ATIS/AWOS info - how much do YOU write down?

RussR

RussR

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Russ
As most of you know, I am an experienced CFI and pilot and have been flying for quite some time. I do not do Primary training any more, and as a result all of my flying is with experienced pilots (some obviously more experienced than others).

I've noticed a wide variety in how much of the ATIS/AWOS info they write down.

Some write down everything. Maybe they use the Foreflight scratchpad template or some other form, and dutifully fill out each item, to include time of the observation, dewpoint, density altitude, etc. I have seen them listen to it a second or third time to make sure everything on the template is filled in.

Others write down some, but not all of the info, I assume deciding what they think is important for that day.

When I am acting as a pilot, I really almost never write any of it down. Not because I have the greatest memory or anything, but I treat it like this:

- Up until the wind there is nothing worth writing down.
- Wind - I may write it down if it's going to take some figuring to determine what runway to use. But normally, knowing that the wind is from the south-ish at 15 knots-ish is sufficient for me.
- Visibility/Weather/Sky Condition/Temperature/Dewpoint - typically, I would say that writing these down doesn't matter much unless maybe the visibility and ceiling are marginal for an approach.
- Altimeter setting - I'll put it in the altimeter as it's being said, so no need to write it down.

So, am I being overly lax in my lack of writing anything down? What do you do? Why do you do it (whatever method it is)? Should I change my method? I'm open to discussion on this.
 
I fly VFR and small airports, mostly. If there is an AWOS, I just enter the altimeter setting.
 
I write it down, except the notam crap at the end. I like to have the code, altimeter (to check later), wind, and runway. Again, all to check before I get close to landing.
 
Letter, wind, altimeter, runway in use. I don't change the altimeter until i clip my pencil back in place, sometimes it takes me a couple times through to catch it all, and I'll have forgotten something by then if I don't write it down.

Ceilings/ vis only if I'm flying an approach.

I usually get the numbers from adsb, then confirm them when I'm close enough to receive the atis. You get a feel for the trend that way, too.
 
In a crew airplane, I write everything.

Single pilot, I write down what I think I’ll need to reference before I land…pretty much the way you see it, @RussR
 
I tend to write it all down. Good practice for copying clearances as well. Prefer paper and pen to my tablet for some reason.

I'm getting lazy at my home drome, however. There's an ATIs app for the iOS ecosystem (maybe for Android as well, I don't know) that gets the ATIs for the larger class C and B airports. It's pretty nice to just pull that up prior to takeoff.

b019876db2388dca17cdcb1f96e031d6.png
 
Depends. On departure I use the ForeFlight scratchpad template and get most of it. I’m not too intense, I just want to know which runway/crosswind, temp/dew spread, notes from ATC, etc. On arrival, I usually write it on the map directly (see photo from today.. squawk first, later the atis code). Today winds were consistent NW and altimeter was within .01, so no notes. I’m still a huge fan of doing it this way.
83DBE5EB-EA53-4E46-8CE5-80B04CF56162.jpeg
 
On takeoff I don't write anything down. For landing I write down altimeter, wind, likely runway if given, or any other notams that I feel are important in the circumstances and the code, just because it might be awhile before I apply the information and want to be sure I remember correctly.
 
eman1200 said:
this for me as well.
Click to expand...
Another vote for "Letter, wind, altimeter, runway in use"
... if at the same moment I'm looking at the ADSB METAR and it agrees with the ATIS/AWOS, then I omit wind and altimeter.
 
The letter. Edit: onto my hand (eyes looking down)
 
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Write down everything from the AWOS or ATIS, who are these tree killers.
 
Sorta depends. After all, you should have some idea before you took off on most GA length flights. If you’re racing a front, things change more rapidly. But basically, you’re usually so close to your destination that you are already experiencing what ever conditions you are being told about. After winds & baro, I’m more interested in the comments about closed taxiways & such. Maybe other NOTAMS I missed.
 
I don’t write anything... from the wind sock I already know what runway I’m using, wind #’s only confirm what I’ve seen there, sky condition, I looked up and confirmed what I’ve already planned, ck the alt window that it matches what i just heard because I’ve already put an elevation in, during the summer I will listen for DA, but if it’s that hot I’m not flying in the middle of the day anyway.

I guess once wheels are off ground, none of those #’s mean anything to me any more anyway. And don’t write anything down on arrival either, but I am more interested in the wind then, @ least 15 or 20 miles out.
 
Never write any AWOS. Always write all ATIS. Law of primacy I guess. Back when I learned to fly there was no AWOS, so nothing to write. And going to a towered field with ATIS was always a big deal; still is.
 
I write everything down and think about it later.
 
jimhorner said:
I tend to write it all down. Good practice for copying clearances as well. Prefer paper and pen to my tablet for some reason.

I'm getting lazy at my home drome, however. There's an ATIs app for the iOS ecosystem (maybe for Android as well, I don't know) that gets the ATIs for the larger class C and B airports. It's pretty nice to just pull that up prior to takeoff.

b019876db2388dca17cdcb1f96e031d6.png
Click to expand...
Name of the app?
 
Letter, wind, altimeter, runway.

Flying in East Texas in the mornings, I listen to visibility and the temps to double check if fog is going to be happening.
 
Usually just the ATIS letter because I always forget. If there’s a big crosswind, I’ll write that down too sometimes.
 
Just the ATIS letter, if applicable. At work it gets printed for easy reference, but the situation is generally simple when I fly GA - I don't feel the need to write any of it down unless there's something unusual going on.
 
