Apparently FSS changed all ops and I am out of the loop

[BajtheJino]

The lady that helped me was very nice, I filed with her too.

I talked to a lady the other day at Leesburg, I would have like to filed with her, too

 

[Cessnaflyer]

We used to have the coolest people here at the Seattle FSS. I loved calling to file a flightplan because they made it sound so personal and even knew the callsigns for our aircraft. I always loved hearing one guy because he would sound like my grandpa and always ask me how much 'gold' I had on board for fuel

 

[falconvalley]

Um yeah that was the most interesting call ever made to a FSS station...

I usually file the flightplans for the students that don't do their complete plan at home like they are supposed to before their night flights. I've done it in the past a 101 times and it always seems to work just fine.

So I make the call, wait the standard 10 minutes or more now and finally get a briefer. I tell him that I have to file two flightplans, he didn't sound to enthused with this idea but he let me continue. So I tell him the information for the flight plan and I guess I've been using the wrong aircraft type because I told him it was a PA28. He promptly corrected me on the differences between the Piper 28 types. Thanks but I know the differences between a Cherokee and a Warrior. Then I went through the rest of the stuff and got to the names and I spelled them out. Then after I spell out the name he said, "How many people know how to spell out that name? Next time just give me his initials we don't take full names like that." Well I assumed you take the full name because box 14 says Pilot's Name not initials. So I go through with the second one with corrective measures and he still had somethings to lecture me on.

Was I in the wrong all this time or were rules changed recently and I haven't read about them.

I don't know if it's still this way, but a few years ago, the pilot's name literally went in as [Last Name, First Initial]

For them to have an attitude about it is poor service, even if it changed.

 

[Milesar]

The last few times I called FSS I didn’t have to wait... but this was rural colorado/wyoming.

I think the real answer to this is GoogleFSS - beta.

 

[PurduePilot]

Here ya' go:

http://www.afss.com/feedback/

I'd lodge a complaint and be as specific as possible (ie: date, time, and FSS briefer's initials - if known), and then maybe CC it AOPA.

 

[Flysher]

Lockheed Martin is stupid. Complain, complain, complain. We have to.

One day last week, I was on the ground at MKL, and called Jackson Radio on 122.65 (On the field, mind you . . . ) to check some weather. It went something like this:

Me: Yes, Sir, FLX 305 is just about to depart MKL IFR to memphis, and just wanted to get an update on this area of precip that's in the vicinity right now" (I got drenched loading the airplane . . . )

FSS: [Proceeds to give me a standard briefing . . . ]

Me: "Ummm, thanks. I was wondering about this area of precipitation that's in the area right now . . . "

FSS: (Laughing, with an attitude) "Well, I'm not sure if you just heard me, but I didn't say anything about precip in the area. There's none out there"

Me: "Well, I'm not sure if you guys still have radar or windows, but it's pouring down rain right now . . . thanks anyway".

AND THEY WANT ME TO PAY FOR THIS???:banghead:

Hey... I think I heard you on the radio last week!! I was flying USC 393/394 on thursday and friday, and I coulda sworn I heard a FLX 305.

 

[Fox Xray]

Lockheed Martin is the Halliburton of aviation... you have the see the junk equipment they have been providing to us (ATC) for the last several years. If Blakey / Bush get their way the WHOLE system will be run by these morons.

FAA reauthorization is coming up ... everyone that has had a bad experience with Lockheed and FSS should write your politicians. Write your congressman and your US senators... they need to hear from people on this. Lockmart came in... fired many of the FSS workers and reduced services. No one really put up a fight when this was awarded to Lockmart but those of us who have been dealing with Lockmart knew what FSS would turn into.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

I've experienced the exact same as Tony. My student got a briefer from Michigan who asked him what an ADIZ flight plan was. We call Leesburg now, but again, still a ridiculous wait and they always seem less than pleased to talk to us.

Its gotten to the point that I tell my students to just file one ADIZ plan and we'll file the other one in the air. I've found response time on the radio is much faster and they only ask you for the things that are absolutely pertinent to the flight.

 

[Av8n4life]

Around here, FSS quality and especially ATTITUDES of briefers have gone down the dumper really in the past month...not to mention I spent 30 minutes on hold the other morning for a sub-par regurgitation of a DUATS standard brief.

I've also seemed to become the victim of the mysterious disappearing flight plans lately. I've had, in the past 2 months, probably 1/2 of my briefer-filed flight plans just seem to vanish into thin air--luckily, ATC seems to be pretty sympathetic (at least around here) and says it seems to be happening a lot lately. OTOH, my DUATS-filed plans have been 100% reliable, with no errors.

I'll second what the other guys are saying--I won't pay for Lockheed Martin's subpar (and I use that word euphemistically) service when it comes to that. Not unless it's just absolutely made mandatory.

 

[wildfreightess]

This is all very unfortunate. I liked it better before the Lockheed switch. Jackson has always sucked in my opinion.

I don't know about each individual FSS, but I do know that many are being decommissioned (ok English majors, did I spell that right?), which leads to consolidation, which means higher call volume for the briefers, who suddenly have to know a great deal about a great many airports they haven't had to deal with before. Cell phone calls to WX-BRIEF are like playing FSS roulette; you could get any station the network decides to send you to. To top it all off, they're getting an "upgrade" in equipment. My boyfriend works for COU FSS, and he's currently down in DFW training on the equipment, which he admits is not what he thought it would be, and very confusing. Trying to keep up is difficult.

The training was performed by someone who hasn't even used the equipment before, and took place before the new system was in place. Also many technical bugs with this system have yet to be worked out.

I know it's frustrating right now. Just keep in mind that the briefers are as frustrated as the pilots and are doing their best to provide a service. It should get better with time.