts approved text to a crisp, clear voice recording that is broadcast for aircrews approaching or departing the airfield, and is also accessible by telephone. In addition, the text itself can be sent by data link over ARINC’s GLOBALink^SM air/ground network to any requesting aircraft, anywhere in the world.

The new D-ATIS system also simplifies a controller’s workload with pull-down menus and templates for entering the text information for runways, airfield conditions, and Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs). Weather information can be manually updated or received automatically from the Systems Atlanta IDS-5 service.