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#131
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"Matthew S. Whiting" wrote in message ... I was speaking relative to closing it and initiating SAR if needed. Sounds like a VFR flight plan is more automated in that sense. How are VFR flight plans automated? |
#132
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"Matthew S. Whiting" wrote in message ... I imagine a scenario where a human error (forgetfulness, which we all experience) could allow a delayed SAR initiation, whereas a reminder from the computer could prevent that. However, now that Steven mentioned the flight strip still being there, I want to hear more about how that works. There's not much more to tell. The strip is the controller's source of information on any particular flight. The actions he takes with that flight will be hand written on the strip. As long as the controller has responsibility for a flight he will have a strip on it, he discards it when the aircraft leaves his airspace or cancels. If an aircraft is cleared for an approach to an untowered field but fails to cancel, the strip will remain there. |
#133
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"Matthew S. Whiting" wrote in message ... What happens to the strip when I close my flight plan? It goes into the discard pile. What happens to it if I don't? It stays in front of the controller until he acts upon it. Just this morning I cleared an Aztec for the VOR/DME RWY 35 approach at MTW, an untowered field. About three miles outside of the FAF I told the aircraft, "report canceling IFR on this frequency, change to advisory frequency approved, I have no other targets in the Manitowoc area." I last observed his target about three miles south of the field. The RTR is located on the field and there are no pavement areas accessible by aircraft where communications presents a problem, so all the guy had to do to cancel was switch back to approach frequency, he didn't have to scramble to find a working telephone somewhere or anything like that. Ten minutes after last observing his target he still had not cancelled, so I started looking for him. But I didn't follow any of the book procedures for overdue aircraft, I just called the FBO. I identified myself and told the receptionist I was looking for an aircraft that hadn't cancelled IFR. Before I could describe the airplane to her, she said, "Is it Aztec N1234A? He's here on the ramp." [name changed to protect the forgetful] I thanked her and pitched the strip into the discard pile. Had it been after hours for the FBO I would have called the local constabulary and they would have sent a car out to see if the airplane was there. Now, how would you automate that? |
#134
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"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote:
I just called the FBO. Just out of curiosity, can you make a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) call from your radar station? Are the calls recorded? I've heard that you're not allowed to accept IFR cancellations which are relayed via other aircraft. Is this correct? If so, how can you do so based on a phone call with some desk jockey at an FBO? On a marginally related topic, my club had a talk recently about in-flight medical emergencies. Let's say you were working me and I said, "I've got a medical emergency, landing Podunk Municipal, get an ambulance to meet me there" and then disappeared from the frequency. What would you do? Do you have the resources/authority to get a medical team dispatched to Podunk? |
#135
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Matthew S. Whiting wrote: What happens to the strip when I close my flight plan? What happens to it if I don't? And just to get you more jazzed up the FAA is building us a new tower here in Billings. When we move in in a couple of years paper strips will be a thing of the past. It will all be touch screens and cursors. The whole agency is going down that path. |
#136
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Roy Smith wrote: Just out of curiosity, can you make a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) call from your radar station? Are the calls recorded? We have access to outside lines from the ETVS, which is the panel in front of the controller that controls all his communications. It is a touch screen panel. For example when I want to call the FBO on the field I simply hit the preprogrammed button labeled "Eddy" and the phone dials Edwards Jet Center on the field. All the other important numbers are thusly programmed. These lines are all recorded. We also have a regular telephone that any office would have with access to the same phone lines, just not recorded. I've heard that you're not allowed to accept IFR cancellations which are relayed via other aircraft. Is this correct? No. If so, how can you do so based on a phone call with some desk jockey at an FBO? Any call saying an aircraft has landed is good enough, recorded or not. On a marginally related topic, my club had a talk recently about in-flight medical emergencies. Let's say you were working me and I said, "I've got a medical emergency, landing Podunk Municipal, get an ambulance to meet me there" and then disappeared from the frequency. What would you do? Get an ambulance over there. Do you have the resources/authority to get a medical team dispatched to Podunk? Yep, happens frequently. We also call in a lot of forest and grass fires in the summer and early fall. I almost had to go to court because I saw a fight in the parking lot at the airport and they were trying to charge the wrong guy with assault. |
#137
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"Roy Smith" wrote in message ... Just out of curiosity, can you make a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) call from your radar station? Yup. Are the calls recorded? Yup. I've heard that you're not allowed to accept IFR cancellations which are relayed via other aircraft. Is this correct? Nope. On a marginally related topic, my club had a talk recently about in-flight medical emergencies. Let's say you were working me and I said, "I've got a medical emergency, landing Podunk Municipal, get an ambulance to meet me there" and then disappeared from the frequency. What would you do? I'd relay the request to somebody at Podunk; the tower, FBO, sherriff, etc. Do you have the resources/authority to get a medical team dispatched to Podunk? Well, anybody can call 911. |
#138
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Steven P. McNicoll wrote:
"Matthew S. Whiting" wrote in message ... Automating it would simply pop up a message after 30 minutes if the flight plan hasn't been closed via a call from the pilot after landing. So you'd create a system for the pilot to enter his cancellation directly into the computer via telephone, and if that didn't happen after 30 minutes the computer would initiate a search? No. I assume the ATC computers know which airports are non-tower. For non-tower airports, I'd require the controller or FSS specialist to close the flight plan when the pilot radios or calls in. For airports with towers, I wouldn't change a thing. Matt |
#139
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Steven P. McNicoll wrote:
"Matthew S. Whiting" wrote in message ... I was speaking relative to closing it and initiating SAR if needed. Sounds like a VFR flight plan is more automated in that sense. How are VFR flight plans automated? I thought Newps said that a VFR flight plan has a means for automatic notification of someone if it isn't closed within the tolerance. I personally don't have a clue how these are handled. Matt |
#140
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Steven P. McNicoll wrote:
"Matthew S. Whiting" wrote in message ... I imagine a scenario where a human error (forgetfulness, which we all experience) could allow a delayed SAR initiation, whereas a reminder from the computer could prevent that. However, now that Steven mentioned the flight strip still being there, I want to hear more about how that works. There's not much more to tell. The strip is the controller's source of information on any particular flight. The actions he takes with that flight will be hand written on the strip. As long as the controller has responsibility for a flight he will have a strip on it, he discards it when the aircraft leaves his airspace or cancels. If an aircraft is cleared for an approach to an untowered field but fails to cancel, the strip will remain there. What does the controller do with the strip when an airplane lands at a tower equipped airport? If he/she discards the strip manually, then that is taking an action. It isn't an action to close the flight plan, but nonetheless, it is an action taken upon completion of the flight. It wasn't clear earlier in the thread that ANYTHING was done upon completion of an IFR flight into a tower equipped airport or a non-tower airport for that matter. Matt |
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