FSS Briefers... What is their problem?

CaptainMatt

CaptainMatt

Well-Known Member
I'm relatively new to flying and had to call upon FSS briefers on numerous occasions. Almost everytime I have dialed up that magic number (1800-wx-brief), I have been met by attitudes, rudeness, and a general dislike for life! It seems like these briefers hate their jobs or something. I don't mind that they do, but atleast hide your dissatisfaction for it. I understand that they have procedures they have to follow and that they have to say the same info over and over again countless times a day, but come on.

How I see it, Pilots safety is heavily in the hands of briefers. My first time calling an FSS briefer to get a weather brief, I was lectured for over 5 minutes why Notams are included in a Standard Briefing. Before making the call I was told to ask for a standard briefing and notams by my CFI. I also recall reading in numerous FAA publications that I should ask for a Standard briefing and also Notams, since a standard briefing doesn't neccesarily include notams. According to this briefer they do, oh well, It was a "nice" intro to the FAA! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

This whole subject of FSS employees has facisnated me. Are FSS briefers Air Traffic Controllers too but got the fun job of answering phone calls? Are they Meteorologists? or do they just read info? Why does it seem that Briefers feel that you are wasting their time when you don't file a flight plan?

I've also wondered why when you call up an FSS on the radio is takes minutes for them to respond. How does their system work?
 
[ QUOTE ]
I've also wondered why when you call up an FSS on the radio is takes minutes for them to respond. How does their system work?

[/ QUOTE ]

Because they are the same people that you talk to on the phone, they might be busy, give 'em a break, they're not all jerks.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I've also wondered why when you call up an FSS on the radio is takes minutes for them to respond. How does their system work?

[/ QUOTE ]

Because they are the same people that you talk to on the phone, they might be busy, give 'em a break, they're not all jerks.

[/ QUOTE ]

I wasn't implying that they are all jerks, and I was more asking how their radio system works.... Like does it have some kind of relay or something...

Maybe you didn't read my post, I understand that they are busy and have to do a lot of things.
 
Odd. I was just commenting to my wife the other day when I was planning my trip to Memphis that every FSS briefer I talked to was super nice. Weather was kinda crappy through the panhandle (what else is new), so I was calling to get almost half-hourly updates. Had a couple even joke with me about the fact that I was gonna have a headwind the whole way up there.

Now, I have had a few times where I slammed the phone down wondering who p1ssed in the briefer's Cheerios that morning.
 
I think maybe its a Hawthorne FSS thing.. They prolly have to deal with traffic to get to work and then that have to take thousands of calls a day of stupid student pilots like me that know nothing.
 
They're all different. Some of them want me to follow a specific sequence of information and some just tell me to go ahead with whatever. Most of them are nice but I have talked to a few anal ones. Maybe telling them you're a student pilot will make them a little more forgiving. I believe they are meteorologists, as they do look at radar images and analyze them for you, I could be wrong though. All and all I'm just thankful they're sitting there 24/7 as a free service.

jordan
 
[ QUOTE ]
Maybe telling them you're a student pilot will make them a little more forgiving

[/ QUOTE ]

yea I always say student pilot they seem to treat you a little more kindly. All in all I've never had any rude FSS people but then again I've only called them maybe 15 or so times.

Ryan
 
I always make sure to say "ok, listen up stupid.. im going to read this one time...and im going to speak slowly, because i know you think slowly."

It really seems to make them treat you with the utmost care and respect.
 
From the times I have used FSS, most of the time they have been very nice and helpful. However, I have heard from several people about the local FSS(Hawthorne)becoming not so nice. Some say its because they are under alot of stress with the change to the Air Traffic Org. But if you are polite that helps alot too.
 
FSS is not ATC, they are two different career tracks. It used to be that controllers who just could do the job could go into FSS, but they had to retrain at FSS school. FSS school was a lot more weather intensive than ATC school. Also, FSS guys don't make the money ATC does.

Personally, I've had enough bad experiences with FSS guys being a pain in the neck that I just don't talk to them anymore. You can find what you need to know via the internet and not bother with FSS.
 
