Twenty minutes in the queue awaiting the new and improved FSS

Called Lockheed Martin FSS this AM for my flight briefing. Spent 20 minutes
in the "we are experiencing high call volume" queue waiting for a live
briefer to take my call.

When one finally did, he was servicing my upstate NY state flight from
Phoenix, Az. Nice enough briefer but so much for the local knowledge.

Wasn't there a promise by Lockheed Martin that wait times would be one minute
or less? In the four years I have been commuting by aircraft the longest I
previously waited for a Buffalo FSS briefer was five minutes.

--
Peter

"Peter R." wrote in message
...
Called Lockheed Martin FSS this AM for my flight briefing. Spent 20
minutes
in the "we are experiencing high call volume" queue waiting for a live
briefer to take my call.

Call them and complain. At least they'll take complaints.


When one finally did, he was servicing my upstate NY state flight from
Phoenix, Az. Nice enough briefer but so much for the local knowledge.

Yeah, when I was in Montrose, the nearest briefer was 90 ,iles away across a
mountain range.

We should have one in every town like when the phone operator was in every
town and she could even recommend a good restuarant.


Wasn't there a promise by Lockheed Martin that wait times would be one
minute
or less?

Yes. Was your last call the rule, or an exception.

In the four years I have been commuting by aircraft the longest I
previously waited for a Buffalo FSS briefer was five minutes.

Just wait until volume doubles and triples over the next few years - you
might have to wait that long EVERY time.

--
Matt Barrow
Performace Homes, LLC.
Colorado Springs, CO

On Apr 30, 8:48 am, "Peter R." wrote:
Called Lockheed Martin FSS this AM for my flight briefing. Spent 20 minutes
in the "we are experiencing high call volume" queue waiting for a live
briefer to take my call.

When one finally did, he was servicing my upstate NY state flight from
Phoenix, Az. Nice enough briefer but so much for the local knowledge.

Wasn't there a promise by Lockheed Martin that wait times would be one minute
or less? In the four years I have been commuting by aircraft the longest I
previously waited for a Buffalo FSS briefer was five minutes.

--
Peter

Yea, same thing happened to me. I had to call FSS to get the new
clearance delivery phone number (its an odd day I can't depart VFR),
then after getting the number, found out my clearance was lost and I
had to call FSS back to refile. Total time on the phone almost an
hour, sitting in an idle plane just trying to get a void time!!!

BTW: The "funniest" part of the situation: as soon as I took off
departure told me there were two IFRs on file for me, did I want the
original or the one I just got a void time for!!
-Robert

On Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:48:46 -0400, "Peter R."
wrote in :

Wasn't there a promise by Lockheed Martin that wait times would be one minute
or less?

Here's some information from a previous article:


-------------------------------------------------------------------
AVwebFlash Volume 12, Number 26b -- June 29, 2006
-------------------------------------------------------------------

AOPA LISTS PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS
(http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#192587)
When Lockheed took over the system, the company set its
performance standards high. AOPA this week provided details
(http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsite...60623afss.html) of
what kind of service you should be getting -- and said if you're
not getting it, you should report that via the feedback form on
the new Web portal. (After all, you paid for it.) According to
AOPA, the AFSS should answer your phone call within 20 seconds and
radio calls within 5 seconds. You must receive service from your
radio call within 15 seconds. PIREPs must be processed within 30
seconds and within 15 seconds if they are urgent. Briefers must
have knowledge of the unique weather conditions in your area.
Briefers must meet those standards whether it is a busy, clear
summer day or a slow, dreary day in winter, AOPA says.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#192587
and, BTIZ' complaint: "after 10 rings the system disconnected," it's
becoming clear how a large corporation meets its 20-second maximum
phone hold time contractual obligation; just disconnect the phone line
before 20 seconds have elapsed.

And our government is none the wiser:

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/...fices/ato/aca/
Office of Competitive Sourcing
The Office of Competitive Sourcing conducts competitive sourcing
acquisitions on those commercial activities identified by the
agency for study. Our rigorous and disciplined approach considers
all stakeholders, what services to provide, and the safety and
security of the National Airspace System (NAS).

Through innovative competitive sourcing solutions the Office of
Competitive Sourcing ensures the FAA's delivery of efficient and
effective services to end-users. The office carries out these
activities under the guidelines of OMB Circular A-76 and the FAA's
Acquisition Management System (AMS).

