Tour of Lockheed Martin Flight Service (Ft. Worth, TX)

[AggieMike88]

I snagged an invite to be part of a tour today of the Flight Service Station out near KAFW, Alliance Airport, Ft Worth TX.

Very interesting to learn more about FSS and what they do for us, and meet a few of the briefers.

I met and spoke with a briefer who was working Flight Watch for the Houston Sector. He did a very good job showing us what is at his disposal and how he uses it to update us on the latest weather data. And my group was fortunate enough to see him in action when a flight departing Corpus Chrsti to Temple Texas called up and ask for some updated info.

It provided me with a better perspective of what they do and what I can get from them when I need updated information enroute.

Our host also shared that Lockheed Martin FSS has an improved system available via https://www.lmfsweb.afss.com/Website/ With this site, you can pull up a the same briefing data and layup that the briefer is looking at. You can also open and close flight plans. The advantage over other systems is that by looking at the same tab and image as he briefer, you are better equipped to ask questions about what you see.

A second "new" item is that the computer system can now remember a registered profile and equate that to the phone nuumber assigned to your profile. So if you use your mobile or home phone to call in for a brief, the caller ID will permit the briefer to pull up your pilot and aircraft information immediately and prefill their data blocks, this releiving you from providing this data each time you call in. If you want to take advantage of this, just call 1800-WX-BRIEF and ask he briefer to fill out the profile for you.

A shout out of thanks to our host Dale and Mike Montefusco of www.ppgs101.com for setting up this tour.

 

[TexasPilot71]

This is awesome! Just registered and performed a briefing. Great stuff. Thanks for posting!!

 

[rkdF250]

Thanks This site will make things much efficient.

 

[oldShar]

And just to think:
It was a mere few years ago
FSSs were a dime a dozen
No one needed an invite to go in and smooze with the briefers ---
matter of fact, it was expected, given that an FSS could likely be found at any airport of significant size or arterial traffic route.
Weather briefings were done in person and weather charts explained in detail (with the briefer's fingers on the problem details) ...
-- now, this is what we have become ...

 

[AggieMike88]

oldShar: Your cheese called to inform you it has been moved.

The thread was not to belabor or belittle what FSS came from, but what is there now and to remind folks it remains a useful resource and to encourage folks who, like me, weren't making full use of them to reconsider calling them on the phone or radio when the situation warrants.

 

[Velocity173]

And just to think:
It was a mere few years ago
FSSs were a dime a dozen
No one needed an invite to go in and smooze with the briefers ---
matter of fact, it was expected, given that an FSS could likely be found at any airport of significant size or arterial traffic route.
Weather briefings were done in person and weather charts explained in detail (with the briefer's fingers on the problem details) ...
-- now, this is what we have become ...

Yep. My first flight in a plane ever was with a FSS guy that worked with my Dad. Back then I would hangout at work with him and bum rides off of pilots that would come in for a brief. Times have changed.

 

[flhrci]

oldShar: Your cheese called to inform you it has been moved.

The thread was not to belabor or belittle what FSS came from, but what is there now and to remind folks it remains a useful resource and to encourage folks who, like me, weren't making full use of them to reconsider calling them on the phone or radio when the situation warrants.

Did you ever get to go to one of the old AFSS's in the past?

David

 

[Velocity173]

oldShar: Your cheese called to inform you it has been moved.

The thread was not to belabor or belittle what FSS came from, but what is there now and to remind folks it remains a useful resource and to encourage folks who, like me, weren't making full use of them to reconsider calling them on the phone or radio when the situation warrants.

I don't think his point was to criticize the current system, only to show the difference in what used to be. A face to face brief from a guy who lives in your area, or a telephone brief from a guy who doesn't even live in the same State.

 

[JGoodish]

I don't think his point was to criticize the current system, only to show the difference in what used to be. A face to face brief from a guy who lives in your area, or a telephone brief from a guy who doesn't even live in the same State.

That's fine, but no one was flying with iPads, cell phones, weather uplink, or GPS back then, either. Times change, and our environment has to change along with them. Sometimes that's for the better, sometimes for the worse, and sometimes a bit of both.


JKG

 

[MBDiagMan]

Interesting and worthwhile information. Thanks for posting Mike!

 

[Richman67]

Unfortunately the IFR clearance delivery part of the LMFS still leaves a lot to be desired.

If you call the National Clearance Delivery number, it takes about 5 minutes for the briefer to figure out who to call, then you're put on some kind of weird three way call with the ATC facility...you can hear, but you can't speak. They expect you to copy your clearance when the facility gives it to the briefer, and then they ask you "did you get that?"

I've had a few occasions where they tell you they can't give you the clearance, and that you have to call the facility directly. At least they give you the number.

I get the point of not wanting to hand out phone numbers to every ATC position, but they could at least try an auto-route calling system where you can input your departure point, and then it'd route your call automatically to the proper ATC position.

Or heck, how about via text message?

Richman