B: RE: FSS Issues

Tue May 22 07:07:51 EDT 2007

Only FSS in AZ is in Prescott, about 90 min NW of Phoenix, location of
Embry Riddle West operations, at 5000 ft elevation. They didn't used
to know much for anything east of NM border.

On 5/21/07, Ed Livermore <elivermo at ktc.com> wrote:
> The poor fellow I had today was really struggling. He was in Phoenix, and I
> was in Texas. He had not a clue. I put him on speaker phone so my wife could
> hear it. After 10 minutes of fooling around, I thanked him and hung up. She
> and I discussed the briefing and neither of us could figure out a single
> useful thing he told us. She surmised it might have been his first day on
> the job.
>
> You know, I believe I know enough about US geography to be able to read a
> weather map and other information and describe the expected weather to
> another pilot for almost any part of the country. It seems to me that this
> could be done regardless of where the briefer is physically sitting. But
> these fellows lately don't seem to have a clue about geography.
>
> My thought above does not apply to the Washington DC ADIZ. That's a
> different place and requires more knowledge.
>
> I thought the new regime simply took over the old system and employees and
> gave them new tools with which to work. But lately, some of the briefers
> seem like they're really green.
>
> ed
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: beech-owners-bounces at beechcraft.org
> [mailto:beech-owners-bounces at beechcraft.org] On Behalf Of Larry
> Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 9:23 AM
> To: beech-owners at beechcraft.org
> Subject: Re: B: RE: FSS Issues
>
> Robert,
>
> Now, what's really sad is that the Denver briefers don't even know
> the Denver weather. So you might as well take what you get. My last
> DEN brief they guy had no clue, was a waste of time. The DEN brief
> before that, the guy said no one's flying, I'm not going to give you
> anything..... so just take your chances.
>
> I'm convinced that a lot of FSS briefers are totally incompetent.
>
> Larry Olson
> St. Pete
>
>
>
> On May 14, 2007, at 5:30 PM, Robert.Wiebener at sybase.com wrote:
>
> > I can tell you it really matters whether your call gets routed
> > local or to
> > some remote site.  I flew twice last week out of Denver (KAPA).  Twice
> > called FSS for brief, 5 minute wait first time 7 minute wait
> > second.  Was
> > in Oklahoma this morning, flew back to Denver.  had a 15 minute
> > wait.  But
> > the biggest difference wasn't the wait, it was the location of the
> > briefer.
> > I ended up talking to a guy in Michigan.  His first words were,
> > "Oklahoma?
> > I don't know anything about that area, hang on while I reset my
> > computers
> > for that area".  The reset took about 2 minutes and then I ended up
> > getting
> > as standard a standard VFR briefing as you can get.  That's all he
> > could
> > give me.  The Denver briefs were done by a guy at the Denver FSS.
> > I asked
> > if they were moving and the briefer said no, Denver was going to be
> > one of
> > the "regional" briefing centers.  So not only are we having to
> > wait, we are
> > losing the local knowledge that the local briefers used to have.
> > That's
> > sad but I believe a lot of people complained about this before the
> > privatization, to no avail.  I know I did.
> >
> > Oh, and I did get the apology recording this morning, but not
> > Saturday.
> >
> > --
> >
> > Robert H. Wiebener, Jr.
> > N35 - N61GM - KAPA (Denver)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >              "Dan Barclay"
> >              <dbarclay at pnx.com
> >>                                                          To
> >              Sent by:                  <beech-owners at beechcraft.org>
> >              beech-owners-
> > boun                                          cc
> >              ces at beechcraft.or
> >              g
> > Subject
> >                                        B: RE: FSS Issues
> >
> >              05/14/2007 11:21
> >              AM
> >
> >
> >              Please respond to
> >              beech-owners at beec
> >                 hcraft.org
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > FWIW, the first brief I got yesterday included an "apology and we
> > appreciate
> > your patience and understanding" recording by the LM chief...
> > followed by a
> > several minute wait<g>.
> >
> > That tells me the complaints are being heard.  To me that means we
> > need to
> > keep up the pressure until they restore service level.
> >
> > The "between the lines" message was that this mess will only last
> > another
> > *three months* then all will be well.  They need to get service
> > level up
> > *then* continue the changes they're trying to make.
> >
> > On the return trip I got a brief from a "real" FSS at Jackson.
> > Again, what
> > a refreshing difference.
> >
> > Dan
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: beech-owners-bounces at beechcraft.org [mailto:beech-owners-
> >> bounces at beechcraft.org] On Behalf Of Mike Caban
> >> Sent: Monday, May 14, 2007 9:13 AM
> >> To: beech-owners at beechcraft.org
> >> Subject: B: FSS Issues
> >>
> >> Interesting report re LM needing more dough added to their FSS
> >> contract!
> >>
> >> http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/865-full.html#195180
> >>
> >>
> >> Lockheed Martin Wants More FSS Money
> >>
> >>
> >> Lockheed Martin is looking for a 10-percent increase in the fees it's
> >> being
> >> paid to take over flight services. According to a report
> >> <
> > http://www.oig.dot.gov/StreamFile?file=/data/pdfdocs/
> > Final_Budget_Stateme
> >> nt
> >> _w-508.pdf>  from the Department of Transportation's Office of
> >> Inspector
> >> General, the company, which was awarded a $1.8 billion contract to
> >> assume
> >> the function, says it's owed another $177 million, mostly because
> >> the FAA
> >> didn't supply accurate labor cost information. Lockheed Martin's
> >> claims
> >> are
> >> now being assessed. Meanwhile, the DOT OIG also reported that the
> >> FAA has
> >> fined Lockheed Martin $9 million for failure to live up to service
> >> and
> >> performance guarantees. Pilots in the Washington, D.C., area have
> > recently
> >> complained that FSS changes have resulted in a sharp increase in
> >> dropped
> >> flight plans and that briefers, some of whom were in California,
> >> didn't
> >> know
> >> the procedures for operations in the Air Defense Identification Zone
> >> (ADIZ)
> >> that surrounds the capital. The OIG is now preparing a report on FSS
> >> operations that will be released later this month. Most of the OIG
> >> report
> >> delivered Thursday dealt with the FAA's funding request for 2008.
> >> The OIG
> >> noted the FAA's funding request has been tailored to fit the new
> >> user-fee-based structure being championed by the agency. The OIG
> >> doesn't
> >> pass judgment on the user-fee structure, but it does say the
> >> agency has
> >> become noticeably better at managing its money, particularly with
> >> regard
> >> to
> >> large capital projects. It says the agency seems to have curbed the
> >> runaway
> >> budgets and slipped schedules that plagued projects, but notes it has
> >> challenges ahead with the Next Generation Air Transportation
> >> System and
> >> more
> >> mundane projects like an integrated communications system.
> >>
> >> Mike
> >>
> >> N2023W
> >> 1965 B55 Baron
> >> SN: TC-971
> >> KDTO
> >> Mailto:mike at michaelcaban.com
> >> www.michaelcaban.com <http://www.michaelcaban.com/>
> >> www.semco-inc.com/aviation-pdfs
> >> http://picasaweb.google.com/michaelcaban/BeechBaronN2023W
> >>
> >> "The flight is the reason, the destination is only an excuse!"
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
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