Missing flight plans

On 8/3/06 3:57 AM, in article ,
"Michelle" wrote:


"Wizard of Draws" wrote in
message news:C0F6CE43.89355%jeffbREMOVETHIS@REMOVEALSOwiza rdofdraws.com...

Some time ago on a cross-country that took me near, not into,
Chattanooga's
airspace, I notified them where I was as a courtesy. They gave me a code
to
squawk. After I was well clear of their airspace, they told me to resume
own
navigation. Fat, dumb and happy, I squawked 1200 and went on to land at my
home base. After I hanging out a bit, the airport manager came up to me
and
chewed me out for not closing my flight plan. I guess Chattanooga opened
one
for me.

You were on a cross-country without a flight plan?

Michelle S.


Yes I was, although I'll admit I file IFR for every flight nowadays.
Why do you ask?
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino

Cartoons with a Touch of Magic�
http://www.wizardofdraws.com

More Cartoons with a Touch of Magic�
http://www.cartoonclipart.com

"Wizard of Draws" wrote in
message news:C0F80936.89C12%jeffbREMOVETHIS@REMOVEALSOwiza rdofdraws.com...
On 8/3/06 3:57 AM, in article ,
"Michelle" wrote:


"Wizard of Draws" wrote in
message
news:C0F6CE43.89355%jeffbREMOVETHIS@REMOVEALSOwiza rdofdraws.com...

Some time ago on a cross-country that took me near, not into,
Chattanooga's
airspace, I notified them where I was as a courtesy. They gave me a code
to
squawk. After I was well clear of their airspace, they told me to resume
own
navigation. Fat, dumb and happy, I squawked 1200 and went on to land at
my
home base. After I hanging out a bit, the airport manager came up to me
and
chewed me out for not closing my flight plan. I guess Chattanooga opened
one
for me.

You were on a cross-country without a flight plan?

Michelle S.


Yes I was, although I'll admit I file IFR for every flight nowadays.
Why do you ask?

Let me answer your question with another question: why do you file all the
time (why only IFR) now and not then?

As to your question, it just seems so "unprofessional" and I think
unprofessional conduct by pilots is a big part of the reason GA has such a
higher accident rate than cars, and private pilots have the highest rates
among their pilot brethren.

Michelle

Paul kgyy wrote:
Twice in 2 days I've filed VFR flight plans only to have FSS unable to
find them when I called on radio after takeoff. One was filed through
Duats at 9PM for noon next day (and left at noon). The other was filed
with a briefer at Terre Haute at 10PM for 8AM next day (and left on
time).

In both cases I had to re-file over the radio.

I remember filing a flight plan and hopping in the plane two hours
later. Ground let me sit there for fifteen minutes while they contacted
center, came back on, told me to get out and call FSS again. Repeated
the process once more before I gave up and left VFR and filed in the air
(yeah, for some reason I REALLY wanted to be IFR, can't remember why)

(this was Terre Haute as well, for those keeping track).

"Emily" wrote in message
...
Paul kgyy wrote:
Twice in 2 days I've filed VFR flight plans only to have FSS unable to
find them when I called on radio after takeoff. One was filed through
Duats at 9PM for noon next day (and left at noon). The other was filed
with a briefer at Terre Haute at 10PM for 8AM next day (and left on
time).

In both cases I had to re-file over the radio.

I remember filing a flight plan and hopping in the plane two hours
later. Ground let me sit there for fifteen minutes while they contacted
center, came back on, told me to get out and call FSS again. Repeated
the process once more before I gave up and left VFR and filed in the air
(yeah, for some reason I REALLY wanted to be IFR, can't remember why)

(this was Terre Haute as well, for those keeping track).
Never had any trouble with Terre Haute. Cleveland dropped the ball once.

There is an online method to post problems at the Lockheed Martin Web site.

I posted a problem on Monday after getting advice from this forum and today
I had a response via email from the station manager, identifying the problem
and asking me to try it again.

Time to voice that complaint. http://www.afss.com/feedback/
It seems to be working for me.

BT

"Paul kgyy" wrote in message
ups.com...
Twice in 2 days I've filed VFR flight plans only to have FSS unable to
find them when I called on radio after takeoff. One was filed through
Duats at 9PM for noon next day (and left at noon). The other was filed
with a briefer at Terre Haute at 10PM for 8AM next day (and left on
time).

In both cases I had to re-file over the radio.

Paul kgyy wrote:
Twice in 2 days I've filed VFR flight plans only to have FSS unable to
find them when I called on radio after takeoff. One was filed through
Duats at 9PM for noon next day (and left at noon). The other was filed
with a briefer at Terre Haute at 10PM for 8AM next day (and left on
time).

In both cases I had to re-file over the radio.

DUAT should be able to trace back through their logs and find out what happened.
It will help if you have the transaction number from when you filed.

A couple of ways I've had flight plans lost:
- filed with FSS, and the N-number had some digits transposed.
- filed with DUAT, and I miscalculated the zulu departure time.

Dave

Dave Butler wrote:
Paul kgyy wrote:
Twice in 2 days I've filed VFR flight plans only to have FSS unable to
find them when I called on radio after takeoff. One was filed through
Duats at 9PM for noon next day (and left at noon). The other was filed
with a briefer at Terre Haute at 10PM for 8AM next day (and left on
time).

In both cases I had to re-file over the radio.

DUAT should be able to trace back through their logs and find out what happened.
It will help if you have the transaction number from when you filed.

A couple of ways I've had flight plans lost:
- filed with FSS, and the N-number had some digits transposed.
- filed with DUAT, and I miscalculated the zulu departure time.

I've filed withi DUAT planning to use a specific club plane. then I
get to the airport and that one has a squawk so I take a different
plane. I've had good luck when that happens calling up ATC and telling
them that I'd like to open a flight plan that was filed with tail
number x but I need change the tail number to y and open it. I've done
this with VFR palns. So there is some flexibility there. Of course in
that case I knew what the "wrong" tail number was, if I had made a typo
they probably would never have found it.

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 07:12:44 -0700, xyzzy wrote:
[snip]
Of course in
that case I knew what the "wrong" tail number was, if I had made a typo
they probably would never have found it.

If you file with a contact, can't they look it up that way too?

Greg

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 07:12:44 -0700, xyzzy wrote:

I've had good luck when that happens calling up ATC and telling them that
I'd like to open a flight plan that was filed with tail number x but I
need change the tail number to y and open it.

I've had last-minute plane switches too, and it never occurred to me to do
as you've done.

Thanks for mentioning it.

- Andrew

The following is a response from the AFSS Manager in regards to my filing a
problem report online. Thanx to those that gave me the link to file the
report. I filed it on Monday, and it is resolved today, 4 days. File the
trouble report, it does work, in this instance. BT

"I would like to thank you again for your input and apologize for any
inconvenience. Your inquiry caused us to investigate the system and we did,
in fact, find a problem in a piece of equipment that should have been
putting a recording on the line that stated all briefers were busy and
please stay on the line. Instead what we had was silence that would make
pilots think they were disconnected but they really were not."

"We have corrected this error and would not have found it in a timely manner
without the effort you made in bringing it to our attention. Thank you and
if you experience any other problems please do not hesitate to call me."
Manager AFSS

BT

"Paul kgyy" wrote in message
ups.com...
Twice in 2 days I've filed VFR flight plans only to have FSS unable to
find them when I called on radio after takeoff. One was filed through
Duats at 9PM for noon next day (and left at noon). The other was filed
with a briefer at Terre Haute at 10PM for 8AM next day (and left on
time).

In both cases I had to re-file over the radio.