ATIS vs ASOS after hours?

[Joseph II]

Please help me in a debate at work I've been having.

Airport: KSNS (Salinas Mun, Salinas, CA)

In the Airport Facility Directory the ATIS Freq is 124.85 and there is an ASOS with a telephone number of (831) 422-2830. The tower does not operate 24 hours. I have access to a government flight database... (http://avnwww.jccbi.gov/datasheet_prd/owa/pkg_airport.PRO_AIRPORT_RUNWAY?v_cntl_num=2818) which states in the remarks that "ASOS Broadcast over ATIS".

I belive that ATIS does not necessarily mean the hourly airport weather/runway/NOTAM report like my co-workers believe. The reason is this...

When the tower closes at Salinas, you will hear the ASOS broadcast of the current winds/temp/vis.... then you will hear a recording saying for example: "The Salinas tower has ceased operation at 11:00 local, CTAF freq is ....., and maybe something like "Taxiway "C" is closed"....

In my opinion you are in fact listening to ATIS because of the aditional airport information and in the Airport Facility Directory. In addition, the ATIS freqency does not have a time restriction on it. My co-workers believe the ATIS shuts down when the tower does, but in the Airport Facility Directory does not place a time restriciton on the ATIS hours.

So, what do you think?

Thanks for your comments!

 

[vja217]

I believe your coworkers are right. ATIS is a function of ATC; a broadcast of pertinent noncontrol information from the facility to pilots. It is an hourly, human observation. When the tower closes, atis is turned off, and the asos is broadcast in its place. There is nothing in the AFD, b/c it is assumed that atis operates only when the control tower is in operation. What we hear after hours is generally just asos with some notams added ("TWY C OTS"). If it doesn't say "Information Alpha", it's not technically atis. Proper phrasiology when dealing with controllers in this case would be to report that you have the "one minute weather" rather than any atis information code, since none is given.

Max

 

[Joseph II]

I appreciate your comment! I can see your point and you may have changed my mind!

Thanks