Briefing Dilemma

Kyle,

You asked for something specific, "Standard Briefing" this means that the
person providing you weather information is required to give you certain
information. To then tell the briefer, "I don't care about that", "I don't
need that" doesn't sound very professional. You didn't ask for what you
really wanted. Think of this this way:

You call the briefer and ask for a "standard briefing" then say I don't need
this and that and the other thing when he asks questions needed to give you
what you just asked for. (not professional) So he shrugs and doesn't give
you the information. You take off and fly into a mess (even on a clear
day), your wings fall off and you crash. Where do you think that the law
suits will go? You asked for a standard briefing and didn't get all of
those elements... Okay, dumb story but there is a point in there somewhere.

As others have pointed out either, (1.) ask for an area forcast and give
them a block of altitudes that you suspect that you might play in or (2) ask
for an abrieviated forcast and list the things you want to hear.

Everybody is happy.

Carl

do it online at DUATS.. get an "area briefing".. and make sure you get the
notams for the airports you just might pop into... you would not be
surprised at the number of pilots that show up at airports that have been
closed for airshows.. or do not know a runway is closed by NOTAM.. or even
know the runway numbers... very unprofessional

BT

"Kyle Boatright" wrote in message
...


There are days (like today) where the idea is just to fly the airplane.
No specific destination, but if something looks interesting on the ground,
or if I need a Diet Coke or feel the need to unload one, I may land at any
of a dozen nearby airfields... How do you explain this to a FSS briefer?
Here's the discussion I had with the FSS this morning (more or less):

Me to the Briefer: Good Morning, I'll be flying N46KB an Experimental
RV-6 today, VFR. Departing at 9:00 local, returning by 3:00 PM, Flying
over North Georgia and East Alabama. Requesting Standard Briefing...

Briefer: What is your destination and cruise altitude?

Me: I don't really have either one. I'm just going flying.

Briefer: I need an altitude so I can provide winds aloft.

Me: I don't really need winds aloft.

Briefer getting frustrated: But it only takes a second. How about 3 &
6k ft?

Me: I don't really need the information, but go ahead.

Briefer..... Blah, blah, blah at 3 and 6..

Briefer: Also, I need your destination...

And this continued for the next five minutes....

Is there a way to escape this? What I really needed was "VFR projected
over that area all day long, No TFR's or Notams, surface winds out of the
NE 10 knots. Have a nice day."

KB

On Sat, 5 Feb 2005 18:37:16 -0500, "Kyle Boatright"
wrote:

There are days (like today) where the idea is just to fly the airplane. No
specific destination, but if something looks interesting on the ground, or
if I need a Diet Coke or feel the need to unload one, I may land at any of a
dozen nearby airfields... How do you explain this to a FSS briefer? Here's
the discussion I had with the FSS this morning (more or less):

Me to the Briefer: Good Morning, I'll be flying N46KB an Experimental RV-6
today, VFR. Departing at 9:00 local, returning by 3:00 PM, Flying over
North Georgia and East Alabama. Requesting Standard Briefing...

Instead of asking for a "Standard Briefing", just ask for what you want.

"Standard Briefing" is a very specific request.


Ron (EPM) (N5843Q, Mooney M20E) (CP, ASEL, ASES, IA)

"Blueskies" wrote in message
m...

"George Patterson" wrote in message
...

Kyle Boatright wrote:

snip
there's a recording I can listen to for conditions in the area. Most
times I don't need to talk to a briefer at all.


Well, that is probably what we will all get with the 'privatized' FSS of
the near future...

Well considering that most human briefers are just reading things off a
screen, I don't see what the difference really is. Personally I'm looking
forward to potentially getting better automated access to information. If
this were a choice between hiring lots of local experts versus cheap
call-center service, sure, I'd prefer option #1. That's not the choice.

To me this is a lot like the airlines' transition towards passenger
self-service. You go up to the ticket counter, swipe your credit card, and
print your own ticket. Because twenty check-in kiosks cost less than five
people, they can put up a dozen kiosks and suddenly the lines move much
faster. OK, it stinks when you have a problem and need to talk to somebody,
but that's not how it usually works. I take probably 20-30 trips a year and
maybe a half-dozen of those I need something the computer can't give me. But
I spend a lot less time waiting on line on every flight, saving me dozens of
hours per year. Would I like to be able to walk up to a counter right away
and get help from a knowledgeable and friendly agent? Yes, but then I
wouldn't be flying from Boston to LA for $400 roundtrip. Overall this is an
improvement.

-cwk.

That's why I use a travel agent. If I have a problem, I call them and
they take care of it. They have more resources and contacts than I do.
They have also taught me quite a few tricks to use at the point of
contact to get things done quickly and to my satisfaction.

Colin W Kingsbury wrote:
To me this is a lot like the airlines' transition towards passenger
self-service. You go up to the ticket counter, swipe your credit card, and
print your own ticket. Because twenty check-in kiosks cost less than five
people, they can put up a dozen kiosks and suddenly the lines move much
faster. OK, it stinks when you have a problem and need to talk to somebody,
but that's not how it usually works. I take probably 20-30 trips a year and
maybe a half-dozen of those I need something the computer can't give me. But
I spend a lot less time waiting on line on every flight, saving me dozens of
hours per year. Would I like to be able to walk up to a counter right away
and get help from a knowledgeable and friendly agent? Yes, but then I
wouldn't be flying from Boston to LA for $400 roundtrip. Overall this is an
improvement.

Kyle Boatright wrote:
There are days (like today) where the idea is just to fly the airplane. No
specific destination, but if something looks interesting on the ground, or
if I need a Diet Coke or feel the need to unload one, I may land at any of a
dozen nearby airfields... How do you explain this to a FSS briefer? Here's
the discussion I had with the FSS this morning (more or less):

Me to the Briefer: Good Morning, I'll be flying N46KB an Experimental RV-6
today, VFR. Departing at 9:00 local, returning by 3:00 PM, Flying over
North Georgia and East Alabama. Requesting Standard Briefing...

I think this may be where you went wrong, asking for a standard briefing. Just
ask for an "abbreviated briefing", and tell him what information you want.