To copy ATIS, tune the published ATIS frequency for the airport, listen for the phonetic information code, and write down the elements in the order they are broadcast: time, wind, visibility, weather, ceiling, temperature and dew point, altimeter, approach and runways in use, and NOTAMs or remarks. Use a fixed shorthand template so your pen never has to hunt for the next box, let the loop repeat once to fill gaps, then state the code on first contact with ATC. Ten minutes of practice per flight makes this automatic.
What ATIS Actually Is
ATIS stands for Automatic Terminal Information Service. It is a continuously looping recording of an airport's current weather, active runways, approach in use, and any field conditions pilots need to know. Copying it before you call ground or approach removes that entire block of information from the controller's workload and from yours.
The Order Never Changes
The reason ATIS feels fast at first is that new pilots try to write it as prose. It is not prose. It is a fixed list, always in the same order, which means you can pre-draw the boxes and simply fill them in.
- Airport name and phonetic information code
- Observation time in Zulu
- Wind direction and speed
- Visibility and present weather
- Sky condition and ceiling
- Temperature and dew point in Celsius
- Altimeter setting
- Approach in use and active runways
- NOTAMs, closures, bird activity, and remarks
Build a Shorthand That Is Yours
Most pilots settle on a personal shorthand within a week: an arrow for wind direction, a slash between temperature and dew point, and A followed by four digits for the altimeter. What matters is that the shorthand is consistent, because consistency is what lets you read your own notes on a bumpy downwind.
Practice on the Ground First
You do not need an aircraft to practise. Live ATC feeds and a handheld receiver let you copy ATIS at your desk. Ten broadcasts a day for a week turns the task from stressful to automatic, and it costs nothing. Students in our flight training programs run this drill before their first solo.
Common Mistakes
- Writing full words instead of shorthand and falling behind by the third element
- Forgetting to set the altimeter immediately after copying it
- Copying an old letter and calling with stale information after conditions changed
- Missing the remarks section, which is where runway closures and construction live
Using It on the Radio
Your first transmission should be short and complete: facility, call sign, position, request, information code. Controllers hear thousands of these a day, and a clean call marks you as a pilot who is ahead of the aircraft. That habit carries directly into the higher-tempo radio environment you will meet during time building at a busy field.
Where to Go From Here
Once ATIS is automatic, apply the same template idea to clearances and to ASOS or AWOS at non-towered fields. The skill is identical: a fixed sequence, a fixed shorthand, and a pen that already knows the next box. Rates for training flights are on our pricing page.
How to Copy ATIS
A repeatable nine-step method for copying an Automatic Terminal Information Service broadcast accurately before taxi or arrival. Typical time: about 10 minutes.
Step 1: Find the ATIS frequency
Look up the ATIS frequency on the sectional chart, airport diagram, approach plate, or Chart Supplement before you start the engine so you are not searching for it with the aircraft running.
Step 2: Draw your shorthand template
On your kneeboard, write the fixed sequence of boxes: code, time, wind, visibility, weather, sky, temperature and dew point, altimeter, approach, runways, remarks. Using the same template every flight means your pen always knows where to go next.
Step 3: Tune and listen through one full loop
Set the frequency in the standby window, flip it active, and listen to one complete cycle without writing. This tells you where the broadcast starts and how fast it is being read.
Step 4: Capture the information code
Write down the phonetic letter first, for example Bravo. This is the single element ATC will ask you for, so it belongs at the top of your note.
Step 5: Write the wind, visibility, and weather
Record wind as direction and speed, for example 090 at 12, visibility in statute miles, and any precipitation or obscuration exactly as broadcast.
Step 6: Record sky condition and temperatures
Note ceiling and layers, then temperature and dew point in Celsius. A close temperature and dew point spread is your warning for fog or mist forming later in the flight.
Step 7: Copy the altimeter setting
Write the altimeter setting in inches of mercury and set it in the aircraft immediately so the number in your logbook and the number in the Kollsman window always match.
Step 8: Note the approach and runways in use
Capture the instrument approach in use and the landing and departing runways. This drives your taxi expectation, your departure briefing, and your performance numbers.
Step 9: Read back the code on first contact
State the airport, your call sign, position, request, and the ATIS letter, for example "Ground, Cessna 816EP, at the ramp, taxi with information Bravo." Confirm the letter still matches what the controller expects.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find the ATIS frequency for an airport?
It is printed on the sectional chart next to the airport data block, on the airport diagram, in the Chart Supplement, and on every instrument approach plate for that field. Most EFB apps also show it on the airport information page.
How long is an ATIS broadcast valid?
A new ATIS is normally recorded shortly before each hour with the observation, and a new one is issued immediately whenever conditions change significantly. If the letter you heard no longer matches what ATC states, listen again before you call.
What do I say if I missed part of the broadcast?
Let the recording loop and catch the missing element on the second pass. ATIS repeats continuously, so there is no need to ask ATC unless you are already airborne and workload prevents a second listen.
Do I have to state the ATIS code on first contact?
Yes at towered fields. Saying "with information Bravo" tells the controller you already have the weather and runway assignment, which shortens the exchange and reduces the chance of a readback error.