Narrative:

There is a non-federal tower in operation at mvy. Marthas vineyard, ma. The controllers are using non-standard terminology, such as asking a pilot his 'range', when the information they want is 'distance from the field, or how far out.' on the ATIS, they will give the WX observation, along with their own version such as 'WX is IFR/VFR/below minimums.' also, they usually say 'advise ATC you have...' instead of 'advice you have information...' this ATIS is for the pilot to interpret, example 100' ceiling and 1/4 mi visibility is not below helicopter minimums, but they will state below minimums. I haven't heard it myself but another instrument told me about the minimums call. This is a busy area in the summer, with most of the pilots being transients. They don't need tower personnel to 'interpret the WX' just make the observation. Due to the rapidly changing WX in the area, mvy can be VFR and every other station within 50 mi is IFR. A low time pilot might listen to the ATIS on the telephone or his portable VHF, and decide that since ATC 'says' it is VFR and they are the authority, he/she will forego the call to FSS, you know the results in this scenario. It would be much more helpful to give a dewpoint so that a pilot might be able to determine that the fog is about to form, rather than listen to someone's opinion on the ATIS. The dewpoint is never given on the ATIS here, doing so could prevent an accident with the forming of sea fog very frequently. Also, the non-federal controllers should take a look at the 'pilot/controller glossary' and use standard terms. Also at teb, ATIS states 'all VFR aircraft contact clearance delivery prior to taxi.' upon doing so, one is told 'remain clear of the TCA, contact ground point 9.' all this does is clog up a very busy frequency and causes delays for IFR traffic and more work for the controller. If a pilot is dumb enough not to realize that the airport he/she is departing is under or in a TCA, they ought to pack it in and give up flying. If departing aircraft were given a descrete code to squawk upon departure for advisories, that would be great. Is this offered to those departing, no.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATIS INFORMATION IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH FAA HANDBOOK.

Narrative: THERE IS A NON-FEDERAL TWR IN OPERATION AT MVY. MARTHAS VINEYARD, MA. THE CTLRS ARE USING NON-STANDARD TERMINOLOGY, SUCH AS ASKING A PLT HIS 'RANGE', WHEN THE INFO THEY WANT IS 'DISTANCE FROM THE FIELD, OR HOW FAR OUT.' ON THE ATIS, THEY WILL GIVE THE WX OBSERVATION, ALONG WITH THEIR OWN VERSION SUCH AS 'WX IS IFR/VFR/BELOW MINIMUMS.' ALSO, THEY USUALLY SAY 'ADVISE ATC YOU HAVE...' INSTEAD OF 'ADVICE YOU HAVE INFO...' THIS ATIS IS FOR THE PLT TO INTERPRET, EXAMPLE 100' CEILING AND 1/4 MI VISIBILITY IS NOT BELOW HELI MINIMUMS, BUT THEY WILL STATE BELOW MINIMUMS. I HAVEN'T HEARD IT MYSELF BUT ANOTHER INSTR TOLD ME ABOUT THE MINIMUMS CALL. THIS IS A BUSY AREA IN THE SUMMER, WITH MOST OF THE PLTS BEING TRANSIENTS. THEY DON'T NEED TWR PERSONNEL TO 'INTERPRET THE WX' JUST MAKE THE OBSERVATION. DUE TO THE RAPIDLY CHANGING WX IN THE AREA, MVY CAN BE VFR AND EVERY OTHER STATION WITHIN 50 MI IS IFR. A LOW TIME PLT MIGHT LISTEN TO THE ATIS ON THE TELEPHONE OR HIS PORTABLE VHF, AND DECIDE THAT SINCE ATC 'SAYS' IT IS VFR AND THEY ARE THE AUTHORITY, HE/SHE WILL FOREGO THE CALL TO FSS, YOU KNOW THE RESULTS IN THIS SCENARIO. IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE HELPFUL TO GIVE A DEWPOINT SO THAT A PLT MIGHT BE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE FOG IS ABOUT TO FORM, RATHER THAN LISTEN TO SOMEONE'S OPINION ON THE ATIS. THE DEWPOINT IS NEVER GIVEN ON THE ATIS HERE, DOING SO COULD PREVENT AN ACCIDENT WITH THE FORMING OF SEA FOG VERY FREQUENTLY. ALSO, THE NON-FEDERAL CTLRS SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THE 'PLT/CTLR GLOSSARY' AND USE STANDARD TERMS. ALSO AT TEB, ATIS STATES 'ALL VFR ACFT CONTACT CLRNC DELIVERY PRIOR TO TAXI.' UPON DOING SO, ONE IS TOLD 'REMAIN CLR OF THE TCA, CONTACT GND POINT 9.' ALL THIS DOES IS CLOG UP A VERY BUSY FREQ AND CAUSES DELAYS FOR IFR TFC AND MORE WORK FOR THE CTLR. IF A PLT IS DUMB ENOUGH NOT TO REALIZE THAT THE ARPT HE/SHE IS DEPARTING IS UNDER OR IN A TCA, THEY OUGHT TO PACK IT IN AND GIVE UP FLYING. IF DEPARTING ACFT WERE GIVEN A DESCRETE CODE TO SQUAWK UPON DEP FOR ADVISORIES, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. IS THIS OFFERED TO THOSE DEPARTING, NO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.