ATIS Ceiling/Cloud Shorthand

HPNPilot1200

HPNPilot1200

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Jason
Does anyone else use shorthand for ceiling/cloud reports in ATIS broadcasts?

I usually write the ceiling or cloud base in hundreds of feet followed by a circle with a one or a series of lines through it depending on the type of cloud layer.

FEW = Horizontal line through the circle
SCT = Vertical line through the circle
BKN = Two vertical lines through the circle
OVC = One horizontal and one vertical line through the circle
Obscured/VV = Diagonal lines or an X through the circle

Just curious if anyone else follows similar suit.

Best,
Jason
 
HPNPilot1200 said:
Does anyone else use shorthand for ceiling/cloud reports in ATIS broadcasts?

I usually write the ceiling or cloud base in hundreds of feet followed by a circle with a one or a series of lines through it depending on the type of cloud layer.

FEW = Horizontal line through the circle
SCT = Vertical line through the circle
BKN = Two vertical lines through the circle
OVC = One horizontal and one vertical line through the circle
Obscured/VV = Diagonal lines or an X through the circle

Just curious if anyone else follows similar suit.

Best,
Jason
Click to expand...

Mine is not too complex. I use 'F' for few, 'S' for scattered, 'B' for broken, 'O' for overcast and then just 'vv' for the vertical visibility. It works for me and I do not need to remember a short hand code other than the first letter of the word.

I also write an 'A' prior to a 4-digit altimeter setting. For example A2992 is altimeter 29.92 in Hg. Then for the runways part of the ATIS I use an 'R' as in R34 is runway 34. There are multiple runways, such a runway 34 left and right I would write that R34L/R
 
HPNPilot1200 said:
Just curious if anyone else follows similar suit.
Click to expand...
I do. I got that habit a long time ago from someone who is even older than I am. :eek: So I'm surprised that you do it too. The only difference is that I don't think there was such a thing as "few" back in the day so I'll write the word "few" but use the symbols for everything else. I might consider adopting your symbol, however.
 
I don't. I generally only write down things that concern me. Few never does, scattered might depending on whether or not there's potential icing or I'm flying at night, etc. Usually, for ATIS, I write down only winds and altimeter for cross-reference.
 
I figure for the purposes of my shorthand, "few" is the same as "scattered", so it's a circle with the vertical line either way.

And yes, I'm old.:lol:

Otherwise a lot of the old teletype/SA shorthand, with either "v" or "ILS" for visual or ILS (or other approach type, as appropriate), and the runway number.
 
I pretty much copy down the ATIS in METAR code... I guess I'm a geek. I do like the idea of shortening to a single letter for the sky coverage, though.
 
Nope. If the ATIS has this info (current METAR at EWR): [FONT=Monospace,Courier]02008KT 10SM FEW120 BKN250 11/03 A3008

[/FONT]Then I write: 020@8 10 f12 b25 11/3 3008 I4R

All I really do by way of shorthand is drop all the zeros in the sky coverage, otherwise a single letter works for me as I know I'd screw it up if I tried to use symbols. Especially when you have to write really fast as with some ATISes (KISP) when they seem to think they're in a speed reading competition.
 
As I started doing this before METARs came out, I use the old teletype symbols which with the excption of "FEW" (which didn't exist) are as Jason described above.
 
I put the ATIS info in a big circle and write down the runway. That's pretty much it. The only other thing I write down is any taxiway closures.

Clouds - non issue. If VFR I stay away, if IFR I don't care about em. I've already made my go/no go, or filed if I'm VFR/IFR respectively. Temp/Dewpoint, I should already have an idea because I have already decided to go flying that day. Winds, non issue, If I am at an airport with ATIS, the runway is going to be long enough for me regardless of what my weight is, or what the temp/dewpoint is. Altimeter, dialed into the Kollsman, and verfied with field elevation.

No need to write anything else, ground is probably going to provide me with a heading to fly to start with and a clearance, and tower/departure is going to tell me to maintain VFR or to climb and maintain xxx.

I used to write it all down, and then thought....uh...why? I can look outside and see the clouds, and I know about how warm it is based on what I've worn to the airport.
 
I don't write down the weather info (for the reasons Ed described). I dial in the altimeter and *may* (rarely) glance at the DG just to visualize the wind situation.
I might write down some airport information, if there's anything unusual or potentially confusing.
 
EdFred said:
I put the ATIS info in a big circle and write down the runway. That's pretty much it. The only other thing I write down is any taxiway closures.

Clouds - non issue. If VFR I stay away, if IFR I don't care about em. I've already made my go/no go, or filed if I'm VFR/IFR respectively. Temp/Dewpoint, I should already have an idea because I have already decided to go flying that day. Winds, non issue, If I am at an airport with ATIS, the runway is going to be long enough for me regardless of what my weight is, or what the temp/dewpoint is. Altimeter, dialed into the Kollsman, and verfied with field elevation.

No need to write anything else, ground is probably going to provide me with a heading to fly to start with and a clearance, and tower/departure is going to tell me to maintain VFR or to climb and maintain xxx.

I used to write it all down, and then thought....uh...why? I can look outside and see the clouds, and I know about how warm it is based on what I've worn to the airport.
Click to expand...

I'll write down conditions if they've changed dramatically. More than once the weather has degraded enough to justify stopping for a second and thinking about how I want to proceed with the flight.

I generally write down the wind and the wind of other asos's during my flight. I'm not paranoid about the wind when I'm landing on a runway but when the engine quits I'd sure like to know which way the wind is coming from (perhaps its changed) as I generally can't tell by just looking at the ground and its too late to try tuning in ASOS's. Landing engine out down-wind vs into the wind could make a dramatic difference as far as survivability.
 
I used to write down everything, but quite frankly dropped the ATIS except winds and Altimeter when flying IFR.

VFR.... I write down takeoff and various fuel changes. Not much else.
 
ScottM said:
Mine is not too complex. I use 'F' for few, 'S' for scattered, 'B' for broken, 'O' for overcast and then just 'vv' for the vertical visibility. It works for me and I do not need to remember a short hand code other than the first letter of the word.
Click to expand...

I do something similar except that I use a 'C' for overcast since the 'O' is easy to confuse with a zero.

I also write an 'A' prior to a 4-digit altimeter setting. For example A2992 is altimeter 29.92 in Hg. Then for the runways part of the ATIS I use an 'R' as in R34 is runway 34. There are multiple runways, such a runway 34 left and right I would write that R34L/R
Click to expand...

I just put the '.' in the altimeter setting, it's probably easier to write but I'd like your 'A' just as well if I had that as habit. I write the runway(s) in use similar to you and then circle the one I intend to request if there's a reason to pick one.
 
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