Aeronautical Information Services

What is in the aeronautical information package?

The package

Everything about airspace, routes and aerodromes comes in one package. Tap + to open.

• Aeronautical information package integrated; provided by AAI The integrated package provided by AAI: the AIP with its amendment service, AIP Supplements, NOTAM and PIBs, AICs, and checklists and summaries.
  • Permanent the book itself Information of a lasting character: the AIP itself, kept up to date by numbered AIP Amendments.
    • AIP GEN, ENR, AD The main reference book for flying in a country: lasting information and long-running temporary changes. It has three parts: GEN, ENR and AD.
    • AIP Amendment permanent change Numbered consecutively. Operationally significant changes follow the AIRAC dates.
  • Temporary changes for a while Changes that last only for a while: AIP Supplements for long or bulky changes, NOTAMs for short-notice ones, and PIBs that summarise them for crews.
    • AIP Supplement 3 months or more; yellow pages Temporary changes of three months or longer, or short items with extensive text or graphics. Printed on yellow pages and kept first in the AIP part.
    • NOTAM short-notice, urgent Issued promptly for temporary, short-duration information, or for significant changes made at short notice, except where extensive text or graphics are needed.
      • NOTAMN new A new NOTAM.
      • NOTAMR replaces an earlier one A NOTAM that replaces an earlier NOTAM.
      • NOTAMC cancels an earlier one A NOTAM that cancels an earlier NOTAM.
      • Trigger NOTAM flags a coming AIRAC Supplement Sent out when an AIP Supplement is published under AIRAC. It reminds crews in their briefing (PIB) that the change is coming, and takes effect the same day as the Supplement.
    • Pre-flight information bulletin PIB A plain-language summary of the valid NOTAMs.
  • Special formats hazard reports Special-series NOTAMs in a standard format for hazard reports: SNOWTAM for runway surface contamination and ASHTAM for volcanic activity.
    • SNOWTAM snow, ice, slush, frost, water Runway condition code given for each third of the runway.
    • ASHTAM volcanic ash Tells you about an important change in a volcano's activity, an eruption or an ash cloud, laid out in the fixed ASHTAM order.
  • Advice not a rule change Information that does not qualify for the AIP or for a NOTAM, such as long-term forecasts and explanatory or advisory notes, is issued as an AIC.
    • AIC published by DGCA in India Aeronautical Information Circular. AAI provides the rest of the AIS, but AICs are published by DGCA, in printed form with consecutive calendar-year serial numbers.
    • Long-term advice and forecasts Legislative, technical or flight-safety matters that do not belong in the AIP or a NOTAM.

Memory hook: In India, AAI provides the AIS; DGCA publishes only the AIC.

Takeaway: The AIP holds permanent information; Amendments change it; Supplements and NOTAMs carry temporary changes; AICs give advice.

What is AIS and what does it publish?

What AIS is

Purpose, products, data and who runs it in India. Tap + to open each.

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Which document carries a change?

Which medium

Read each case and press the stamp that applies.

• Which document carries it? Press a stamp.
• AIP Amendment
• permanent
• AIP Supplement
• 3 months or more
• AIC
• advice
• NOTAM
• short notice
• A new airway is permanently added to the route structure.
• Permanent changes to the AIP are published as AIP Amendments.
• A runway closes for four months of resurfacing.
• Temporary changes of three months or longer go in an AIP Supplement, on yellow pages.
• A VOR fails without warning this morning.
• Short-notice, temporary changes go out by NOTAM.
• DGCA wants to give early warning of a major rule change planned for next year.
• Long-term forecasts and advisory matters go in an Aeronautical Information Circular, published by DGCA in India.
• A two-week airshow needs several pages of maps and procedures.
• Short items with extensive text or graphics also go in a Supplement.

Takeaway: Permanent: Amendment. Temporary 3 months or more: Supplement. Advice: AIC. Short and urgent: NOTAM.

Where in the AIP do you look?

AIP parts

Three parts in two volumes. Find your subject, then open that part.

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Is it in GEN, ENR or AD?

Which AIP part?

Tap a subject, then the AIP part it lives in.

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How is the AIP kept up to date?

Keeping it current

From a planned change to the pages in your binder.

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How far ahead must AIRAC changes go out?

AIRAC

A countdown to a common effective date, in days.

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AIRAC, NOTAM or not notified at all?

AIRAC or not?

Tap an item, then where it goes.

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Which series, how much notice, which document?

NOTAM and AIRAC

Four views: the NOTAM series, outages, the AIRAC countdown and NOTAM against Supplement.

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How do you read a NOTAM number?

NOTAM number

An example Indian NOTAM number. Tap each part.

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When is a NOTAM issued, and how is it tracked?

NOTAM rules

Origination, timing, checklists and special formats. Tap + to open each.

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How does information flow before and after a flight?

Briefing

Information reaches you before flight, and your reports go back after it.

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Where are NOTAM offices, and what goes in a briefing?

Offices and briefing

Offices, services and a briefing checklist. Tap a card.

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Numbers to know

Numbers

The figures examiners like, in one list.

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Pairs that catch students out

Don't mix up

Five pairs that look alike in the exam.

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Test yourself

Ten questions from this chapter.

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