How ATIS works in BeyondATC
ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service) is a continuous broadcast of recorded aeronautical information at airports. It typically includes the current weather, active runways, available approaches, and any other relevant operational information for arriving and departing pilots.
The ATIS is independently generated by BeyondATC and does not rely on real-world ATIS sources. It is based on live weather conditions and each airport’s defined SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) provided by the community. The goal is to simulate how a real-world controller might construct and announce an ATIS broadcast — not to replicate real-time ATIS broadcasts word-for-word.
Because of this, BeyondATC's ATIS may differ from what you see in real-world tools or networks like Simbrief, Navigraph, or VATSIM. It reflects the runway and weather logic used internally by BeyondATC, ensuring full consistency between what the controller says and what the system executes.
🌤️ Where ATIS data comes from
ATIS in BeyondATC is generated using:
- METAR weather data from aviationweather.gov
- VATSIM METAR as a secondary source (fallback)
- Airport SOP flows, which define how runways are selected under specific wind, time, and aircraft conditions
The ATIS you receive will match the conditions and logic currently used by BeyondATC to control traffic at that airport.
Example
A METAR is the coded weather observation BeyondATC starts from:
METAR KPAO 231750Z 27010KT 10SM SKC 18/09 A2992
From that observation (plus the airport's SOP-selected runway), BeyondATC generates and broadcasts the ATIS. As shown in the message log:
| Speaker | Broadcast |
|---|---|
| Palo Alto ATIS | KPAO ATIS A 1750Z 27010KT 10SM SKC 18/9 2992 VFR RWY 31 IN USE ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF INFORMATION A AND ADVISE AIRCRAFT TYPE ON FIRST CONTACT |
The voice broadcast reads the same elements in full: "Palo Alto Airport information Alpha… Sky condition clear… Landing and departing runway 31… Advise on initial contact you have information Alpha."
🛫 How active runways are chosen
The runways broadcast in ATIS are determined by the same SOP system that governs all aircraft operations in BeyondATC.
Each SOP flow is defined with parameters such as:
- Wind direction and speed
- Time of day
- Day of the week
- Aircraft type (e.g. specific runways for heavy jets)
The system evaluates all defined flows and selects the most appropriate one based on current conditions. The resulting runway usage is then reflected in the ATIS message.
This ensures that pilots receive information that is 100% aligned with what BeyondATC is using internally to manage traffic.
🔁 Why ATIS may differ from Simbrief, Navigraph, or real life
➤ Simbrief and other flight planning tools
Simbrief and similar tools may base runway assignments on different data sources, such as forecasts, preset preferences, or historical data. These may not match the live METAR and SOP logic used in BeyondATC.
Additionally, other platforms (like Navigraph or real-world ATIS feeds) may reflect decisions made by real human controllers — including temporary adjustments or preferences that BeyondATC is not aware of.
It’s important to remember that runways are not part of a formal flight plan (OFP) in real-world operations. They are assigned tactically by ATC based on current conditions. In both real life and BeyondATC, the controller always has the final say, and pilots are expected to follow those instructions even if they differ from what was pre-planned.
➤ Real-world ATIS and active runways
Real ATIS is controlled by live human ATC, which may:
- Override standard procedures
- Anticipate wind shifts
- Close runways temporarily
- Sequence based on real-time traffic conditions
BeyondATC can’t mirror these real-time decisions. It uses a fixed set of community-defined SOP rules that simulate realistic usage patterns, but don’t adapt dynamically to all real-world changes.
📻 ASOS, AWOS, AWIS and AWIB
Not every airport has an ATIS. Smaller fields often carry an automated weather broadcast instead: a report of the current conditions, with no runway or operational information. BeyondATC models these too, generated from the same live weather data as the ATIS.
Tune the frequency (on COM1 or COM2) and the broadcast plays automatically, looping just like an ATIS. The wording follows the regional format. See example broadcasts below.
| Type | Name | Where |
|---|---|---|
| AWOS | Automated Weather Observing System | United States and others |
| ASOS | Automated Surface Observing System | United States |
| AWIS | Automated Weather Information Service | Australia |
| AWIB | Aerodrome and Weather Information Broadcast | New Zealand |
The station type comes from the airport's navigation data, so each broadcast introduces itself with the correct name for its region. Unlike the ATIS, these broadcasts carry no information letter and no runway selection; they are weather only.
Example broadcasts (as shown in the message log; the voice reads the same elements). The AWIS follows the Bureau of Meteorology format, with rainfall included when the field reports it; the AWIB uses the same format with the New Zealand title and no rainfall element:
| Speaker | Broadcast |
|---|---|
| Livermore AWOS | KLVK automated weather observation 1750Z. Wind 27010KT. Visibility 10. Sky clear. Temperature 18 Celsius. Dew point 9 Celsius. Altimeter 2992. |
| Half Moon Bay ASOS | KHAF automated weather observation 1750Z. Wind 27010KT. Visibility 10. Sky clear. Temperature 18 Celsius. Dew point 9 Celsius. Altimeter 2992. |
| Bankstown AWIS | Automated weather information service. Bankstown Airport. Time 1750 zulu. Wind 270 degrees magnetic at 10 knots. Visibility 25 kilometres. Present weather no significant weather. Cloud clear below 10,000 feet. Temperature 18. Dew point 9. QNH 1019 hectopascals. Rainfall last 10 minutes 0.2 millimetres. |
| Milford Sound AWIB | Aerodrome and weather information broadcast. Milford Sound Airport. Time 1750 zulu. Wind 270 degrees magnetic at 10 knots. Visibility 25 kilometres. Present weather no significant weather. Cloud clear below 10,000 feet. Temperature 18. Dew point 9. QNH 1019 hectopascals. |
⚠️ Current limitations
While BeyondATC’s ATIS system is built on solid logic, it still has a few limitations:
- There is no access to real-time ATIS broadcasts (BeyondATC generates its own based on current conditions)
- Runway closures or temporary restrictions are not modeled
- Real-time NOTAMs and airport events are not reflected