Learn how to read and use ATIS in a flight simulator: decode the broadcast, set QNH, choose the runway and report the correct information code.
To read and use ATIS in a flight simulator, tune the airport’s ATIS frequency or open its text panel, then note the information letter, active runway, approach, wind, visibility, cloud, temperature, pressure setting and restrictions. Set the altimeter, plan the runway and tell ATC which ATIS code you received.
How do you get ATIS in a flight simulator?
Get ATIS by tuning its published frequency on an active COM radio, selecting it through the simulator’s ATC interface or requesting a text or datalink report where modelled.
In general-purpose flight simulators such as Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, FSX and Prepar3D, the exact method depends on the aircraft and radio simulation. Check that the avionics are powered, the frequency is active rather than in standby, and the correct COM receiver is selected on the audio panel. Our guide to finding and tuning airport ATIS in X-Plane 12 covers that simulator’s specific workflow.
Not every airport has ATIS. Smaller fields may provide AWOS or ASOS weather instead, while some simplified simulators place the same information directly in an ATC or weather window.
What does an ATIS broadcast mean?
ATIS is a repeating airport broadcast containing weather, runway and operational information that pilots would otherwise have to request individually from a controller.
| ATIS item | How to read it | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Identifier and time | Information Bravo, 1420 Zulu | Bravo identifies that edition; 1420 is the UTC issue time. Copy the broadcast again if the identifier changes. |
| Runway and approach | ILS runway 27, landing and departing runway 27 | Prepare for runway 27 and the ILS, but remember that ATIS is not an approach or landing clearance. |
| Wind | 240 degrees at 12 knots | The wind comes from 240 degrees. Runway 27, approximately 270 degrees, would have mostly headwind with a smaller crosswind component. |
| Visibility and weather | 8 kilometres, light rain | Compare the conditions with the approach minima and your planned visual or instrument procedure. |
| Cloud | Broken at 1,800 feet | The lowest broken or overcast layer normally forms the ceiling. Coded cloud heights are generally above aerodrome level. |
| Temperature and dew point | Temperature 16, dew point 12 | Use temperature for performance planning. A small temperature–dew point spread warns of possible fog or low cloud. |
| Pressure | QNH 1015 or altimeter 29.97 | Set the stated local pressure while operating below the applicable transition altitude or level. |
| Operational notes | Closed taxiways, braking reports or special instructions | Apply any restriction that the simulator models and check it against your taxi or approach plan. |
A complete example might read: Information Bravo, 1420 Zulu. Wind 240 at 12, visibility 8 kilometres, broken 1,800 feet, temperature 16, dew point 12, QNH 1015. ILS runway 27, landing and departing runway 27. Advise on initial contact you have Bravo.
Here, Bravo is the edition code, not a runway or taxiway. Set 1015 hPa, prepare for runway 27 and report with Bravo when first contacting ATC. A pressure display near 1000 uses hPa; one near 30 uses inches of mercury, so check the instrument’s selected unit before entering the value.
Is ATIS the same as a METAR?
ATIS is not the same as a METAR: a METAR is primarily a weather observation, while ATIS adds the active runway, expected approach, operational remarks and an information identifier.
The two can also have different issue times, which explains small differences in wind or pressure. If the coded weather groups are unfamiliar, use our explanation of decoding METAR weather for flight simulation.
How should you use ATIS before departure and arrival?
Use ATIS to configure the aircraft and prepare for the likely clearance, but let the controller’s actual clearance override the advertised runway or procedure.
- Copy the latest edition. Write down the identifier, runway, wind, visibility, ceiling, pressure and any closure or restriction. Listen twice if necessary.
- Set local pressure. Enter the reported QNH or altimeter setting and confirm that the altimeter shows a plausible airport elevation. Set standard pressure after climbing through the applicable transition altitude, then restore local pressure during descent when required.
- Prepare the runway. Select the expected departure, arrival or approach, review its chart and compare the runway heading with the reported wind.
- Check the conditions. Confirm that visibility, ceiling, wind and runway state are suitable for the aircraft and procedure. ATIS information does not remove the need to check approach minima.
- Report the identifier. Include wording such as
with Bravoon the first relevant ATC call. This tells the controller that you already have that edition. - Monitor for updates. If ATIS changes from Bravo to Charlie, copy Charlie before departure or approach because the runway, pressure or weather may have changed.
How do you use ATIS on arrival?
Obtain destination ATIS early enough to brief the expected approach, but do not activate or descend on that procedure until permitted by the applicable clearance.
Load the expected runway, check minima and missed-approach instructions, then set local pressure during descent at the correct transition point. The advertised approach can change before landing, especially after a wind shift. For the wider radio sequence, see our explanation of the ATIS-to-clearance workflow in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
What if the simulator’s ATIS is wrong or silent?
Silent or inconsistent ATIS usually comes from radio configuration, reception range, weather-source differences or an airport that does not provide the service.
- Check the radio: verify electrical power, COM1 versus COM2, active versus standby frequency, audio-panel selection and volume.
- Confirm the airport: similar frequencies and nearby airports make it easy to copy the wrong broadcast. Check the airport name at the start of the message.
- Check the issue time: an old text report may remain visible after a new broadcast has been generated.
- Compare weather sources: a weather add-on may inject conditions that the built-in ATC system does not use, producing different winds, pressure or runway choices.
- Follow the clearance: if ATC assigns a different runway from ATIS, the clearance controls. Request another runway if the wind or aircraft limitations make the assignment unsuitable.
In Microsoft Flight Simulator, menus and assistance options vary by release, but the core checks remain the same. Our dedicated checks for silent or missing Microsoft Flight Simulator ATIS cover the common radio, audio and simulator-setting faults.
A mistake we see constantly is copying only the information letter. The letter merely proves which edition was heard; the useful parts are the pressure, runway, approach, weather and restrictions that change how the flight is configured.