in the UK, the AFISO does issue clearances to aircraft maneuvering on the ground.
I don't think it is ICAO standard, but in the UK, that's the way it is.
The basic point here is that all UK land is owned by somebody, and that "somebody" controls what is allowed to happen on that land.
The man on the radio does not own the land but is acting on behalf of the landowner.
The man on the radio can also refuse the landing, though (I am told by someone in the business) he has to pass a specific message along the lines that on behalf of the landowner you are refused permission to land.
This has been abused on some occasions where people were refused a landing at an AFIS airfield e.g. because, the man on the radio claimed, they were inbound from abroad and did not send in a GAR form. That is bollocks because an airport has no right to see a GAR form; it is a confidential document sent to the govt authorities. These abuses are very rare though. There is just a "human tendency" for many A/G or FISO people to act as ATCOs.
There is no concept of the US-style "public airport" which has to accept all traffic that turns up, etc.
This also means that every UK airport is thus potentially PPR. Many are full-time PPR and some become PPR during certain times.
Also, ATC (but not AFIS or A/G) control the air even at a Class G airport, within the ATZ (which is about 2nm radius), and can issue clearances in that piece of air, SFC-2000ft AGL.
Achim,
in the UK, the AFISO does issue clearances to aircraft maneuvering on the ground.
I don't think it is ICAO standard, but in the UK, that's the way it is.
I always check the windsock on short final, as with reds/blues/greens. what is the windsock doing? Again, on arrival at unmanned strips, or overhead joins, non radio, always a quick check on the sock. Last week I was departing a pretty isolated strip, 8.00 in the evening, and as I was about to back track onto the runway, (scolded myself because I did not use the safetycom), a voice came on the radio, 'aircraft on runway, we are coming in'. After my exclamation, and scolding myself, I retreated back to the intersection, apologised, and told him to continue and I would wait. Issue was, we were using, clearly identified by the sock, 23, he was coming in on 07. There was a good 8kts. I offered him the information, which he ignored. It is a 620mtr strip. I sat back and watched the show.... Well the first, "I smell an accident", saw him complete a very late go around, after he floated past me at the half way section, the second was a low downwind attempt, aborted, he then lined up on final, for the correct 23. I refrained from comment, but so did he, not a word, of thanks, nothing. Obviously oblivious, and appearing not to care, as to what the wind was doing.
Yesterday, quite windy, I was returning to homebase, radioed in but nobody was at the airstrip to answer, so I overflew the strip to check the windsock.
It was limp in morning when I left but it wasn't there any more!
I landed with reference to some nearby farmer's smoke. I checked the club windmeter once on the ground, 17kts crosswind.
No, AFIS does not issue roll clearances nor anything else neither in Germany nor elsewhere. AFIS only provides information and in addition to that represents the owner/operator of the airfield so can prevent you from starting/landing/parking somewhere by exercising ownership rights. Depending on the status of the airfield (public airfield, special use airfield) those rights can be broad (club airfield: I don't like the paint of your aircraft, you can't land here) or very restricted (public airfield: only in cases of imminent danger).
In my opinion the short final is not the best place to look for or at the windsock. I do it when I enter the pattern of an unmanned airfield (I know where it is because I have found it on the AIP chart when planning my flight) and choose the runway accordingly.
If there is an ATC or an AFIS agent, I rely on the information he gives me.
Incidentally, in France an AFIS agent issues no clearance. He just provides information, wherever you are, including aprons and taxiways. You simply keep him posted. For exemple : "taxiing to holding point whatever". You never request clearance from him, either in the air or on the ground.
That's different from Germany according to what was written in an other post:
INFORMATION (AFIS): gives instructions from stand to holding point on departure or after landing roll on arrival. In essence he gives you taxi instructions.
Checking the windsock doesn't always mean that you choose the correct runway.
I once made the mistake of selecting the opposite runway instead, having checked the windsock, made a note of the relatively high wind (it stood out like made of metal) down the runway.
The approach was flown at warp speed and the 2km runway utilized to its full length to stop the Rockwell Commander 114B. While taxying back, wondering why everything went by so fast, and glancng at the windsock again, I realized my mistake. One of THE most embarrassing moments of my flying career so far. Fortunately, I only scared myself, nobody else was around.
Nowadays, I sometimes amuse myself watching students and other fellow pilots make the same mistake, while keeping a watchful eye for safety reasons...
I would generally try to. But I suppose the more 'interesting' (windy) days mean that I am already too busy and all too aware of where the wind is coming from to have time (or the need) to check the wind sock again on short final.
I have no time to watch the windsock on short final, because I'm occupied watching all the interesting stuff my girlfriend sees and enthusiastically start talking about... ;-)
If joining overhead an uncontrolled field or airfield with a/g radio only, I'll have a good look at the windsock in order to make certain that I'm picking or accepting an approach for the correct runway. At an airfield with ATC I'll listen to the weather given and make my approach accordingly and deal with the wind according to 'feel'. Very often, at big airfields or airports, the wind sock is so far from the threshold as to be almost irrelevant.
As a digression, there was a story doing the rounds from an Australian pilot who had been flying for some years delivering supplies in the outback. One community had been repeatedly passed over for their weekly delivery because of a stonking cross-wind. After nearly a month of abortive approaches, said pilot turns up one day to see the windsock hanging limp, so positons to land - only to encounter a surprisingly difficult approach and landing.
Upon taxiing to park, he discovers that the local community has been getting hungry and, sick of being passed over for supplies, had filled the wind-sock with stones to make it hang downwards....
