In article t,
"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote:

"Roy Smith" wrote in message
...

The way the system should work, is he types in your callsign and hits
the "cancel IFR" button. Should work from any terminal anywhere in the
world. But, I guess given that we're all flying airplanes with 1950's
technology, it's only fair that FSS is using 1950's technology too.


That would appear to give a lot of people the ability to cancel an IFR
flight plan. Is that a good idea?



A lot of people have the ability to cancel an IFR flight plan right now.
All I need do is call an FSS on the phone and say, "This is N12345, on
the ground at XYZ, cancel IFR" and nobody asks me to prove that I am who
I say I am. For that matter, I can stand on the ramp with a handheld
and pull the same stunt via radio.

But, in any case, I was talking about a terminal connected to the ATC
system. There is just no good reason (other than continued use of
archaic technology) why a FSS guy in Bridgeport shouldn't be able to
close an IFR flight plan for somebody who just landed at a field in
Texas and is calling in on his Connecticut-based cellphone.