AFSS response time

"Arnold Sten" wrote in message
news
Brad Z wrote:
We use Leesburg VA AFSS, and the hold times have been awful. They claim
staffing shortages, but ADIZ doesn't help matters.

Not too long ago I flew into an airport in one of the Virginia valleys.
Could not raise the FSS on the radio to close my flight plan (I was
"buried" in a valley) I had to call Leesburg AFSS on my phone. I waited 20
minutes to get through.

If you have Internet access (or if someone whom you can phone does), you can
close the flight plan instantly via DUATS.

--Gary

Yes, Leesburg is the one I use also. Seems like they have a problem.

By the way, where do you fly? I'm in Charlottesville.


"Brad Z" wrote in message
news:dSmcd.142188$He1.55339@attbi_s01...
We use Leesburg VA AFSS, and the hold times have been awful. They claim
staffing shortages, but ADIZ doesn't help matters.

" wrote in message
ink.net...
Has anyone else noticed that the time you're on hold to talk to a
briefer
is
getting longer and longer? I noticed this about a year ago when I still
lived in Florida and thought it was just a local problem. Now I live in
Virginia and they have the same problem here. It used to be you could
get
a
human on the phone in a minute or so. Now it is taking about 5 to 10.

Is this how the FAA is trying to kill the FSS system? They have made no
bones about wanting to reduce the coast of the FSS system.

" wrote in message
ink.net...
Yes, Leesburg is the one I use also. Seems like they have a problem.

By the way, where do you fly? I'm in Charlottesville.

Down Interstate 64 in Richmond, doing most of my flying/instructing out of
Chesterfield (FCI).

I thank Gawd I'm not flying under the ADIZ, so most of my weather & flight
plan work can be done using DUATS.

The impostion of TFR's has been a boon to the AFSS system.
Whereas in the past, pilots used to just do a DUAT's brief, the creation
of the rolling TFR has made the AFSS brief the best protection you can
get. It's recorded so you can replay exactly what you were briefed.

wrote:
Has anyone else noticed that the time you're on hold to talk to a briefer is
getting longer and longer? I noticed this about a year ago when I still
lived in Florida and thought it was just a local problem. Now I live in
Virginia and they have the same problem here. It used to be you could get a
human on the phone in a minute or so. Now it is taking about 5 to 10.

Is this how the FAA is trying to kill the FSS system? They have made no
bones about wanting to reduce the coast of the FSS system.

john smith wrote:
The impostion of TFR's has been a boon to the AFSS system.
Whereas in the past, pilots used to just do a DUAT's brief, the creation
of the rolling TFR has made the AFSS brief the best protection you can
get. It's recorded so you can replay exactly what you were briefed.


So ask for the TFR's on your DUAT's brief. That's recorded and you have
a hard copy.

On Sat, 16 Oct 2004 22:56:48 GMT, "
wrote in
. net::

Has anyone else noticed that the time you're on hold to talk to a briefer is
getting longer and longer?

I've noticed that the wait time for a briefer is directly proportional
to the severity of the local weather. On clear days, the wait for a
briefer to answer is about 10 seconds maximum. Poor weather can
increase the wait time to 5 minutes. This is with Hawthorne FSS in
the Los Angeles area.

Larry Dighera wrote in message . ..
On Sat, 16 Oct 2004 22:56:48 GMT, "
wrote in
. net::

Has anyone else noticed that the time you're on hold to talk to a briefer is
getting longer and longer?

I've noticed that the wait time for a briefer is directly proportional
to the severity of the local weather. On clear days, the wait for a
briefer to answer is about 10 seconds maximum. Poor weather can
increase the wait time to 5 minutes. This is with Hawthorne FSS in
the Los Angeles area.

There's poor weather in LA?

There's poor weather in LA?

Quite often. Never heard of the "June Gloom"? Low overcast along
the coastal shelf that usually (but not always) burns off by noon.
I've seen it solid for a week. Not just June, but much of the
year. Not Just L.A. either, but the entire west coast. Gets
worse the further North you go.

Beats thunderstorms and hurricanes, though.

Beats thunderstorms and hurricanes, though.

Not in my book.

I'll take spotty, easily circumnavigated popcorn storms (which is what we
get in the Midwest) over a solid, low overcast, any day.

Of course, I like your temperatures better, at least from now through next
April!

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"David Johnson" wrote in message
m...
There's poor weather in LA?

Quite often. Never heard of the "June Gloom"? Low overcast along
the coastal shelf that usually (but not always) burns off by noon.
I've seen it solid for a week. Not just June, but much of the
year. Not Just L.A. either, but the entire west coast. Gets
worse the further North you go.

Beats thunderstorms and hurricanes, though.

Yeah, but we don't get earthquakes, mudslides, forest fires, or riots up
here in New England, either. Though if the Red Sox manage to beat the
Yankees, all bets are off...

-cwk.