Lockheed Martin!!!! Way to go!!! Not!!

[propsarebest]

WTF?????? Are you on Earth, or just a true dumbass?

Yes you are correct o mighty CFII.

 

[svcta]

Yes you are correct o mighty CFII.

Too _______(insert adjective) to admit that you are wrong?

 

[avbug]

I called FSS today for the first time in a while. I went through the hoops, got put through to a "briefer" in Seattle. I asked if I heard them right; I was in Idaho. Yes...do you want a local briefer?

Now the case used to be that the value of the briefer was that he or she was local, knew the weather, knew the area, and could provide some valued input. Then along came automated FSS's, and finally we're down to this.

The woman answering the phone couldn't properly read the TAF/METAR's, and couldn't interpret them. Her information and input was worthless. She couldn't translate local time to GMT, and when she tried, she got it backward. About as untrained and unprofessional as one could hope for, or not hope for, as the case may be. Sad stuff.

 

[NW_Pilot]

I called FSS today for the first time in a while. I went through the hoops, got put through to a "briefer" in Seattle. I asked if I heard them right; I was in Idaho. Yes...do you want a local briefer?

Now the case used to be that the value of the briefer was that he or she was local, knew the weather, knew the area, and could provide some valued input. Then along came automated FSS's, and finally we're down to this.

The woman answering the phone couldn't properly read the TAF/METAR's, and couldn't interpret them. Her information and input was worthless. She couldn't translate local time to GMT, and when she tried, she got it backward. About as untrained and unprofessional as one could hope for, or not hope for, as the case may be. Sad stuff.

Thank You,
Avbug

We agree on something?

It's getting bad!!!! I miss my local briefer knowing the micro climate trends around here.

Bug if your ever in Portland, OR let go have a drink! I am buying first round!

 

[TrafficInSight]

Believe it or not I called today and got a briefer within 3 minutes and actually got good information...

Of course there wasn't a cloud in the sky over California today, and I only needed the briefing for the planning portion of my commercial ride, which I passed. (woohoo )

Every time I've actually needed a briefer lately I can't get one... or I get spotty information.

Recently, with a departure airport of RHV and destination MYF via bakersfield, palmdale, LAX colliseum route, etc... the "inland route" so to speak, they gave me weather for Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, and San Bernardino. I had to ask for the winds aloft and weather at each station that I was actually going to need.

I do miss having a local briefer... sigh.

 

[WabiSabi]

And for some of you folks, your buddy bumbling idiot buddy Bush wants to privatize ATC as well. Judging from this Lockheed Martin debacle, it isn't a good idea after all. Sorry repubs or libertarians, market forces aren't the answer to everything.

 

[bell47]

Lockheed martin is horrible, plain and simple. I too have had lots of IFR plans dropped and goofy info given. Even the company canned flight plans get screwed up some how(I really don't understand that one!) I fly around the northeast and usually get a briefer from down south or in the mid west somewhere. It's gonna be fun this winter discussing lake effect snow with some briefer from the the Carolinas! I sure wish Bangor FSS was still there, I miss those guys. They really understood the local weather.

 

[svcta]

I think that most of us agree that some things should be driven by the bottom line. And I'm a libertarian. Some of us can get by without toeing the party line. How about you?

 

[LivestockTony]

It's gonna be fun this winter discussing lake effect snow with some briefer from the the Carolinas!

Seems like everyone in North Carolina is originally from Ohio, so as long as you get Raleigh FSS you'll be ok.

I'm pretty not happy with LM either, local knowledge was worth something... and there was a note in the (june or july) AOPA magazine that they'll be taking over DUATs too...

 

[ctab5060X]

Right from the FAA website for TFR's:

Depicted TFR data may not be a complete listing. Pilots should not use the information on this website for flight planning purposes. For the latest information, call your local Flight Service Station at 1-800-WX-BRIEF.

Local FSS...I needed a good laugh today!

and there was a note in the (june or july) AOPA magazine that they'll be taking over DUATs too...

Might be wrong here, but didn't I also read that we are supposed to keep DUATs (as we know it) through summer 2008? Something about we were supposed to have lost it this summer, but somehow managed to keep it active until next year... I just hope by the time that we do lose DUATs that LM has their freakin' act together and they don't bumble around like a bunch of idiots that don't jack.

For instance...I called LMFS the other night about the Presidential TFR in Kansas City, just to make sure that MCI was not going to be affected during my arrival or departure time...managed to get a "briefer" right away, but took 15 minutes of bumbling around to even find the TFR text, let alone decipher it. All I kept hearing was..."I just don't know...I don't have a clear map where I can see the outline of the TFR to tell..."