New FSS Policy

"N93332" wrote

Whenever I filed a flight plan (probably twice in the past 6 years?), it
was
in GMT/Zulu/Universal time and not in local time. That's when my dual
timezone watch comes in handy...

I have a watch with dual time zones that has the feature of keeping the
relative difference, between the two zones, unless you make an effort to
change just one zone. Is yours, by chance, like that?

Not to question your fault (or lack thereof), in this FUBAR. The 'guberment
(or private 'guberment) is capable of screw-ups on it's own, with no help
from you. g

Let's hope that this is the worst they do with the new system. This problem
can be quickly corrected. One quick law suit (by a lawyer who does not have
to pay a bunch to file it) for mental anguish because his/her spouse thinks
the significant other has crashed, just might do it.

Until then, pad your arrival time a bit?
--
Jim in NC

To err is human, to royally screw up is government.

So, I gotta ask, what the hell is the purpose of calling well before a plane
is due? Are they just looking for something to do? Should we all just add 20
minutes to our ETE so they calls come when we are on the ground?

This has so much potential for disaster. These poor guys trying to run an
FBO are gonna get tired of answering phone calls looking for a plane that
isn't there, then arrives ten minutes later. Like crying wolf. So somebody
is gonna say 'sure, he just landed' and hang up and blow it off. Then what
if the pilot does have trouble?

"B A R R Y" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 6 Nov 2005 00:39:35 -0600, "Montblack"
wrote:



Could a DST glitch explain it?

Let's see: 5 pm is now 4 pm.

If they (FSS) didn't "fall back" ...then you'd be an hour late every
flight.
So they're not calling 15 minutes early, but rather 45 minutes after the
clock on their wall says you should be down.

Someone missed the 10-30-05 clock memo, that's all.


Excellent point.

The other day, a Duats showed many local ASOS reports as an hour off.

Until then, pad your arrival time a bit?

.... with the effect of delaying real help when you really do need it.

Jose
--
Money: what you need when you run out of brains.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

"Morgans" wrote in message
...
I have a watch with dual time zones that has the feature of keeping the
relative difference, between the two zones, unless you make an effort to
change just one zone. Is yours, by chance, like that?

I use a cheap Timex analog/digital watch. The digital is set to GMT and
24-hour format. I only change the analog (hands) in the spring and fall to
the local time. They're available for around $20 on eBay and will last for a
few years.

Did FSS turn back Zulu time too???

"N93332" wrote

Did FSS turn back Zulu time too???

Yep, that Must be it! g
--
Jim in NC

Lakeview Bill wrote:

By this reasoning, it would be appropriate for one to just make ALL of their
landings "wheels up" because they from time to time forgot to verify that
check list item.

Over the years, I have read many statements where pilots stopped filing
flight plans because they kept forgetting to close them. IMHO, this
indicates a somewhat lackadaisical attitude. If they forget to close their
flight plan, what else are they forgetting to do?

All of my forgetting to call FSS after landing and securing the aircraft
occurred within my first 40 hours after getting my private certificate.
Any pilot who states that he or she does not make varying degrees of
mistakes during this timeframe would be lying.

I won't speak for others, but for me, the first hundred hours of so of my
flying was such a new and different experience that sometimes it took me
two days to completely process each flight I took. My shirts always had
large wet spots under the arms as I was securing the aircraft.

Regarding closing a flight plan, I personally don't walk back to my car
with a "personal paper checklist" in my hand. At the time, the paper
checklist for all phases of flight (including preflight) was left in the
rental aircraft. To make the assumption that, because I forgot to call
FSS, I must therefore forget items off the paper checklist demonstrates
your unfamiliarity with the subject. No flame intended.

However, the fact that I did forget and receive a couple of phone calls
incited me to print off two 15 inch, bright red rectangles with the words
"CLOSE FLIGHT PLAN" in bold, white letters. I then covered these two
rectangles with packing tape (for durability) and secured one to my flight
bag. The other I placed above the sun visor. When I would fly VFR with a
plan I would lower the visor in my vehicle so that the words were facing me
(obviously this only worked for the return trip).

Soon thereafter I received my instrument rating and began flying most of my
cross country trips IFR. Closing an IFR flight plan after landing at an
uncontrolled airport creates much bigger problems, but these days the
experience of flying is not so overwhelming that I forget to close it.

I have often heard that "the flight ain't over 'til the wheels are on the
ground and the prop's stopped turning." A CFI friend of mind always added
"and the flight plan is closed".

In theory, that is true. In reality, see above.

Would it perhaps be better, instead of simply abandoning a safety measure
because one forgets to properly use it, to develop the routine required to
properly use the safety measure?

Carrying a PLB, using flight following, and choosing less ominous routes
are my replacement for the VFR flight plan. If I have no choice on the
routing (flying over mountainous terrain here in the US east coast), I
always file IFR.

--
Peter























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"Peter R." wrote:

Closing an IFR flight plan after landing at an
uncontrolled airport creates much bigger problems,

Sorry, this should read, "FORGETTING to close an IFR flight plan at..."

--
Peter
























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You're first mistake. Filing a flight plan. I fly in and out of Sedona all
the time, and other areas around Arizona/New Mexico/Nevada and California.
The Gov knows too much about us VFR's already without complicating our lives
with pointless useless flight plans.

The argument that "someone will know where to look" doesn't wash.

John

"Jay Beckman" wrote in message
newsU8af.564$bo.388@fed1read01...
FSS has a new trick, calling the contact number on your flightplan at or
BEFORE your ETA...

Landed at Sedona this morning, called 800-WX-Brief to close VFR flight
plan, walked into the terminal building and the guy behind the FBO desk
says Prescott FSS just called looking for me. Huh!?!?! I filed for
0730MST departure with an ETE of 50 minutes. Opened the flight plan with
a wheels up time of 0755MST and landed at 0850MST...five minutes off
(probably because we stayed under the PHX Class Bravo longer than usual so
my buddy could see his house.)

So, I called Precott and the gentleman to whom I spoke said he had no idea
why they called looking for me so quick. Excused himself for a moment to
ask around, then came back on the line to explain that this is now their
policy and they will be calling pilots instead of waiting for pilots to
call them. They will be calling At or BEFORE your ETA (his words...)

Same thing on the return trip. Filed for an ETE of 1H05M and landed at
1H06M ... as I'm on the phone with ABQ (phone system shunted me there) my
call waiting beeps and it's Prescott calling me to check and see if I'm on
the ground.

So, welcome to the new Lockheed/Martin world order...

Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL
AZ Cloudbusters
Chandler, AZ
(Now adding 10 minutes to all ETE calculations!)

Now I find myself agreeing with Jay Honeck, what's the world coming to?


John


"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:f3caf.534634$xm3.77017@attbi_s21...
In all other cases, I rationalized that flying with flight following in
radar coverage negated the value of a VFR flight plan.

Agree 100%.

When flying in areas that have radar coverage -- and controllers who are
actually willing to provide Flight Following, which is virtually
everywhere in the Midwest outside of Chicago -- VFR flight plans are
simply not worth the bother.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Now I find myself agreeing with Jay Honeck, what's the world coming to?

You've taken your first step toward enlightenment, John.

Or was that perdition?...I forget...

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