Which identification code should be used to start over when ATIS resumes after more than 12 hours off air?

Which identification code should be used to start over when ATIS resumes after more than 12 hours off air?

• A. Bravo
• B. Charlie
• C. Delta
• D. Alpha

Answer: (D)

Starting over with Alpha signals a fresh ATIS cycle after a prolonged outage. When ATIS comes back after more than 12 hours off air, using Alpha distinctively marks that the current data block is new and previous cycles should be considered stale. This helps pilots recognize that any prior information may no longer be valid and ensures they tune in to the latest weather, notices, and runway data. The other codes would not indicate a reset to a new cycle, but rather a later stage within the existing sequence, so they wouldn’t clearly communicate that a full restart has occurred.

Starting over with Alpha signals a fresh ATIS cycle after a prolonged outage. When ATIS comes back after more than 12 hours off air, using Alpha distinctively marks that the current data block is new and previous cycles should be considered stale. This helps pilots recognize that any prior information may no longer be valid and ensures they tune in to the latest weather, notices, and runway data. The other codes would not indicate a reset to a new cycle, but rather a later stage within the existing sequence, so they wouldn’t clearly communicate that a full restart has occurred.