Lockheed Penalized for FSS problems

[indefinitehold]

LOCKHEED PENALIZED FOR FSS MISSTEPS

The FAA said Tuesday that it withheld $3 million in payments to Flight
Service Station contractor Lockheed Martin in the first quarter
because of poor performance. "There's evidence of dropped calls and
pilots not getting information," FAA Administrator Marion Blakey told
Bloomberg "There are penalties in the contract and we'll apply them." In October 2005 Lockheed took over the 58 previously FAA-run FSS facilities under a $1.7 billion award. Since the beginning of this year pilots have
complained about being on hold for extended times while waiting for
briefings -- in fact, several pilots recently told AVweb that they had
to wait on hold for an hour or more to get a preflight weather
briefing. FAA spokesman Paul Takemoto is unsure if more penalties are
in store for Lockheed Martin in the second quarter, which is when
pilot complaints have increased sharply.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/881-full.html#195366

Anyone having these problems?

 

[FlyinFife]

Yup

Yeah, I've been having problems with these guys, although I must admit that my 15-20 minute wait time has decreased to about 5, dropped flight plans, not closing out flight plans, etc.

 

[PositionandHold]

I don't get weather briefings on the phone anymore because they take too long now. I've been on hold for 20-30 minutes with no answer, and then I just give up because I have to give a lesson and I just get a DUAT briefing.

It's a pain, and it's sad.

 

[JediNein]

FSS who?

And is anyone suprised at their piss poor performance?

The real message is use the computer or go away.

 

[Cardinal]

Can I get part of those withheld payments? My gripe is the sheer geographic ignorance.

"Skytrax 69 at KBFE on 122.5, IFR to KLAX"

"Uh, you're who?"
"[mispronounced callsign] Where are ya?"
"What state is that in?"
"And Where did you want to go?"

 

[Rokit88]

Why does anyone still call FSSs anyway? Do you still have a rotary phone too?

 

[flytheblue]

Duats is easiest, domestically. But Duats isn't a real option when you need to file an international flight plan because there is usually a problem with the system accepting the identifiers.

Fltplan.com seems to work better in that case.

When there is no computer I've called FSS and filed, and it's always a crapshoot whether your flight plan will be there when you need it, especially internationally. They supposedly use 2 computer systems for the international plans because they drop out a lot, but that doesn't always prevent it from happening.

 

[NW_Pilot]

LOCKHEED PENALIZED FOR FSS MISSTEPS

The FAA said Tuesday that it withheld $3 million in payments to Flight
Service Station contractor Lockheed Martin in the first quarter
because of poor performance. "There's evidence of dropped calls and
pilots not getting information," FAA Administrator Marion Blakey told
Bloomberg "There are penalties in the contract and we'll apply them." In October 2005 Lockheed took over the 58 previously FAA-run FSS facilities under a $1.7 billion award. Since the beginning of this year pilots have
complained about being on hold for extended times while waiting for
briefings -- in fact, several pilots recently told AVweb that they had
to wait on hold for an hour or more to get a preflight weather
briefing. FAA spokesman Paul Takemoto is unsure if more penalties are
in store for Lockheed Martin in the second quarter, which is when
pilot complaints have increased sharply.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/881-full.html#195366

Anyone having these problems?

Hell yea.

Try to File ICAO to cross the pond hahahaha used to be simple. Now you get transfered from one off to another then you get a trainee that messes every thing up...... or the guy that don't submit it properly and it don't go in to the system.

For weather I use Jeppesen worth the money..

 

[TWA]

Try issuing or canceling NOTAMs for an airport. Talk about a cluster f&ck.

 

[Caboclo]

Yes, a lot of people still use FSS, eg freight dogs who go into uncontrolled airports which don't have RCOs direct to ATC. You either sit at the end of the runway collecting ice until some poor under-trained dope 1000 miles away get's done talking to the other six aircraft inline ahead of you, or blast off into IMC with no flight plan. I think the fine should have been a lot higher, but in fairness, they are getting better lately.