FAA to decommission RCO network.

[ahw01]

FAA plans to shut down RCO network, seeks feedback

The FAA plans to decommission the flight service remote communications outlet network. AOPA cautions that many pilots and aircraft are not ready for the change.

www.aopa.org

Another piece of technology to close. Sucks.

 

[Pilot Fighter]

I’m still sad about the decommissioning of LORAN-C.

 

[jtrain609]

20% of the time RCO's worked every time for me.

 

[CFI A&P]

20% of the time RCO's worked every time for me.

The rest of the time the meat servo didn’t follow their clearance anyway.

“Can you go direct first fix in the box for me?”

“Didn’t they say radar vectors?”

 

[ppragman]

 

[ahw01]

View attachment 83061

Finally good news

 

[ppragman]

It really is for up here. It's already hard to legally fly IFR to a lot of places, without RCOs it'd be next to impossible.

Big sky theory really does work, but... probably not the best way to do things.

 

[Fixtur]

What's an RCO?

 

[Pilot Fighter]

What's an RCO?

Eighties band, RCO Speedwagon.

 

[ppragman]

Not sure if you're serious or not, but yeah, here ya go:

Remote Communications Outlet.

You can tell there's one there on the sectional (or on foreflight) because of this:

you can see an example from skyvector here:

the RCO is 122.4 for Nelson Lagoon, and you talk to "Cold Bay Radio."

IFR these are pretty key too:

if it's on a navaid or if it's not you'll see something like this:

which in the real world, looks something like this

If you're curious about more weird chart symbology, please enjoy the Aeronautical Chart Users Guide available here.

 

[Fixtur]

I was half kidding. Ive actually used the one servicing KMMH (a long time ago), but nowadays with cell phones and gps on the east coast I'd just cancel rather than calling an rco, assuming they're even functional out here anyway.

 

[bLizZuE]

I just told a story on Reddit about using FSS to order some pizzas at our destination. 5 out of 5 stars.

 

[derg]

What's an RCO?

It’s what we use to talk to FSS when we’re flying around our Aeronca SuperTramp.

 

[MikeD]

bring back Flight Watch

 

[ahw01]

It’s what we use to talk to FSS when we’re flying around our Aeronca SuperTramp.

When I was young, it seemed that life was so…

 

[derg]

bring back Flight Watch

Riddle fun:

Getting a snout-full of Coors Extra Gold and calling PRC FSS during a thunderstorm and asking for a “…weather briefing for a VFR cross country to Winslow, student pilot”

 

[ahw01]

Riddle fun:

Getting a snout-full of Coors Extra Gold and calling PRC FSS during a thunderstorm and asking for a “…weather briefing for a VFR cross country to Winslow, student pilot”

Back when they were govt employees not mouthy contractors…

 

[MikeD]

Riddle fun:

Getting a snout-full of Coors Extra Gold and calling PRC FSS during a thunderstorm and asking for a “…weather briefing for a VFR cross country to Winslow, student pilot”

Back when they had just made PRC the only FSS in AZ, down from the four there used to be.

In DUG, the FSS guy was also the airport advisory guy on CTAF.

 

[ppragman]

I just told a story on Reddit about using FSS to order some pizzas at our destination. 5 out of 5 stars.

I have done this and similar things many times.

 

[derg]

Back when they had just made PRC the only FSS in AZ, down from the four there used to be.

In DUG, the FSS guy was also the airport advisory guy on CTAF.

Well, brother, we’ll be the oldsters sitting around the rest home saying things like “Remember when you’d ride your bike down to the neighborhood airport and see the planes for sale with the words “New!” on the propeller?