FAA Flight Service changes

[milleR]

I'm surprised about the negative experiences a lot of you have had with FSS. I've actually had really good experiences with LockMart and value the services they've been providing. Maybe I'm just naive or something....

My only complaint is the automated menu at the beginning. Otherwise, I've been very happy with the service. The last time I regularly used FSS was in '06/'07 when they made the change-over. Thank god Potomac knew what the deal was.

 

[killbilly]

My only complaint is the automated menu at the beginning. Otherwise, I've been very happy with the service. The last time I regularly used FSS was in '06/'07 when they made the change-over. Thank god Potomac knew what the deal was.

The thing that I have learned to love is right after the chat with FSS, if it's VFR conditions, I call Potomac for the squawk and frequency. Usually, they'll go ahead and give me most of my IFR clearance right there on the phone if I can take off VFR and pick it up in the air.

This is even more important since we don't have a proper clearance delivery freq at VKX, and cell phones almost NEVER work on the ramp. You gotta run inside, call for your clearance and get your release, sprint out to the plane and go, because you rarely get more than 5 minutes between the phone call and your void time.

 

[ComplexHiAv8r]

Better bet is to just get the number for the controlling center and work the clearance yourself.

I'll remember that next time I'm up there. 8)

 

[Autothrust Blue]

Better bet is to just get the number for the controlling center and work the clearance yourself.

This is usually on your station's 10-7, @ComplexHiAv8r.

(I think I still have Oakland Center and the Southern California TRACON saved, just in case.)

 

[Autothrust Blue]

Because people would literally die, as opposed to the lower 48 where I guess they don't need skilled flight information specialists to provide real time in flight information?? So stupid. Some things shouldn't be privatized; when it comes to safety sensitive duties, free market efficiency has dangerous consequences when corners are cut to save a buck.

Uh, well, yeah.

 

[fholbert]

How many here still call FSS for a briefing?

If so, why?

How many never call FSS for a briefing?

If so, why not?

With an ADS-B w/ WX receiver plus iPad/Android tablet combo costing under $1,000 and free online flight planning and filing, what purpose does a personalized WX briefing serve these days?

Last time I called FSS Bush was president.

 

[SlumTodd_Millionaire]

How many here still call FSS for a briefing?

If so, why?

How many never call FSS for a briefing?

If so, why not?

With an ADS-B w/ WX receiver plus iPad/Android tablet combo costing under $1,000 and free online flight planning and filing, what purpose does a personalized WX briefing serve these days?

I don't care about the weather briefing. You're right that the automated systems are better for that nowadays. But occasionally I need to make a last minute change to a filed flight plan, pick up a clearance at an uncontrolled field, etc., and Lockheed blows donkey balls. Being old by these whippersnapper's standards, I never used Lockheed until this year. Back when I was flying GA before going to the airlines, it was all still the FAA. And the FAA rocked! But at some point while I was lounging at the airlines and having dispatchers do everything for me, it all got privatized, and it was a hell of a shock when I first had to call Flight Service after coming back to the GA world. Just the phone system is enough to make me want to put my fist through the instrument panel. Nevermind the 20 minute wait times.

Just more proof that privatization sucks, and government bureaucracy gets an undeserved bad reputation. Bring back the bureaucracy!

 

[z987k]

I almost never call them on the phone, but I use them in the air all the time. Of course, like mentioned above it's not Lockmart, but people that have been doing this a long time and really know the areas and wx.
I mean, people will call them by name sometimes. Like not Kenai Radio, but "hey Ken, what's lake Clark pass look like? Oh and can you call Sheryl and let her know the mini-van is broken and to take the truck."

 

[gotWXdagain]

My last encounter with FSS: "I can't pronounce the name of the fix you were trying to file to, so ATC clears you Direct"

P.S. i did have a reason for filing a fix and not direct.

 

[SlumTodd_Millionaire]

My last encounter:

Lockheed Doosh: What is your destination?

Me: Charlie West.

LD: I'm sorry, sir, but I don't know where that is. Please give me an identifier.

Me: Are you frickin' kidding me?

 

[milleR]

My last encounter:

Lockheed Doosh: What is your destination?

Me: Charlie West.

LD: I'm sorry, sir, but I don't know where that is. Please give me an identifier.

Me: Are you frickin' kidding me?

