On 20 Oct 2004 12:18:53 -0700, (John Galban)
wrote:

"C Kingsbury" wrote in message ink.net...

I wonder how they manage in Alaska. I'm sure plenty of the planes that go
into mountainsides up there received briefings that didn't say, "Don't fly
there today." Alaskans might not sue but I'm sure the families of all the
tourists who go up there are less understanding.

You touched on another sore spot I have with current AFSS system.
"VFR not recommended". After the FSS were consolidated in Arizona, I
started getting "VFR not recommended" statements quite often on
flights between Phoenix and Southern New Mexico (I average one or two
a month). On one flight, the vis was reported in excess of 20 miles
with an overcast layer 2,000 ft. above my proposed cruising altitude.
The briefer gave me a VNR. When I asked for the basis for this
recommendation, he told me that it was their policy to say VNR anytime
there was mountain obscuration, even if it would not affect the
planned flight. In my case, there was a single 10,000 ft. peak that
might be obscured, south of my route. I later talked to the
supervisor who comfirmed that this was their policy and it was in
place to cover their butts. I asked him if he'd ever heard of the boy
who cried "wolf". He didn't have an answer for that.

I haven't seen a benefit to talking to a live briefer in a long
time. The exception being the specialists in Fligh****ch. They're
still willing to offer meaningful interpretations of the local weather
situation. I wonder how long that will last.

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)

I remember very well something that my CFI told me when I was training
and was concerned about being told VFR not recommended. She told me
that if I stayed on the ground everytime they told me that, I would
never be flying. I live in the Philly area and I can tell you that
she would be right, particularly in the summer. The boy who cried
"wolf" is a good analogy for me because I just don't llisten to that
statement anymore. I'll take the information and make my own decision
based upon what I see.
Rich Russell