So, in the Airbus, we get the Enter Dest Data at a certain distance from the destination. I then pull up the EFB, look at the weather at the airport, and fill in the fields. I could also use the Fenix app, and the METAR. But I'm usually way too far to get the ATIS.

That got me thinking - in the real world, how do you get the info if you're far away from ATIS. Is it just beamed direct to the plane via CPDLC or something like that every time? Do you get it from a tablet? Or do you hear ATIS?

Good question..RL pilots can chime in and answer this 🙂

3 hours ago, JonathanC said:

So, in the Airbus, we get the Enter Dest Data at a certain distance from the destination. I then pull up the EFB, look at the weather at the airport, and fill in the fields. I could also use the Fenix app, and the METAR. But I'm usually way too far to get the ATIS.

That got me thinking - in the real world, how do you get the info if you're far away from ATIS. Is it just beamed direct to the plane via CPDLC or something like that every time? Do you get it from a tablet? Or do you hear ATIS?

Before T/D, we request via ACARS the ATIS, TAF, and updated wind data forecast, which gives us time to do performance data and all necessary briefings. CPDLC is for text-based communication with Air Traffic Control and is for other staff. You hear ATIS pretty close to the airport, way passed the T/D. Oh, forgot to mention: some like to go crazy and request automatic updates ATIS and TAF like 2 or 3 hrs before arrival. 

Edited November 16, 2025Nov 16 by LRBS

5 hours ago, JonathanC said:

That got me thinking - in the real world, how do you get the info if you're far away from ATIS. Is it just beamed direct to the plane via CPDLC or something like that every time? Do you get it from a tablet? Or do you hear ATIS?

My airport offers datalink ATIS or D-ATIS service, which is basically digital text version of the VHF broadcast ATIS, same identifier etc, which you will have to provide to the controller on initial contact.

Accessible from any airplane with ACARS capability via VHF DL and SATCOM transport layers. 

 

Most airports with airline service have digital ATIS now, meaning you can get it via ACARS any time you want.  Auto-updates are great for monitoring rapidly changing conditions.  Even if an airport doesn't have digital ATIS, you can get the METAR via ACARS, and TAFs though of course you've got the TAF in your dispatch paperwork.  

Additionally, pretty much every airline these days has an iPad weather app - we use WSI.  In addition to synoptic scale map layers for flight planning, full destination ATIS, METARs, TAFs, and NOTAMs are available to you any time, in flight or otherwise.  

I don't think I've used a radio to retrieve destination weather anywhere except SE Alaska in years.

Only one thing to add: It is important to have accurate data in the page when you do your approach. So while it is possible to fill it out hours in advance of actually arriving, some things (especially the ground-speed-mini function) depend on having accurate and concurrent data in the field. 

While it is not required, it is still desirable to update at least the wind before doing the approach, as the ground-speed-mini function will attempt to "allow" for the wind to change between the currently measured and the reported wind on the ground by adding some speed to the Vapp.

Example: The wind during the approach is a 40kt headwind - but the wind entered in the destination data is calm. Now the gs-mini will add 40kts to your approach speed, because it "assumes" that at some point in time the wind will suddenly decrease.

Note that later versions of the Airbus reduced the speed additionals added by the gs-mini, because Airbus finally realized that it was a totally dumb idea, as any pilot beyond his first flight lesson will be acutely aware of any discrepancy between current wind and reported wind on ground and allow for a possible negative wind-shear. 

The original GS mini function often increased approach speeds so much, that Airbus aircraft became a problem when flying in sequence on an approach and had to reduce to 160kts (for example at EGLL) but could not, because that would mean flying below the approach speed as calculated by their aircraft.

For those of us who want D-ATIS from airports in FAA-land, there's an app for that on iOS. Strangely enough it's called ATIS App. There's also ATISVIEW that appears to cover the world.

Have a good weekend.

Thank you to all those who answered! Very informative and interesting 

4 hours ago, Stearmandriver said:

Additionally, pretty much every airline these days has an iPad weather app - we use WSI.  In addition to synoptic scale map layers for flight planning, full destination ATIS, METARs, TAFs, and NOTAMs are available to you any time, in flight or otherwise

How does this stay updated in flight? It connects to the internet via the on board wifi? But that doesn’t always work and not all planes have it. Or do pilots have a hidden wifi network or something? 

Seems like there's ample time to get ATIS information when prompted by Fenix.  Where we live the edict is:  "If you don't like the weather here....just wait 15 minutes" and there's some truth in that!  The Front Range is a weather generating machine!

On 11/16/2025 at 4:09 AM, JonathanC said:

How does this stay updated in flight? It connects to the internet via the on board wifi? But that doesn’t always work and not all planes have it. Or do pilots have a hidden wifi network or something? 

Yeah, it'll depend on the company and what they have, but for us, we use the onboard wifi.  It's all satellite based these days so it's fast and works anywhere, even over the middle of the Pacific on the way to the islands.

It's funny you mention a hidden Wi-Fi network - we actually do have one haha.  It's not a network that is ever visible, but our iPads (which are fully controlled by the company) are programmed to find and connect to it.  I don't really know the reason of using a separate network for us; maybe we get bandwidth priority?  No one has ever explained it to us beyond the "this is how it works" stage 😉.

3 hours ago, Stearmandriver said:

Yeah, it'll depend on the company and what they have, but for us, we use the onboard wifi.  It's all satellite based these days so it's fast and works anywhere, even over the middle of the Pacific on the way to the islands.

It's funny you mention a hidden Wi-Fi network - we actually do have one haha.  It's not a network that is ever visible, but our iPads (which are fully controlled by the company) are programmed to find and connect to it.  I don't really know the reason of using a separate network for us; maybe we get bandwidth priority?  No one has ever explained it to us beyond the "this is how it works" stage 😉.

Cheers, thanks very much for the insights.