I normally write down the ATIS letter, barometric pressure, runway sometimes winds. Writing it down helps me remember the letter
 
If I'm at a controlled field, I write the letter down and circle it so I can find it when I call for taxi. Otherwise, I just remember which runway I want to use and set the altimeter.
 
Letter, altimeter, runway if more than one at airport. Windsock tells me more than the wind direction, eyeballs more about weather and I've already briefed comprehensively if it's IFR.
 
Usually spin the nav 2 CDI to wind direction, and I’ll use the note feature in Foreflight to make a note of the info next to the airport destination on the chart. It’s easy to clear and it’s easy to view.
 
RussR said:
As most of you know, I am an experienced CFI and pilot and have been flying for quite some time. I do not do Primary training any more, and as a result all of my flying is with experienced pilots (some obviously more experienced than others).

I've noticed a wide variety in how much of the ATIS/AWOS info they write down.

Some write down everything. Maybe they use the Foreflight scratchpad template or some other form, and dutifully fill out each item, to include time of the observation, dewpoint, density altitude, etc. I have seen them listen to it a second or third time to make sure everything on the template is filled in.

Others write down some, but not all of the info, I assume deciding what they think is important for that day.

When I am acting as a pilot, I really almost never write any of it down. Not because I have the greatest memory or anything, but I treat it like this:

- Up until the wind there is nothing worth writing down.
- Wind - I may write it down if it's going to take some figuring to determine what runway to use. But normally, knowing that the wind is from the south-ish at 15 knots-ish is sufficient for me.
- Visibility/Weather/Sky Condition/Temperature/Dewpoint - typically, I would say that writing these down doesn't matter much unless maybe the visibility and ceiling are marginal for an approach.
- Altimeter setting - I'll put it in the altimeter as it's being said, so no need to write it down.

So, am I being overly lax in my lack of writing anything down? What do you do? Why do you do it (whatever method it is)? Should I change my method? I'm open to discussion on this.
Click to expand...
Usually just the Letter. Ceiling and visibilty if IFR so I can be prepared to accept or reject an Approach they may try to give me. I'm usually dialing in the Altimeter as I hear it. Wind I just get a picture in my head of how it will it affect me.
 
I write it all JIC I need it. May decide later I need them temp for a performance calculation.
 
RussR said:
As most of you know, I am an experienced CFI and pilot and have been flying for quite some time. I do not do Primary training any more, and as a result all of my flying is with experienced pilots (some obviously more experienced than others).

I've noticed a wide variety in how much of the ATIS/AWOS info they write down.

Some write down everything. Maybe they use the Foreflight scratchpad template or some other form, and dutifully fill out each item, to include time of the observation, dewpoint, density altitude, etc. I have seen them listen to it a second or third time to make sure everything on the template is filled in.

Others write down some, but not all of the info, I assume deciding what they think is important for that day.

When I am acting as a pilot, I really almost never write any of it down. Not because I have the greatest memory or anything, but I treat it like this:

- Up until the wind there is nothing worth writing down.
- Wind - I may write it down if it's going to take some figuring to determine what runway to use. But normally, knowing that the wind is from the south-ish at 15 knots-ish is sufficient for me.
- Visibility/Weather/Sky Condition/Temperature/Dewpoint - typically, I would say that writing these down doesn't matter much unless maybe the visibility and ceiling are marginal for an approach.
- Altimeter setting - I'll put it in the altimeter as it's being said, so no need to write it down.

So, am I being overly lax in my lack of writing anything down? What do you do? Why do you do it (whatever method it is)? Should I change my method? I'm open to discussion on this.
Click to expand...


I don't write down anything. Here are the reasons:
- You can always go back and listen to it if you didn't catch something.
- If the winds are light, then it doesn't matter. If it is strong, chances are it is gusty too, so the exact numbers are not useful other than to give you a general idea.
- Visibility and clouds are just for making a go/no-go decision, which you can do while you are listening. You may forget the visibility, but you are not going to forget the decision.
- Altimeter setting should be entered as it is being said. You don't need this information later. If you are unsure if you set it correctly, go back and listen again.
 
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GMascelli said:
Usually spin the nav 2 CDI to wind direction, and I’ll use the note feature in Foreflight to make a note of the info next to the airport destination on the chart. It’s easy to clear and it’s easy to view.
Click to expand...
Spinning the CDI is a trick I employ when it’s time to teach students approach and landings. But I set it to runway heading. That helps them visualize where the wind is coming from, and when combined with wind velocity, how much crosswind dancing will be needed.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Spinning the CDI is a trick I employ when it’s time to teach students approach and landings. But I set it to runway heading. That helps them visualize where the wind is coming from, and when combined with wind velocity, how much crosswind dancing will be needed.
Click to expand...

Good point. This is indeed a useful trick on visual approaches. On an instrument approach, I teach students to always point the CDI to the final approach course, not for cross-wind visualizations, but to correctly interpret the headings to fly to center the CDI.
 
I write it all down before departing, but I don't know why. Arriving I usually write down nothing. Makes no sense whatsoever.
 
Never write down any of them. But I'm only a lowly VFR pilot. I do set the second CDI to the active runway direction as it is read, same goes for the altimeter.
 
Vfr guy. I don’t write it down. As others have said I can listen again… I’m most interested in wind typically and I need an idea of what I’ll be da big… it’s not like we calculate the crosswind then put the rudder at a preset angle and the ailerons at a preset angle for a given crosswind… ya fly the plane - ya put what rudder in ya need and aileron in ya need…
 
I write down everything on foreflight scrap pads, including runway, which approaches being used, etc. Just habit and part of my pre-taxi procedures. Never really reference it and I only take note if winds are gusting >20knots.
 
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