§ 87.213   Scope of service.

   (a) An aeronautical advisory station (unicom) must provide service to any
   aircraft station upon request and without discrimination. A unicom must
   provide impartial information concerning available ground services.

   (b)(1) Unicom transmissions must be limited to the necessities of safe and
   expeditious operation of aircraft such as condition of runways, types of
   fuel available, wind conditions, weather information, dispatching, or other
   necessary information. At any airport at which a control tower, control
   tower remote communications outlet station (RCO) or FAA flight service
   station is located, unicoms must not transmit information pertaining to the
   conditions of runways, wind conditions, or weather information during the
   hours of operation of the control tower, RCO or FAA service station.

   (2) On a secondary basis, unicoms may transmit communications which pertain
   to the efficient portal-to-portal transit of an aircraft, such as requests
   for ground transportation, food or lodging.

   (3) Communications between unicoms and air carrier must be limited to the
   necessities of safety of life and property.

   (4) Unicoms may communicate with aeronautical utility stations and ground
   vehicles concerning runway conditions and safety hazards on the airport when
   neither a control tower nor FAA flight service station is in operation.

   (c) Unicoms must not be used for air traffic control (ATC) purposes other
   than to relay ATC information between the pilot and air traffic controller.
   Relaying of ATC information is limited to the following:

   (1) Revisions of proposed departure time;

   (2) Takeoff, arrival or flight plan cancellation time;

   (3) ATC clearances, provided a letter of agreement is obtained from the FAA
   by the licensee of the unicom.

   [ 53 FR 28940 , Aug. 1, 1988, as amended at  55 FR 30464 , July 26, 1990]

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