Briefing Dilemma

There are days (like today) where the idea is just to fly the airplane. No
specific destination, but if something looks interesting on the ground, or
if I need a Diet Coke or feel the need to unload one, I may land at any of a
dozen nearby airfields... How do you explain this to a FSS briefer? Here's
the discussion I had with the FSS this morning (more or less):

Me to the Briefer: Good Morning, I'll be flying N46KB an Experimental RV-6
today, VFR. Departing at 9:00 local, returning by 3:00 PM, Flying over
North Georgia and East Alabama. Requesting Standard Briefing...

Briefer: What is your destination and cruise altitude?

Me: I don't really have either one. I'm just going flying.

Briefer: I need an altitude so I can provide winds aloft.

Me: I don't really need winds aloft.

Briefer getting frustrated: But it only takes a second. How about 3 & 6k
ft?

Me: I don't really need the information, but go ahead.

Briefer..... Blah, blah, blah at 3 and 6..

Briefer: Also, I need your destination...

And this continued for the next five minutes....

Is there a way to escape this? What I really needed was "VFR projected over
that area all day long, No TFR's or Notams, surface winds out of the NE 10
knots. Have a nice day."

KB

Kyle Boatright wrote:

Is there a way to escape this?

Well, you could move. I don't have that problem with the NJ briefers. In
addition, there's a recording I can listen to for conditions in the area. Most
times I don't need to talk to a briefer at all.

George Patterson
He who would distinguish what is true from what is false must have an
adequate understanding of truth and falsehood.

"George Patterson" wrote in message ...


Kyle Boatright wrote:

snip
there's a recording I can listen to for conditions in the area. Most
times I don't need to talk to a briefer at all.

George Patterson
He who would distinguish what is true from what is false must have an
adequate understanding of truth and falsehood.


Well, that is probably what we will all get with the 'privatized' FSS of the near future...

"Blueskies" wrote in message
m...

"George Patterson" wrote in message
...

Kyle Boatright wrote:

snip
there's a recording I can listen to for conditions in the area. Most
times I don't need to talk to a briefer at all.


Well, that is probably what we will all get with the 'privatized' FSS of
the near future...

Well considering that most human briefers are just reading things off a
screen, I don't see what the difference really is. Personally I'm looking
forward to potentially getting better automated access to information. If
this were a choice between hiring lots of local experts versus cheap
call-center service, sure, I'd prefer option #1. That's not the choice.

To me this is a lot like the airlines' transition towards passenger
self-service. You go up to the ticket counter, swipe your credit card, and
print your own ticket. Because twenty check-in kiosks cost less than five
people, they can put up a dozen kiosks and suddenly the lines move much
faster. OK, it stinks when you have a problem and need to talk to somebody,
but that's not how it usually works. I take probably 20-30 trips a year and
maybe a half-dozen of those I need something the computer can't give me. But
I spend a lot less time waiting on line on every flight, saving me dozens of
hours per year. Would I like to be able to walk up to a counter right away
and get help from a knowledgeable and friendly agent? Yes, but then I
wouldn't be flying from Boston to LA for $400 roundtrip. Overall this is an
improvement.

-cwk.

That's why I use a travel agent. If I have a problem, I call them and
they take care of it. They have more resources and contacts than I do.
They have also taught me quite a few tricks to use at the point of
contact to get things done quickly and to my satisfaction.

Colin W Kingsbury wrote:
To me this is a lot like the airlines' transition towards passenger
self-service. You go up to the ticket counter, swipe your credit card, and
print your own ticket. Because twenty check-in kiosks cost less than five
people, they can put up a dozen kiosks and suddenly the lines move much
faster. OK, it stinks when you have a problem and need to talk to somebody,
but that's not how it usually works. I take probably 20-30 trips a year and
maybe a half-dozen of those I need something the computer can't give me. But
I spend a lot less time waiting on line on every flight, saving me dozens of
hours per year. Would I like to be able to walk up to a counter right away
and get help from a knowledgeable and friendly agent? Yes, but then I
wouldn't be flying from Boston to LA for $400 roundtrip. Overall this is an
improvement.

In article ,
"Kyle Boatright" wrote:

Is there a way to escape this? What I really needed was "VFR projected over
that area all day long, No TFR's or Notams, surface winds out of the NE 10
knots. Have a nice day."

I've said something like "I'm just going to drill a big long hole in the sky,
but with possible landings at insert list of airports"

Of course, my airplane doesn't have a lot of speed so I wouldn't cover
a lot of area anyway.

--
Bob Noel
looking for a sig the lawyers will like

when i was in training, i would report "manouvers up to 30 miles west
of my ap at 3000ft, 2 hours etc"...went fine. i suppose i could have
said "within (gas range) and returning to same ap.
by the way, can you get flight forwarding just to go vfr sighseing
generally westish? at various altitudes in uncontroled space??

dan

Is there a way to escape this? What I really needed was "VFR projected over
that area all day long, No TFR's or Notams, surface winds out of the NE 10
knots. Have a nice day."

You could ask for an abbreviated briefing, and then ask for any other
details of interest (any TFRs? Are you sure? What about temporary
flight restrictions?

As for altitude, I would just state the altitudes I'm interested in
boring holes through (3 and 6, or 3, 6, and 9). The winds aloft are
sometimes nice to know and may help pick a direction.

Jose
--
Nothing is more powerful than a commercial interest.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

I just ask for an area briefing for x mile radius from my home airport. 3k &
6k winds aloft are fine. Gimmie any TFRs, closed airports, closed runways,
etc. Of course, I can get that from DUATS, but I like a briefer telling me
about TFRs. Central IL.



"Kyle Boatright" wrote in message
...


There are days (like today) where the idea is just to fly the airplane.
No
specific destination, but if something looks interesting on the ground, or
if I need a Diet Coke or feel the need to unload one, I may land at any of
a
dozen nearby airfields... How do you explain this to a FSS briefer?
Here's
the discussion I had with the FSS this morning (more or less):

Me to the Briefer: Good Morning, I'll be flying N46KB an Experimental
RV-6
today, VFR. Departing at 9:00 local, returning by 3:00 PM, Flying over
North Georgia and East Alabama. Requesting Standard Briefing...

Briefer: What is your destination and cruise altitude?

Me: I don't really have either one. I'm just going flying.

Briefer: I need an altitude so I can provide winds aloft.

Me: I don't really need winds aloft.

Briefer getting frustrated: But it only takes a second. How about 3 &
6k
ft?

Me: I don't really need the information, but go ahead.

Briefer..... Blah, blah, blah at 3 and 6..

Briefer: Also, I need your destination...

And this continued for the next five minutes....

Is there a way to escape this? What I really needed was "VFR projected
over
that area all day long, No TFR's or Notams, surface winds out of the NE
10
knots. Have a nice day."

KB

"Steven Barnes" wrote in message
m...
I just ask for an area briefing for x mile radius from my home airport. 3k
&
6k winds aloft are fine. Gimmie any TFRs, closed airports, closed runways,
etc. Of course, I can get that from DUATS, but I like a briefer telling me
about TFRs. Central IL.

All we get after listening to the briefer for 5 minutes is "VFR not
recommended" even though visibility and ceiling are nearly unlimited.