What about that makes the briefer a "doosh"?

 

[BobDDuck]

What about that makes the briefer a "doosh"?

That pretty much every FAA flight service briefer, east of the Mississippi, knew where Charlie West was. They also knew where Charlie South was. They were "aviation people". Now they are just data management people.

EDIT: I take your point about wondering why Todd thought he was a doosh though. It's more a function of the program than the people.

 

[genot]

I remember back when I was getting my instrument during the change. I toured Nashville FSS. Every..Last...Specialist would have made your most trusted local TV weather person look stupid. Half of them were controllers at some point in their career,were locals and just knew. I've spent nearly a decade here watching local WX trends float across my radar scope and I'm a rank amateur compared to them then.

Now? It's a mixed bag. Most of them are competent, I believe that, but they are woefully understaffed. The first time I heard a report of severe icing was Christmas Eve. After ringing Lockmart flight data off the hook I called in flight who got angry I bothered them and wouldn't take the PIREP. 10 minutes later I got relieved and called the report in to 1800WXBRIEF on my cell phone. That's actually happened twice.

 

[deadstick]

Has anybody noticed lately, say the last 8 months or so, that the TAFs aren't too accurate? Usually it's worse than forecasted, but occasionally we get a TAF for bad WX and nothing happens. We've been hosed several times in the last couple of months.

 

[RDoug]

Can't pin the a bad TAF on AFSS. Those come from one of the 122 Weather Forecast Offices of the National Weather Service. If one of those WFOs is giving out consistently bad TAFs, why not give the a call? The TAFs from EPZ for West Texas and South-Central to South-West New Mexico are usually pretty darned good.

 

[deadstick]

Can't pin the a bad TAF on AFSS. Those come from one of the 122 Weather Forecast Offices of the National Weather Service. If one of those WFOs is giving out consistently bad TAFs, why not give the a call? The TAFs from EPZ for West Texas and South-Central to South-West New Mexico are usually pretty darned good.

Oh I know the FSS folks don't make the TAFs. It was something that popped into my head while reading this post.

 

[gotWXdagain]

Can't pin the a bad TAF on AFSS. Those come from one of the 122 Weather Forecast Offices of the National Weather Service. If one of those WFOs is giving out consistently bad TAFs, why not give the a call? The TAFs from EPZ for West Texas and South-Central to South-West New Mexico are usually pretty darned good.

Seems like FGF's forecasters could use a bit of "recurrent" on how to make a TAF. If the Weather Channel forecast was predicting not good weather, the TAF at my local would be too optimistic, and the TAF at the air base (made by USAF meteorologists I assume) ten miles away would be super pessimistic. Interpolating the two usually gave you an accurate forecast. Now foreflight shows you a MOS for every airport. While not "faa legal" it's still very handy.

 

[Richman]

Eh....

LM-FSS has provided me reasonable service, at least for WX. I always call for a TFR/NOTAM check, rain or shine. They've even called me back a couple of times after something popped up on the maps just after my briefing. I've used them a couple of times enroute to get NOTAMS when I've changed destinations, but my GDL39 does that now. Of course, ATC gets all nosey when you change destinations these days.

OTOH, I will agree that clearances via the 1-800 number is an absolute train wreck. There are a multitude of solutions for that, published numbers, text/ping back, etc. From what I heard from the L-M rep, they've suggested a number of automated clearance delivery/IFR release systems, but ATC wants no part of any of them. Not all facilities are down with publishing their phone numbers, and many facilities simply will not go that route. Strange thing is that SOME facilities require you to go that way....it's one of those frustrating situations where "local procedures" are completely different than what's in the A/FD.

Richman

 

[Stinger]

I can't imagine any facility would have a problem with you asking on frequency for a telephone number. Just tell them next time you want to pick up an IFR clearance on the ground that you'd rather call the facility directly. Majority of the time, the controllers would rather talk directly to you.

 

[Richman]

I can't imagine any facility would have a problem with you asking on frequency for a telephone number. Just tell them next time you want to pick up an IFR clearance on the ground that you'd rather call the facility directly. Majority of the time, the controllers would rather talk directly to you.

I agree, and you would think that would be the case, but some facilities have a policy of not giving clearances over the phone. Sometimes their incoming lines are not recorded properly, and that's a problem for them. Others have a staffing issue with it.

Richman