Roy Smith wrote:

"McGregor" wrote:
So... is FSS just there to a) cover your ass in case of an incident ("pilot
called FSS and got a full weather briefing prior to departing into known
icing/TFR/hurricane etc.") b) accept flight plans?

I am sure I'm going to get jumped on, but I just don't see FSS as having
a key role in flight planning. I'm like McGregor; I self-brief using
DUAT. I find this to be faster, more convenient, and more complete that
what I could get from FSS on the phone. To be fair, I should point out
that I'm on line pretty much all the time. If you have to boot up your
computer and dial up to get to DUAT, I can see how it might not be any
better than a voice briefing. I'm also pretty good at rdg mtrlogcl
gibrsh wth no vwls so I don't have any trouble understanding the
printout.

I use FSS only under rare situations. Every once in a while there's
something that I can't make sense of on DUAT (and the plain-language
translator isn't helping), so I'll call up and ask a specific question.
On (rare) occassion, I'll be near a phone but not near a computer on the
net.

On the other hand, I use FSS a lot in the air. On a long flight, with
weather that's anything but severe clear, I'll generally call up flight
watch as soon as I level out in cruise to get an update. On a really
long flight, I might do that several times during the course of the
flight.

I also use FSS for dictating flight plans to in the air. If I don't
have an IFR flight plan on file and I suspect I might need it further up
the road, I'll call up FSS and give it to them. I keep a flight plan
form laminated to my kneeboard so I can just reel off the information in
the right order to the FSS guy. NOTE: if you want to do this, you need
to use the discrete FSS frequencies. Flight watch is for weather only,
no flight plans.

Before we had DUAT(S) and all these other extensive weather resources, FSS was
pretty much it for G/A. The airlines have always used their own weather
departments or at least dispatchers for weather.

Like you say, FSS has some good value en route, sort of the poor man's equivalent
of airline company frequencies through ARINC.

The one essential role, though of the FSS, is when it is the only RCO on a
non-towered, IFR airport (example, KBIH). Center often hands you off to the FSS
for IFR ATC relay purposes well before you begin the approach. Likewise, on IFR
departure, you're with the FSS for quite a time at some of these airports.