Standard Weather Briefing efficiency

On 21 May 2005 14:08:11 -0700, "Ben Hallert"
wrote:

It's not a big deal, but I like hitting them with the standard format
and getting my briefing, and at the same time, I don't want to be rude.


Is there some better way I can ask for the briefing that'll let me do
it the way I used to without sounding like a prick?

Good morning, Ben.

If I'm going to file a flight plan with the briefer, in my
introduction I'll say something like...

"This is N12345 at Podunk International, I have a flight plan for you
and then I'd like a standard briefing, please."

If I'm not going to file a flight plan, or if I filed it on DUATS,
I'll say something like...

"This is N12345 at Podunk International, VFR from Podunk to East
Nowhere at 7500 feet, departing 1600 Zulu, request a standard briefing
please."

Either of those seems to work well wherever I tried it.

CJ

So if I start my call with the info straight out, they should be ready?
I'll try that too.

On 22 May 2005 07:58:00 -0700, "Ben Hallert"
wrote:

So if I start my call with the info straight out, they should be ready?

Yes, they really should. They know they're going to have to write
something down 99.9 percent of the time, so they really should have
pen in hand when they answer the line.

So, I tried it today. I called up, then asked for a standard briefing
and started giving the briefer the spiel. The guy actually interrupts
me a couple sentences in and asks incredulously if I'm getting a
briefing or filing a flight plan. When I tell him it's a briefing, he
takes a firm grasp of the call and converts it back to the
question/answer format.

Well, I'll try the great experiment again next time. These McMinnville
FSS guys seem, based on my super limited sample size, pretty committed
to that format.