Dear 1-800 Wx Brief,

killbilly

killbilly

Vocals, Lyrics, Triangle, Washboard, Kittens
I'd like to think we have a good relationship. I'm nice and polite to you, and you're helpful both on the phone and the radio. You're kind, you're good about making sure I have what I need.

So, when I get a briefing from AUS to T82, and I ask about NOTAMS, I trust you to tell me stuff. And you're really good about telling me about things. I appreciate that. You've always been there for me, guys.

Which is why it boggles the mind that you didn't tell me that 17L and everything associated with it was closed at AUS tonight.

Did I do something wrong? Did I not ask you the right question? Are you jealous that I use the web sometimes instead of calling you?

Call me. Let me know you aren't mad at me. Because I just couldn't bear the thought of you being mad at me. That would suck.

Love,

Billy
 
did you file a complaint?

They have actually called me back on all of the dozen or so that I have filed.

lemme look for the phone number?

888/FLT-SRVC (888/358-7782)

there it is
 
bdhill1979 said:
did you file a complaint?

They have actually called me back on all of the dozen or so that I have filed.

lemme look for the phone number?

888/FLT-SRVC (888/358-7782)

there it is
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Acting on an AOPA suggestion, the FAA has activated a toll-free "flight service comment line" (888/FLT-SRVC or 888/358-7782) for pilots to comment on service they receive from the Lockheed Martin flight service station (FSS) system, operated under contract with the FAA.
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or for the email folks:

Flight Service Stations
Send comments or complaints about weather briefings and other flight planning services provided to pilots through the Flight Service Stations, to: 9-AWA-ATO-SYSOPS-FS@faa.gov.
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Number1atNumber2 said:
#$%#^$*%$*&$#%^?#@ Lockheed-Martin. Jerks are endangering our lives with thier incompetance...
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Seriously, make complaints

It is my understanding that under their contract they have to respond to every complaint.

I have problems with 1 out of every 3 flight plans I file; got the tail number wrong, the destination wrong, didn't give applicable NOTAMs, filed me as a Dassault Falcon, would not close my IFR flight plan that I had been on for three hours because "you have no flight plan on file sir".

It is a bit of a pain but make the more complaints the better.
 
Lockheed Martin????

Oh that's right the Last Frontier is also the last frontier of real flight service stations... I've heard stories about Alaska weather briefers getting calls from the lower 48 for info because of how screwed up Lockheed is.
 
I don't know. Maybe it's me. When I get shafted by someone/something I usually don't go out of my way to get done to me again.
There is a simple solution in this modern age: Quit using them!
 
BajtheJino said:
I don't know. Maybe it's me. When I get shafted by someone/something I usually don't go out of my way to get done to me again.
There is a simple solution in this modern age: Quit using them!
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Exactly!! I haven't called 800 WX BRIEF for years. Everything I do now is computer based. Sometimes takes some planning to do at home before I leave for the airport or I lug my laptop with me but the computer has never let me down!

Jason
 
A couple weeks ago, while on flight following, SoCal Approach says "you are aware of the TFR over Chino airport, correct?"

I was befuddled. "what? No! And I had a brief on the flight from FSS...."

I was amazed that this "detail" was somehow overlooked.

Next time I'll call with a complaint...
 
killbilly said:
I'd like to think we have a good relationship. I'm nice and polite to you, and you're helpful both on the phone and the radio. You're kind, you're good about making sure I have what I need.

So, when I get a briefing from AUS to T82, and I ask about NOTAMS, I trust you to tell me stuff. And you're really good about telling me about things. I appreciate that. You've always been there for me, guys.

Which is why it boggles the mind that you didn't tell me that 17L and everything associated with it was closed at AUS tonight.

Did I do something wrong? Did I not ask you the right question? Are you jealous that I use the web sometimes instead of calling you?

Call me. Let me know you aren't mad at me. Because I just couldn't bear the thought of you being mad at me. That would suck.

Love,

Billy
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It might just be me. But did that sound like one of the woot.com descriptions?
 
Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who had a problem like this.

