Definition
A free, one-way data service transmitted from FAA ground stations to aircraft equipped with a 978 MHz UAT (Universal Access Transceiver) ADS-B In receiver. FIS-B delivers near-real-time weather and aeronautical information products such as METARs, TAFs, NEXRAD radar imagery, AIRMETs, SIGMETs, PIREPs, NOTAMs, TFRs, winds and temperatures aloft, and special-use airspace status. It is available only below approximately FL240 and only within range of a ground broadcast station.
Plain English
A free service that sends weather and flight information up from FAA ground stations to your cockpit display, as long as you have the right receiver. You can see things like radar, weather reports, and airspace alerts in flight without paying for satellite weather.
Context Anchor
Pilots encounter FIS-B on cockpit displays connected to compatible ADS-B In equipment, especially when checking weather and flight information while airborne.
Derivation
The 'Broadcast' part is key — it means the information is transmitted outward to all receivers in range, like a radio station, rather than being requested by an individual aircraft. There is no two-way exchange.
Why Pilots Care
Gives pilots real-time weather and notices without having to request them by radio, helping with better flight planning and safety.
Intuition Check
Do not read “services” as personal help from a controller. FIS-B is broadcast information sent to your equipment; it is not a two-way conversation or an ATC instruction.
Example Sentence 1
With ADS-B In installed, the pilot pulled up FIS-B weather on the tablet to check for new SIGMETs along the route.
Example Sentence 2
FIS-B provided the latest NOTAMs about runway closures at the destination airport.