VFR position reporting

Mxsmanic wrote:
I'm still not clear on the exact procedure for position reports if you
are flying VFR over long distances without flight following. To whom
do you report your position, and what information should it include?
Which positions do you report and how often?


To FSS (Fligh****ch)

Uh... Andrew, you do realize that Flight Watch is a purely weather position
with no other responsibilities, right? Call FSS, yes, call Flight Watch, no.

Bob Gardner

"Andrew Sarangan" wrote in message
ups.com...

Mxsmanic wrote:
I'm still not clear on the exact procedure for position reports if you
are flying VFR over long distances without flight following. To whom
do you report your position, and what information should it include?
Which positions do you report and how often?


To FSS (Fligh****ch)

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 08:33:20 -0800, Bob Gardner wrote:

Uh... Andrew, you do realize that Flight Watch is a purely weather
position with no other responsibilities, right? Call FSS, yes, call Flight
Watch, no.

I've often wondered: why the distinction? Isn't Flight Watch the same set
of people?

- Andrew (a different Andrew)

They all work in the same building and get paid from the same pool of money,
but the last time I visited the Seattle AFSS there was one person at the
Flight Watch position whose sole responsibility it was to answer queries
about the weather on 122.0...s/he worked no other frequency. And his scope
did not have a flight plan screen, as did the other scopes in the room.

Bob Gardner

"Andrew Gideon" wrote in message
news
On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 08:33:20 -0800, Bob Gardner wrote:

Uh... Andrew, you do realize that Flight Watch is a purely weather
position with no other responsibilities, right? Call FSS, yes, call
Flight
Watch, no.

I've often wondered: why the distinction? Isn't Flight Watch the same set
of people?

- Andrew (a different Andrew)

Flight Watch is intended for weather and PIREPS, although in
an emergency, they will talk to you about the impending
crash or the other condition. But they are setup as weather
specialists.

For the real student pilots out there, position reports are
often a life saver. In areas of mountains, swamps, oceans
and deserts, even your slow trainer can get you many miles
away from your last known position in just a few minutes. A
flight plan files with a 90 minute ETE will often require a
search over several hundred square miles unless you have
either made accurate position reports, or received radar
service/flight following from ATC. Although VFR position
reports are usually given directly to FSS Radio on one of
the frequencies publish on the sectional chart or in the
AFD, you can give a VFR position report to ATC even if you
are not in radar contact, just call Center [call sign] VFR
position report. They will be able to record the report and
are happy to do so, particularly in remote areas.

Learn the format for a position report and don't waste their
time stammering. When you start IFR training, you'll be
ahead of the class.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

"Bob Gardner" wrote in message
...
| They all work in the same building and get paid from the
same pool of money,
| but the last time I visited the Seattle AFSS there was one
person at the
| Flight Watch position whose sole responsibility it was to
answer queries
| about the weather on 122.0...s/he worked no other
frequency. And his scope
| did not have a flight plan screen, as did the other scopes
in the room.
|
| Bob Gardner
|
| "Andrew Gideon" wrote in message
| news | On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 08:33:20 -0800, Bob Gardner wrote:
|
| Uh... Andrew, you do realize that Flight Watch is a
purely weather
| position with no other responsibilities, right? Call
FSS, yes, call
| Flight
| Watch, no.
|
| I've often wondered: why the distinction? Isn't Flight
Watch the same set
| of people?
|
| - Andrew (a different Andrew)
|
|
|

"Jim Macklin" writes:

Although VFR position
reports are usually given directly to FSS Radio on one of
the frequencies publish on the sectional chart or in the
AFD, you can give a VFR position report to ATC even if you
are not in radar contact, just call Center [call sign] VFR
position report. They will be able to record the report and
are happy to do so, particularly in remote areas.

This is good to know. I thought only FSS was willing to take position
reports, and that you had to request flight following with ATC in
order to have them record your position.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
"Jim Macklin" writes:

Although VFR position
reports are usually given directly to FSS Radio on one of
the frequencies publish on the sectional chart or in the
AFD, you can give a VFR position report to ATC even if you
are not in radar contact, just call Center [call sign] VFR
position report. They will be able to record the report and
are happy to do so, particularly in remote areas.

This is good to know. I thought only FSS was willing to take position
reports, and that you had to request flight following with ATC in
order to have them record your position.


It's "on the tape", that way, and in the event of an overdue aircraft, all
records along the flight path are checked for contact with the missing
aircraft. The ATC if he has time may even hit the hotline to the local FSS
and pass the information.

B

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:17:20 -0800, Bob Gardner wrote:

the last time I visited the Seattle AFSS

How does one locate a local FSS? I'd like to visit one.

--
Dallas

"Dallas" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:17:20 -0800, Bob Gardner wrote:

the last time I visited the Seattle AFSS

How does one locate a local FSS? I'd like to visit one.

--
Dallas

Start He

http://www.afss.com/

Jay B

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:17:20 -0800, Bob Gardner wrote:

They all work in the same building and get paid from the same pool of
money, but the last time I visited the Seattle AFSS there was one person
at the Flight Watch position whose sole responsibility it was to answer
queries about the weather on 122.0...s/he worked no other frequency. And
his scope did not have a flight plan screen, as did the other scopes in
the room.


That's informative to me (ie. I didn't know this {8^), but I still don't
know why the separation of the two services?

Thanks...
- Andrew