At my experience level I'm still not always sure if it was me that made the mistake or not. I tend to trust that everyone else who's doing this stuff knows more than I do and is more likely to be doing it right.

It wasn't that big of a deal, really - the NOTAM was on the ATIS. But it was supremely annoying to get in the plane and find out that I had to taxi way the hell from the southeast corner of the airport to the northwest corner. Burns a bunch of Hobbs time.
 
I still call so its on the tape if I ball something up or an overzealous FSDO guy doesn't like the cut of my jib. That said, it's a fricking disaster since Lockheed got their paws on it. Flight plans dropping out left and right. I even had a controller ask me whether I could pick it up to .72 the other day. "Uh, plane's limited to .56, I think, sir!" (Luckily one normally totally useless number from the POH was back in my ROM). "Are you not a MU300?' "Subtract 298!" Squeaky wheels and grease come to mind.
 
killbilly said:
I'd like to think we have a good relationship. I'm nice and polite to you, and you're helpful both on the phone and the radio. You're kind, you're good about making sure I have what I need.

So, when I get a briefing from AUS to T82, and I ask about NOTAMS, I trust you to tell me stuff. And you're really good about telling me about things. I appreciate that. You've always been there for me, guys.

Which is why it boggles the mind that you didn't tell me that 17L and everything associated with it was closed at AUS tonight.

Did I do something wrong? Did I not ask you the right question? Are you jealous that I use the web sometimes instead of calling you?

Call me. Let me know you aren't mad at me. Because I just couldn't bear the thought of you being mad at me. That would suck.

Love,

Billy
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I just get the NOTAMS off of DUATS...saves me from the hassles.
 
I also avoid 1800wxbrief with a 100 foot pole, but the other night in Lewiston Maine I actually had to call them. There was a line of storms passing through the area and I needed a picture of where they were. At 1 am there's nothing open on the field so I gritted my teeth and called.

I told the briefer I wanted a description of the storms, their location, and movement relative to my route of flight. He did some typing and said "they're on your route of flight."

Pause......

He was going to leave it at that. So I asked more questions and he asked me what direction BDL (my destination) was from LEW. This confused me, since he already typed in the route and looked at the radar picture. I asked about it, and he said their system doesn't display information relative to North - it just draws a straight line and overlays the weather. Their system also doesn't include a map. Neat.

I was getting no where with this guy and was considering calling my wife, waking her up, and having her describe a radar picture to me. But finally I figured out how to get this guy do do what I needed.

After he figured out which way north was, I asked questions like "if I take off and go due west, what do you see? Okay... what about southwest, what do you see?"

Ugh - thank god for the internet I say.
 
Ian J said:
Ugh - thank god for the internet I say.
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Ian,

Do you or any of your guys have on-board Wx stuff? I think you have Strikefinders, but I'm not sure if you have anything else. Started thinking about it - seems like they'd issue you guys some XM-Wx equipment or something. Dunno.
 
Most planes have weather radars that work pretty good. It helped a lot that night.
 
Ian J said:
I also avoid 1800wxbrief with a 100 foot pole, but the other night in Lewiston Maine I actually had to call them. There was a line of storms passing through the area and I needed a picture of where they were. At 1 am there's nothing open on the field so I gritted my teeth and called.

I told the briefer I wanted a description of the storms, their location, and movement relative to my route of flight. He did some typing and said "they're on your route of flight."

Pause......

He was going to leave it at that. So I asked more questions and he asked me what direction BDL (my destination) was from LEW. This confused me, since he already typed in the route and looked at the radar picture. I asked about it, and he said their system doesn't display information relative to North - it just draws a straight line and overlays the weather. Their system also doesn't include a map. Neat.

I was getting no where with this guy and was considering calling my wife, waking her up, and having her describe a radar picture to me. But finally I figured out how to get this guy do do what I needed.

After he figured out which way north was, I asked questions like "if I take off and go due west, what do you see? Okay... what about southwest, what do you see?"

Ugh - thank god for the internet I say.
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You gotta be #####tin me...they dont have maps?? WTF
 
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