A sad day for aviators...

[john smith[_2_]]

Closing of Dayton AFSS
Notice Number: NOTC0843

To the Aviation Community, Effective May 7, 2007 Lockheed Martin Dayton
Automated Flight Service will be closing its doors. All functions
performed in the past by the Dayton personnel will be transferred to the
Washington Hub (DCA). Pilots will continue to call 1-800-WX-BRIEF for a
preflight weather briefing.

While in flight pilots will continue to call the responsible Flight
Service Station for their respective location as noted on their
sectionals or other charts, these will not change. The pilot will
continue to call Dayton Radio while in our area but the In-flight call
will be answered by a Dayton area rated specialist located in Leesburg
Virginia.

The number to reach the Terminal Information Broadcast System (TIBS)
will be 1 877 4 TIBS WX (1-877-484-2799) Authorized users will need to
call 1 877 4 US NTMS (1-877-487-6867) when issuing or canceling NOTAM's.

There is a great deal of information on our website at http://afss.com.
It has been a pleasure serving you from Dayton and we look forward to
providing service from the DCA HUB or one of our 18 other sites.

If we can help with questions you may have concerning our transition or
other issues please contact one of following.
Operations - 937-454-4637
Donna Crigler- 937-454-4630
Kevin George- 937-454-4611

Sincerely, Kevin George Dayton AFSS Operations Manager

[Jim Burns[_2_]]

Today I received a similar notice about the Green Bay FSS.
Jim

[Peter R.]

On 4/13/2007 6:04:01 PM, "Jim Burns" wrote:

> Today I received a similar notice about the Green Bay FSS.

Yep, we just lost Buffalo up in the Northeast US two weeks ago or so.

Now those of us looking for helpful insight about Great Lake-enhanced weather
get to talk to a briefer in Virginia, rather than those who actually lived
under it for the last twenty to thirty years.

--
Peter

[john smith[_2_]]

In article >,
"Peter R." > wrote:

> Now those of us looking for helpful insight about Great Lake-enhanced weather
> get to talk to a briefer in Virginia, rather than those who actually lived
> under it for the last twenty to thirty years.

That's going to be real interesting.
Try getting local knowledge out of the appropriately "rated" briefer
should be amusing.
For those of us who have been flying in the North Coast and are familiar
with the local variations, do we get to ask for a real briefer when we
are given bad information?

[Jim Burns[_2_]]

Is Lansing, MI on the chopping block also? When GRB is down we usually get
transferred to Lansing.
Jim

"Peter R." > wrote in message
...
> On 4/13/2007 6:04:01 PM, "Jim Burns" wrote:
>
> > Today I received a similar notice about the Green Bay FSS.
>
> Yep, we just lost Buffalo up in the Northeast US two weeks ago or so.
>
> Now those of us looking for helpful insight about Great Lake-enhanced
weather
> get to talk to a briefer in Virginia, rather than those who actually lived
> under it for the last twenty to thirty years.
>
> --
> Peter

[john smith[_2_]]

In article >,
"Jim Burns" > wrote:

> Is Lansing, MI on the chopping block also? When GRB is down we usually get
> transferred to Lansing.
> Jim

Calls to Dayton were being forwarded to Lansing, as well.
I was surprised to hear we would be handled by DC.
That should prove real interesting trying to get a briefing first thing
in the morning during a weekday.
I hope AOPA's complaint line is still working.

[Viperdoc[_3_]]

I just called GRB FSS- many of the briefers will be going to Leesburg or
Dallas, and some will be retiring. Even though GRB has new equipment, most
of their calls will now go to Leesburg.

Now, if we say Timmerman or Waukesha, they will have no idea what we're
talking about.

It is indeed a sad day. I wished all of them luck in their new endeavors.

[Larry Dighera]

On Fri, 13 Apr 2007 18:15:34 -0400, "Peter R." >
wrote in >:

>On 4/13/2007 6:04:01 PM, "Jim Burns" wrote:
>
>> Today I received a similar notice about the Green Bay FSS.
>
>Yep, we just lost Buffalo up in the Northeast US two weeks ago or so.
>
>Now those of us looking for helpful insight about Great Lake-enhanced weather
>get to talk to a briefer in Virginia, rather than those who actually lived
>under it for the last twenty to thirty years.

