Flight Service

RyanB

RyanB

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Ryan
Using LHM Flight Service regularly, I've always been curious as to what program they're using to gather the briefing. I've often thought it's DUATS, but the way they read it off seems much more organized than most of the reports I get from that source on my own.

The second question is where are they located? When it asks what state you're departing from I thought it connects you with a briefer familiar to your area or even from your state, but I recently had a guy on the line, that said he wasn't familiar with the area and had to dig deeper on the report to find out identifier names and locations etc.
I've searched Google for these questions but haven't been able to come up with any answers.
 
To the best of my geezer knowledge, there are three hubs...one in the DC/Virginia area, one in the middle of flyover country, and one at Prescott, AZ. That makes it more reasonable to handle operations out of a nearby state, even if the one you are directed to is in Virginia and you are in Maine or Florida. However, the system is able to switch from one hub to another if the traffic load at one of them gets excessive. I would guess that that is what happened to you. I have had some interesting and educational conversations with the briefers who respond to "Washington" when I did not want to file or check the weather but just ask questions about the system. Give them a call, tell the briefer "No flight plan, but I wonder if you would explain something to me."

This is not something that Google is good for. You want to talk to someone in the aviation community.

Bob Gardner
 
Agree with Bob, they try to get you briefer familiar with your area, but will get you a briefer from another area rather than make you wait.
Also had some excellent conversations with them, One of my favorites is to call them with a student on speaker and tell them I am showing a student how to get a briefing, They are very though and very informative, I often learn something as well.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL
 
Appreciate the replies.

I thought about asking them these questions, I just thought I better keep it professional, not knowing whether it would be appropriate or not.
 
Regarding the program they use, have you gotten a briefing from their website (1800wxbrief.com)? They have been working on making it more useful and similar in content to what the briefer is looking at.
 
The central LM FSS is in Fort Worth, TX. I can't tell you how long it has been since I've bothered to call for a briefing. We used to have to call to issue NOTAMs for the airport, but that too has since been replaced by the web. Probably last time I called FSS was to get a clearance on a ground at a small airport that had no radio reception to approach/ARTCC.
 
Ryanb said:
Appreciate the replies.

I thought about asking them these questions, I just thought I better keep it professional, not knowing whether it would be appropriate or not.
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Don't let this kind of thinking affect your flying. Professionals ask questions, too. We're all in this together, with the goal of improved safety.
 
Sam D said:
Regarding the program they use, have you gotten a briefing from their website (1800wxbrief.com)? They have been working on making it more useful and similar in content to what the briefer is looking at.
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I have not, I've always found calling to be so convenient and has been my primary source for pre-flight wx conditions, followed by a review of the synopsis online if necessary.
 
Haven't called for a briefing in years and years, well aside from having a student call them on speaker for the experience.

But personally, fltplan.com, only time I call is to cancel IFR.
 
Calling LM for a briefing and to file has gotten MUCH less painless since they took it over in '04 or '05. It's nice to talk about the weather and the forecasting products with a cup of coffee in my hand. Talking to the FSS guy while airborne makes my eyes and ears bleed.
 
I wonder if and when they will cease live briefers. In the last couple years, I've called maybe three times. The rest on FF or Aviationweather
 
The local FSS is alive and well on airfields in Alaska.

When LM took over the fss I was trying to file an IFR flight plan on the phone. All I could get was a busy signal, so I called flight service in Kotzebue, Ak. I asked if I could file an IFR flight plan with them from Gallup to Phoenix with them and get it into the system. Done and did.
 
N3368K said:
I miss the days where you could walk in the door at many airports and look the briefer in the eye and see the maps he was looking at.
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Yep. A few hundred of them in the heyday of GA.

A lot of today's pilot shops, restaurants and flight schools used to be former FSS buildings.
 
Velocity173 said:
Yep. A few hundred of them in the heyday of GA.

A lot of today's pilot shops, restaurants and flight schools used to be former FSS buildings.
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Our local FSS building became the storage space and parking lot for the local FAA tech ops folks. Partly because various antenna towers were co-located so it had equipment rooms attached.

But they appear to have used up the office space storing what I suppose are the usual ops spare parts and "stuff" and park piles of vehicles in the old parking lot now with government plates on them. They come and go.
 
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