Twenty minutes in the queue awaiting the new and improved FSS

Justin Gombos wrote:
On 2007-05-13, Don Poitras wrote:

My first experience trying to get a clearance on the ground via
Lockheed today. ... Tried the GCO, but no one answered. Plane behind
me on taxiway is asking whether I'm trying GCO. "Yeah, but they're
not answering.

I had the same issue.. tried to get ahold of Kankakee in the Chicago
area around 2am, and go no answer after making multiple attempts on
all the frequencies in the area. It's a little unnerving to fly VFR
at night w/out flight following. Is Lockheed now in charge of all
FSS's?

Here's the transition schedule:
http://www.afss.com/transition/

AOPA was originally very happy about all this:

"And all of these enhanced services are being provided without user
fees - AOPA made sure of that," Boyer said. "It is estimated that
Lockheed's 10-year contract will actually save the government about
$2.2 billion."

Subtract .18 billion from that savings:

Lockheed Martin is looking for a 10-percent increase in the fees it's
being paid to take over flight services. According to a report from the
Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General, the
company, which was awarded a $1.8 billion contract to assume the
function, says it's owed another $177 million, mostly because the FAA
didn't supply accurate labor cost information.

--
PM instructions: do a C4esar Ciph3r on my address; retain punctuation.

--
Don Poitras

"Justin Gombos" wrote in message
news:GIr4i.18827$Qz.649@trndny09...

I had the same issue.. tried to get ahold of Kankakee in the Chicago
area around 2am, and go no answer after making multiple attempts on
all the frequencies in the area. It's a little unnerving to fly VFR
at night w/out flight following. Is Lockheed now in charge of all
FSS's?


Why would you call Kankakee FSS for flight following?

"Don Poitras" wrote in message
...
Justin Gombos wrote:
On 2007-05-13, Don Poitras wrote:

My first experience trying to get a clearance on the ground via
Lockheed today. ... Tried the GCO, but no one answered. Plane behind
me on taxiway is asking whether I'm trying GCO. "Yeah, but they're
not answering.

I had the same issue.. tried to get ahold of Kankakee in the Chicago
area around 2am, and go no answer after making multiple attempts on
all the frequencies in the area. It's a little unnerving to fly VFR
at night w/out flight following. Is Lockheed now in charge of all
FSS's?

Here's the transition schedule:
http://www.afss.com/transition/

AOPA was originally very happy about all this:

"And all of these enhanced services are being provided without user
fees - AOPA made sure of that," Boyer said. "It is estimated that
Lockheed's 10-year contract will actually save the government about
$2.2 billion."

Subtract .18 billion from that savings:

Lockheed Martin is looking for a 10-percent increase in the fees it's
being paid to take over flight services. According to a report from the
Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General, the
company, which was awarded a $1.8 billion contract to assume the
function, says it's owed another $177 million, mostly because the FAA
didn't supply accurate labor cost information.

And they didn't factor in retirements.

"Jose" wrote in message
et...

No, that turns out not to be the case. He figures out what I am probably
interested in, and what I'm probably not interested in, and gets it right.
For example, if the weather is the same all up and down the coast except
for this and that, here and there, he will (generally) give me the weather
at a few typical stations, say it's pretty much all the same, and then
give me the exceptions.

I would have to read all the reports in order to find the exceptions. This
way I don't. He doesn't either, since he's already seen the stuff before.


You're lucky to have found a briefer so in tune with you spiritually that he
can sense what information you need and what you do not. Pilots that know
what information they need are better served by DUATS.

On Sat, 26 May 2007 21:18:32 GMT, "Steven P. McNicoll"
wrote:

Pilots that know
what information they need are better served by DUATS.

I'm still surprised that pilots who can find Usenet and use the
Internet often wouldn't prefer DUATS or DUAT.

In article ,
B A R R Y wrote:

Pilots that know
what information they need are better served by DUATS.

I'm still surprised that pilots who can find Usenet and use the
Internet often wouldn't prefer DUATS or DUAT.

I use four different computers at home (all my own), including my
own email server and a laptop. My home network includes wireless
as well as wired, and multiple printers. I'm considering changing my
10/100baseT switch to a 10/100/1000 switch, but probably won't since
I don't do that much internal file transfer. My phone is POTS because cell
coverage at home is inadequate.

I prefer the phone call because I can make it JUST before engine start.
Although I just the NOAA site, AOPA TFR page, and the FAA TFR page
before leaving for the airport, I still want to reduce probability of a TFR
popping up on me.

Now that I've finally got a tie-down at the aeroclub, maybe I'll get my
briefings via DUAT before pre-flight.

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

Two weeks ago, while getting a briefing for a flight from Indiana (BAK)-
Minnesota (FCM), the briefer declared "No TFRs along your route of flight."
Fortunately, I had flown a wandering route down there a few days earlier and
was well briefed on the Blue Angels airshow in LaCrosse. I might have
flown right over it. I was getting a briefing from the farm, rotary dial
telephone, no computer. Either the software is still cumbersome (several
briefers seemed frustrated to assemble the requisite information) or the
lack of geographical knowledge at a centralized provider compromised the
quality. I logged a complaint with Lockheed Martin on their web site.

Lets be careful out there.
Todd