Hey, a corporation is expected to make a profit for its shareholders;
quality service is secondary to revenue, especially when there is no
competition. :-(

I wonder if the LocMart FSS system is bound by the Freedom Of
Information Act? Or is federal transparency also rapidly becoming a
thing of the past under the Bush regime?

[Bob Noel]

In article >,
Larry Dighera > wrote:

> I wonder if the LocMart FSS system is bound by the Freedom Of
> Information Act?

it's my understanding that the FIOA applies to the federal government.

--
Bob Noel
(goodness, please trim replies!!!)

[Jay Honeck]

> It is indeed a sad day. I wished all of them luck in their new endeavors.

Sad, but inevitable, in an era when we can get up-to-the-minute
computerized weather, in an easy-to-interpret graphic format, both at
home and in-flight.

When I get FSS briefings now, I almost always have ADDs open on my
computer screen, and I am usually able to glean more information from
my screen than from the briefer's voice. I sometimes ask questions
about a specific thing I'm seeing on radar, or in a METAR, that the
briefer obviously hadn't noticed, or couldn't see.

They used to joke that I had better equipment than they did; now
they're gone. This is not a coincidence.

Consolidating the FSS was as inevitable as the loss of paperboys and
ice men. Times and technology have passed them by. Twas ever thus.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Matt Barrow[_4_]]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>> It is indeed a sad day. I wished all of them luck in their new endeavors.
>
> Sad, but inevitable, in an era when we can get up-to-the-minute
> computerized weather, in an easy-to-interpret graphic format, both at
> home and in-flight.
>
> When I get FSS briefings now, I almost always have ADDs open on my
> computer screen, and I am usually able to glean more information from
> my screen than from the briefer's voice. I sometimes ask questions
> about a specific thing I'm seeing on radar, or in a METAR, that the
> briefer obviously hadn't noticed, or couldn't see.
>
> They used to joke that I had better equipment than they did; now
> they're gone. This is not a coincidence.
>
> Consolidating the FSS was as inevitable as the loss of paperboys and
> ice men. Times and technology have passed them by. Twas ever thus.

I miss telehone operators.

[[email protected]]

> I miss telehone operators.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

You mean that you miss the ones with the sexy voices... right?

[Ridge]

Even Leesburg won't be in Leesburg.

I found out today they are leaving the airport and moving down the road
about 10 miles - to a non-airport location. We're going to miss them.


"Viperdoc" > wrote in message
et...
>I just called GRB FSS- many of the briefers will be going to Leesburg or
>Dallas, and some will be retiring. Even though GRB has new equipment, most
>of their calls will now go to Leesburg.
>
> Now, if we say Timmerman or Waukesha, they will have no idea what we're
> talking about.
>
> It is indeed a sad day. I wished all of them luck in their new endeavors.
>
>
>

[Erik]

Ridge wrote:
> Even Leesburg won't be in Leesburg.
>
> I found out today they are leaving the airport and moving down the road
> about 10 miles - to a non-airport location. We're going to miss them.

They're shutting down the McMinnville, OR FSS, too. We used to be
able to call and talk to someone that can look out a window to see
what the conditions were and talk to them about small regional
airports. Now we're talking to someone sitting in an office in
Seattle, WA that needs airport codes because they aren't local :(

[Larry Dighera]

On Fri, 13 Apr 2007 18:00:05 -0400, john smith >
wrote in >:

>To the Aviation Community, Effective May 7, 2007 Lockheed Martin Dayton
>Automated Flight Service will be closing its doors.

Given FAA's FSS "modernization" contract with LocMart is predicated on
a savings to our government of $1.7-billion over ten years, if I
recall correctly, it is inevitable that FSSs will be closed.

It's all about money, not service. Perhaps they should be renamed
FRSs for Flight Revenue Stations. :-(

This was all reported last year, and AOPA supported consolidating 58
flight service stations into 20 facilities:
http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2006/060515audit.html