Flight service

WannFly

WannFly

Final Approach
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Priyo
to my knowledge flight service / flight watch is gone..rt? if so, why does ATIS say "contact flight service/ HIWAS for ..." ... no one updated the messege?
 
While HIWAS and independent flight watch is indeed gone, Flight Service (FSS) is still around as far as I know - although I’ve never contacted them. Usually flight service is on 122.2. FSS picked up the flight watch services, which used to be on 122.0
 
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I believe enroute advisories are still active, which was colloquially called “Flight Watch” and answered by the 1800wxbrief call center... so... Flight Watch is still *** kinda *** okay to say, but Flight Service is long gone.
 
denverpilot said:
I believe enroute advisories are still active, which was colloquially called “Flight Watch” and answered by the 1800wxbrief call center... so... Flight Watch is still *** kinda *** okay to say, but Flight Service is long gone.
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Disregard. It’s dead. LOL.
 
denverpilot said:
And I even had it backward. Argggghhh.

I’m going to go make lunch now. LOL
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Do you mean dinner? o_O

Flight Watch on 122.0 went away a couple years ago. HIWAS went away in January of this year. Flight Service is still a thing. VOR boxes still have voice frequencies listed, like 122.5 at ISN. I don’t know if the 122.2 general catch-all FSS frequency is still active or not. The Flight Watch services are provided by the normal FSS frequencies, so I think you can get the same stuff just not from dedicated people on a dedicated frequency.

I haven’t flown enough cross-country this year so I haven’t noticed if any ATIS or other broadcasts still mention Flight Watch and/or HIWAS. It wouldn’t surprise me if it happens, though. We still can’t all decide if the A/FD ceased to exist, got moved into the Chart Supplement, became the Chart Supplement, inverted roles with the Chart Supplement, or simply continued on unchanged except in our minds.
 
I havent dialed 122.2 in a long time, will give it a shot and see what i get
 
denverpilot said:
“Contact your local iPad for further details” isn’t gonna work. LOL.
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Considering that the rationale for ditching HIWAS was availability of ADS-B weather, I don’t see why that wouldn’t work.
 
WannFly said:
I havent dialed 122.2 in a long time, will give it a shot and see what i get
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I haven't talked to radio since getting first the 496 with XM weather and then Foreflight on the iPad. While calling ATC and being on flight following is still a very useful service, to me calling radio in this day and age is pretty much useless.
 
iamtheari said:
Considering that the rationale for ditching HIWAS was availability of ADS-B weather, I don’t see why that wouldn’t work.
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In one (well engineered) system, the device used to hear that transmission is the same device one can use to reach the other information.

In the (no longer a cohesively engineered system) other one, the assumption one has ADS-B IN is flatly incorrect.

But whatever. I gave up pointing out it was a cohesive system clear back at the removal of most transition routes to approaches long long ago.

FAA is more into “Choose Your Own Adventure” stories these days. :)
 
WannFly said:
I havent dialed 122.2 in a long time, will give it a shot and see what i get
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While all FSS’s guard 122.2, they all have discrete frequencies, 122.##. It’s best to use that frequency. At Fargo it’s Grand Forks Radio and the frequency is 122.4.
 
Isn’t FSS where you sometimes call out on one frequency , can listen only on another one?
 
WDD said:
Isn’t FSS where you sometimes call out on one frequency , can listen only on another one?
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There are VORs and other navaids that work that way. You talk on one frequency and then listen to the navaid’s voice channel for the response. But that’s not the only way to talk to FSS. I’ve never done it, since our VORs all had HIWAS on the voice channel and two-way contact on the comm frequencies.

But, now that I’ve said that, I realized that with HIWAS gone I should be able to talk to FSS by listening on a local VOR. I’ll have to remember to try that sometime.
 
iamtheari said:
But, now that I’ve said that, I realized that with HIWAS gone I should be able to talk to FSS by listening on a local VOR. I’ll have to remember to try that sometime.
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The number of voice-capable VORs seems to have decreased significantly over the years. Had to search for a bit to find one.

If the freq listed on the sectional for the VOR is underlined, it is not a voice-capable VOR. With this one you talk and listen to "Columbus Radio" on 122.3.

Screenshot_20201119-205822_Pilot.jpg

Here is an example of one that is capable. You transmit to "Huron Radio" on 122.1 and listen through the VOR on 113.0.

Screenshot_20201119-205025_Pilot.jpg
 
Darn, you’re right. I just checked a few that used to have HIWAS and they removed the H but not the underline on the frequency.
 
I would be remiss to not point out that on my second example there is a second freq available (122.4) that you might be able to use (depending on your altitude) to talk and listen to Huron Radio.
 
For those unfamiliar, using a VOR to talk to FSS is actually pretty easy. Just dial up their receive freq on your Com radio and their transmit freq (the VOR) on your Nav radio.

Pro Tip: Make sure you remember to select the Nav radio on your com panel and test the volume before you try using it to communicate.

When you call them, tell them which freq you are transmitting on and which freq you are listening on.. Using the example I posted above, the initial contact would go like this:

"Huron Radio, Cessna 12345, transmitting on 122.1, listening to Aberdeen VOR on 113.0"

Regardless of how you are communicating with FSS, it is considered proper form to tell them which freq(s) you are using on your inital call because one specialist can be covering several different freqs for a single area.
 
I rarely use flight service but on my last long XC used their services to cancel a VFR flight plan while still 20 nm or so out. The controller asked about conditions over my route of flight and my current location and planned route to destination. I appreciated the help. That was in August.
 
Transmit on one freq on com, listen using the the nav radio on a different freq, if a vor isn’t underlined....

I’m not surprised I haven’t used FSS and I probably never will.
 