[ QUOTE ]
FSS is not ATC, they are two different career tracks. It used to be that controllers who just could do the job could go into FSS, but they had to retrain at FSS school. FSS school was a lot more weather intensive than ATC school. Also, FSS guys don't make the money ATC does.

Personally, I've had enough bad experiences with FSS guys being a pain in the neck that I just don't talk to them anymore. You can find what you need to know via the internet and not bother with FSS.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do they come from the same hiring pool? Like the CTI grads?
 
I only call FSS on the radio to open a flight plan, I prefer to read about the weather and look at a bunch of radar displays online like at weather channel website, noah, local news site, and then read notams on duats.

Sometimes I talk to them if the weather is doing something different than what I read or what I "thought" I read. Or if the internet server I use is down.

Tom
 
Well...I can't say for sure since the CTI program didn't exist when I went to the academy and worked for the FAA. I'd guess CTI is a controller thing. With all the consolidation with the FSS's over the years....they prolly don't have a problem filling the slots as they come available.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Personally, I've had enough bad experiences with FSS guys being a pain in the neck that I just don't talk to them anymore. You can find what you need to know via the internet and not bother with FSS.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was under the impression that the briefings are recorded. In the current atmosphere I like to call just so there is a tape of me asking "are there any TFRs" on my route.
 
I know that the guys at Leesburg are sick of us VFR pilots filing ADIZ plans. Sometimes, they joke with me on a nice VFR day, yeah, I kind of figured you were filing a VFR ADIZ plan. I tell them, give me some time, I'll file IFR for you soon, and they laugh and help me out.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Personally, I've had enough bad experiences with FSS guys being a pain in the neck that I just don't talk to them anymore. You can find what you need to know via the internet and not bother with FSS.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was under the impression that the briefings are recorded. In the current atmosphere I like to call just so there is a tape of me asking "are there any TFRs" on my route.

[/ QUOTE ]

DUATS sessions are recorded as well...
 
Just recently I had to deal with a jerk at FSS . . . up until then everyone I had spoken with was professional, sometimes fun to talk with.

I flew down from MRB where I got a weather briefing and filed with Elkins FSS to HEF. I land in Manasses, and as I'm leaving the airport I remembered I filed a Search n Rescue Flt Plan as well as the ADIZ (I usually just file ADIZ when dest is in ADIZ) . . .

. . . anyhow, I have my cell phone with me which has a DE area code, so 1800WXBRIEF dials up Millville FSS in NJ. I have looked in the A/FD and for the FSS stations it just lists the 1800WXBRIEF, no separate numbers for the different stations . . .

. . . anyways, I tell the guy I would like to close my flt plan, the tail number, and told him where I was, where I filed, and how I dialed him up before he looked and didn't see my flt plan . . .

then proceeded to get lectured on how I shouldn't be calling him, it's not just as simple as calling him to close it, that he has to send out a message, and so forth.

Very unprofessional about it.
 
I barely remember any jerk FSS folks...I really just don't care enough. I file my flightplan, get some weather, and get off the phone. I'm not looking for cheery people, just service. That said, there was one particularly cool briefer that stands out in my mind...

I was in GUP (Gallup, NM) getting ready to file VFR back to PRC. I called up FSS, told him I'd like to file VFR, and he responds with "VFR eh? Veeeeery suspicious..." and ends with a chuckle. Nice to see one of these guys with a sense of humor, especially in this security climate. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
I always make sure to say "ok, listen up stupid.. im going to read this one time...and im going to speak slowly, because i know you think slowly."

It really seems to make them treat you with the utmost care and respect.

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL I bet this gets a great response!

If one starts giving me an attitude I usually apologize, like this: "I'm sorry sir, did I say something wrong?" They usually turn very polite after that. I've got to know some of them by voice and many of them recognize my name. One is St. Pete always asks how my "Cousin Tommy Tenney" is doing. Tommy is no relation, but he is a well known Christian author (although he's a bit charismatic for my tastes.)

Treat them nicely and they usually return the favor.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top