Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 170; Flight Crew Total 2060; Flight Crew Type 65
Situational Awareness; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types
Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Human Factors; Procedure
DTW ATCT controllers stopped issuing 'RNAV to' takeoff clearances about a month ago. Instead; they are now providing a tower-assigned heading with all takeoff clearances; including to aircraft who are filed on the new RNAV SIDs out of DTW. DTW ATCT has decided to communicate this on the digital ATIS with a vague remark 'ROTG NOT IN EFFECT.' Almost nobody understands what this means at first glance; unless they ask. According to FAA Order 7340.2; ROTG means 'rotating;' which is not the intended use here. It would be nice if DTW ATCT would just spell out 'RNAV OFF THE GROUND NOT IN EFFECT' or better yet; to change that to 'EXPECT TOWER ASSIGNED HEADING' on the departure ATIS. The term 'RNAV off the ground' is not really well-known to most pilots. If they want to use the ROTG abbreviation; it would be nice to get it added to the aforementioned order.
Air carrier pilot reported confusion at DTW when the acronym ROTG was used in the ATIS.