WDD said:
Transmit on one freq on com, listen using the the nav radio on a different freq, if a vor isn’t underlined....

I’m not surprised I haven’t used FSS and I probably never will.
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Too confusing? o_O
 
smv said:
Too confusing? o_O
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Juice not worth the squeeze. If I’m on x country I’m using flight following anyway, so not sure what I’d get from FSS.

If I’m missing something lmk - I do learn a lot from this place.
 
WDD said:
Juice not worth the squeeze. If I’m on x country I’m using flight following anyway, so not sure what I’d get from FSS.

If I’m missing something lmk - I do learn a lot from this place.
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Destination and en route weather to help you make decisions about continuing or diverting.

"What is the forecast at Wichita this afternoon? I'm about 2 hours out."

"It looks like I'm about to fly over a cloud layer here at Topeka. I'm VFR over the top for now but I don't want to get stuck on top. What is the cloud situation at Kansas City?"

Also, if you need to file an IFR flight plan in the air and ATC is too busy, they'll tell you to contact FSS to file the plan and then get back with them to pick up your clearance. I've had that happen a time or two.
 
:yeahthat:

ATC ≠ FSS & FSS ≠ ATC

Whereas they may share some functions, their purposes are entirely different. With the advent of the "Connected Cockpit" the utility of FSS may seem to have diminished over the years, but they still have their purpose and are (typically) there when you need them, even if you do have to listen to a VOR to communicate.
 
Understand FSS not same as ATC, but with traffic and weather on the IPad FSS is perhaps as you say diminished a bit.

And ATC has been helpful with shout outs on weather, MOAs and what not.

But I’ll now keep FSS in back of my kind as another resource to use.
 
I had to call FSS from the air about a month ago. Forgot to close a VFR flight plan filed via ForeFlight when I ended up doing a touch and go instead of a full stop landing. No cell signal in the mountains where I was so I couldn’t close via ForeFlight. Thankfully it was pretty easy since there was an RCO in the area.
 
snglecoil said:
I had to call FSS from the air about a month ago. Forgot to close a VFR flight plan filed via ForeFlight when I ended up doing a touch and go instead of a full stop landing. No cell signal in the mountains where I was so I couldn’t close via ForeFlight. Thankfully it was pretty easy since there was an RCO in the area.
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I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard I’d someone filing a VFR flight plan other than training or a requirement.
 
What can I say. I’m a belt and suspenders type of guy. I was flying into an area that I tend to get dropped from flight following...and I had my daughter with me.
 
Salty said:
I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard I’d someone filing a VFR flight plan other than training or a requirement.
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There are many charitable orgs, clubs, schools, etc... who require it. If you fly for them or in their aircraft, it’s not optional.

Most have a nautical mile from base limit where it kicks in.
 
Never heard of that - learn something new every day. And yes- i almost filed a flight plan during training. But in the air the FSS never answered - so I couldn’t activate it.
 
Over the next few years you are going to see FSS as you have known it disappear. Today you can get a weather briefing on Alexa. IFR clearances are now issued direct from ATC. VFR flight plans can be opened and closed via IPhone. In flight weather is available via FIS-B in the cockpit via a Stratus or Transponder. RCOs and VORs are being decommissioned. You will soon see telephone briefing, if available, requiring a credit card.
 
[QUOTE="Clip4, post: 3007465, member: Today you can get a weather briefing on Alexa. [/QUOTE]

LOL. Can you video doing that for a long XC and putting the entire route in via voice? I need a good laugh.

“Alexa, what’s the weather outside?”

“Hmm, I’ve found a recipe for mango chutney, would you like me to read it?”
 
denverpilot said:
LOL. Can you video doing that for a long XC and putting the entire route in via voice? I need a good laugh.

“Alexa, what’s the weather outside?”

“Hmm, I’ve found a recipe for mango chutney, would you like me to read it?”
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Slightly off topic...but Alexa is why I am not invited to anyone’s house anymore. I was visiting friends and they started showing off their Alexa device. Alexa, what was the temperature today? Alexa, tell me a joke. Etc.

Finally, a moment of silence, so I said, “Alexa, order 1,000 cases of Spam.”

The spinning blue light on top lasted a lifetime while the device tried to process the order. Meanwhile, my friends looked like they would surely stab me if the order went through. Thankfully, the response finally came back that Alexa can only order a dozen of something.
 
iamtheari said:
Slightly off topic...but Alexa is why I am not invited to anyone’s house anymore. I was visiting friends and they started showing off their Alexa device. Alexa, what was the temperature today? Alexa, tell me a joke. Etc.

Finally, a moment of silence, so I said, “Alexa, order 1,000 cases of Spam.”

The spinning blue light on top lasted a lifetime while the device tried to process the order. Meanwhile, my friends looked like they would surely stab me if the order went through. Thankfully, the response finally came back that Alexa can only order a dozen of something.
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LOL. Everyone should turn off ordering or turn on the ordering PIN. The worst you could do here would be to add crap to my cart. :)

I turned all that off early on. She’s mostly just a whole house streaming audio system.
 
Listening over the VOR, while transmitting on 122.1, is a left-over from way back. Back when installing an additional transceiver at a VOR was expensive and when many airplanes had a fixed number of frequencies on which they could transmit. The transmitters would support a small number of frequencies and you'd buy the crystals for the frequencies you wanted. One would be 122.1.
 
ok so last Saturday during a XC, i contacted FSS. had to try a few frequencies before one would answer, but they are there. i provided few pireps, they advised me of airmet and asked if i needed notams at my destination, opened flight plan in the air, adjusted ETA and then closed it when i was talking to fargo approach. it was nice to talk to someone other MSP center.

"Show nearest FSS page" in GTN voice command is very handy
 
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