AFSS A-76 Competition

And If you like the way large corporations serve the public, you're
going to love privatized ATC. :-(


but if you can get on here to complain, then you can also get he
http://www.afss.com/feedback/


Thank you for the link. However, considering that it is the FSS
contractor who will see your complaint, not an organization with
oversight responsibilities like the FAA nor AOPA, it might be better
directed he

If you use FSS services, tell us about it by taking our survey on
AOPA Online:
http://surveys.aopa.org/cgi-bin/qweb...cgi?idx=SP46SS


LOCKHEED MARTIN FLIGHT SERVICE WEB SITE GOES LIVE
Are you put on hold for several minutes when you call
800/WX-BRIEF? You shouldn't be. Are you getting detailed security
and weather briefings when you call? You should be. That's part of
Lockheed Martin's promise to pilots while it is modernizing the
FSS system, which it took over from the FAA on October 4 last
year. If those promises aren't being kept, you now have a way
to report service difficulties to Lockheed Martin--through its new
Web site ( http://www.afss.com ). The site provides pilots with a
means to report any difficulties they experience with flight
service, along with updates on the progress of the modernization,
known as FS21, and information for flight planning. "From the
beginning, AOPA demanded performance standards to hold Lockheed
Martin accountable for the commitments they made to serve pilots,"
said Melissa Rudinger, AOPA vice president of regulatory affairs.
"We want to make sure the modernization is done right, and this
Web site allows pilots to report what services are and aren't
working for them." See AOPA Online
( http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsite...60623afss.html ).




NEXT FOR LOCKHEED, THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE SYSTEM?
(http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#192588)
If Lockheed Martin proves successful with the AFSS transition,
will the airspace system be next? The company recently teamed up
with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to create the "Airport
of the Future (http://erau.edu/research/erau_research_park.html),"
a technology test bed at Daytona Beach International Airport. This
"teaching airport" will demonstrate how to provide more
comprehensive data to air traffic controllers, airport operators,
security officials and airline dispatchers. "We believe that a
strong transportation infrastructure is critical to our nation's
economic well-being and our citizens' way of life," Judy Marks,
president of Lockheed Martin Transportation and Security
Solutions, said last week

(http://sev.prnewswire.com/aerospace-...3062006-1.html)
at a briefing of the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#192588

Called Lockheed Martin FSS this AM for my flight briefing. Spent 20 minutes
in the "we are experiencing high call volume" queue waiting for a live
briefer to take my call.

I've had that experience trying to close a flight plan. In the interim,
they started to look for me.

Jose
--
Get high on gasoline: fly an airplane.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

On Apr 30, 10:48 am, "Peter R." wrote:
Called Lockheed Martin FSS this AM for my flight briefing. Spent 20 minutes
in the "we are experiencing high call volume" queue waiting for a live
briefer to take my call.

When one finally did, he was servicing my upstate NY state flight from
Phoenix, Az. Nice enough briefer but so much for the local knowledge.

Wasn't there a promise by Lockheed Martin that wait times would be one minute
or less? In the four years I have been commuting by aircraft the longest I
previously waited for a Buffalo FSS briefer was five minutes.

--
Peter

At least you got to keep your shoes on. I feel your pain..JG

On 4/30/2007 12:53:16 PM, "Matt Barrow" wrote:

Yeah, when I was in Montrose, the nearest briefer was 90 ,iles away across
a mountain range.

We should have one in every town like when the phone operator was in every
town and she could even recommend a good restuarant.

With the unique weather characteristics of the Colorado Rockies, I suspect
you were probably more confident in that briefer's weather analysis for your
area than had you received one from a briefer in Florida.

Yes. Was your last call the rule, or an exception.

No idea. It was the beginning of my personal experienced trend, however, as
the previous call I made to FSS last week resulted in a five minute wait in
the queue.

Just wait until volume doubles and triples over the next few years - you
might have to wait that long EVERY time.

Even twenty minutes is too long to expect someone to routinely wait for a
briefing. If that does become the norm, I foresee the number of pilots opting
to fly without a briefing, and the related weather and airspace incidents,
increasing.


--
Peter

Peter R. writes:

Called Lockheed Martin FSS this AM for my flight briefing. Spent 20 minutes
in the "we are experiencing high call volume" queue waiting for a live
briefer to take my call.

When one finally did, he was servicing my upstate NY state flight from
Phoenix, Az. Nice enough briefer but so much for the local knowledge.

Wasn't there a promise by Lockheed Martin that wait times would be one minute
or less?

Is there any other company competing with Lockheed Martin for this business?
If not, you can toss any promises in the wastebasket. For profit-making
corporations, the ideal is to provide the worst possible quality and service
at the highest possible price. And when a corporation has a monopoly, this is
exactly what happens.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

What is a "security briefing"?

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

"Peter R." wrote in message
...

Called Lockheed Martin FSS this AM for my flight briefing.


Why? No computer access?