Definition
The radio frequency assigned to an aeronautical advisory station (a UNICOM) at a non-towered airport, used by pilots and the airport operator to exchange airport advisory information such as wind, runway in use, traffic, and field conditions.
Plain English
The radio channel pilots use at a small airport without a control tower to talk to the people on the ground and find out things like which runway is being used and what the weather is doing.
Context Anchor
Seen in the Chart Supplement U.S. airport entry when a pilot is checking which frequency to use for local airport advisory information.
Derivation
‘Aeronautical’ comes from Greek roots meaning ‘relating to air navigation.’ ‘Advisory’ comes from Latin advisare, ‘to give counsel.’ Put together, this is the frequency for a station that gives flying-related advice — not instructions or clearances.
Why Pilots Care
It supplies essential airport and traffic information at fields without ATC, helping pilots maintain situational awareness and operate safely.
Intuition Check
Do not read advisory as control. An aeronautical advisory station frequency is for airport information and advice; it is not a clearance frequency and does not give the pilot permission to take off, land, or enter airspace.
Example Sentence 1
Ten miles out, she tuned the aeronautical advisory station frequency listed in the Chart Supplement and asked for an airport advisory.
Example Sentence 2
On the aeronautical advisory station frequency the pilot learned that the runway was soft from recent rain.