Definition
An automated telephone system formerly used by the FAA to deliver pre-recorded weather briefings and aeronautical information to pilots through voice prompts and touch-tone selection. It served as a temporary, transitional service while more advanced briefing systems were being developed.
Plain English
A phone-in service that played recorded weather and flight information so pilots could get a briefing by listening and pressing buttons on the phone. It was a stopgap system, used until better tools came along.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA acronym lists and in references to flight-service or aviation information access by phone.
Derivation
‘Interim’ comes from Latin, meaning ‘in the meantime’ — a temporary fix until something permanent arrives. ‘Voice response’ describes a system that talks back to you. Together, the name signals that this was a stand-in service, not a long-term solution.
Why Pilots Care
Most pilots will never use IVRS in practice — modern briefings come through 1800wxbrief.com, EFB apps, and Flight Service. Knowing the acronym mainly helps when reading older handbooks or FAA documents so the term doesn’t become a misunderstood word.
Intuition Check
Do not read IVRS as an aircraft voice radio system. Here it means a temporary automated phone-style response system used to handle aviation information.
Example Sentence 1
The acronym IVRS appears in older FAA publications as one of the early phone-based ways pilots could get a recorded weather briefing.
Example Sentence 2
During the transition to new equipment, the IVRS handled routine altitude requests without delay.