Well worth joining even if you don’t fly a Cirrus. A tremendous amount of valuable (and searchable) information, discussion and expert advice/opinions on all aspects of aviation.
Thanks…have been thinking about it and just signed up. Thanks for the “nudge”.
I call every single time I fly. I do get my weather from the FSS site and foreflight as well, however I always call before I take off. My main reason is to confirm that my impression of the weather is the same as the briefer. It usually is however on occasion it has been different.
I do all of my flight planning online. Much easier and more thorough than FSS.
Then, on the way to the airport… I call them and get the phone briefing, purely so there is a record of it.
CYA.
Jerry and I agree on this. The Airman (a COPAn) had to go through months of agony, and much out of pocket expenses which were not covered by AOPA’s Pilot Protection Services (i.e. court reporter fees for depositions, etc.).
I never call anymore. I get all the info I need from online sources before flight. When I’m finished with that, there is nothing more FSS can tell me that I want to hear. If I were my younger self, I would probably still call FSS and would not rely upon myself to find the relevant info. I make sure I’ve looked at the TFR overlay on Foreflight while connected to the internet (not Stratus) before takeoff (so that it is downloaded and will display in flight – if you don’t do this step, Foreflight probably won’t display TFRs in flight causing you to fly into one). I don’t pay much attention to situations when TFRs pop up that Foreflight does not display. It can happen, but no often enough for me to take special precautions. As far as FAA enforcement actions, I think with the new enforcement philosophy with the FAA, if you just cooperate with your local FSDO inspector after getting suckered by a popup TFR I think you’ll be OK. Finally, if there is a presidential TFR scheduled for the area I will be in, I will call FSS then. Those things can change quick as a blink if the prez or VP’s visit lasts longer than planned, and an FSS call is the gold standard for getting out of trouble. Presidential TFRs are not to be busted. But unless you fly in the DC area, presidential TFRs aren’t pop-ups. If the prez is in your area, you will know about it.
Called this morning on the way to the airport for an Angel Flight. I usually don’t call as I don’t get much out of it. Just a review of what I had already found. But for Angel Flights I like that recording.
I use Wing X and had a devil of a time filing on my return trip. It came up with an error on my DUATS number. It had worked fine this morning. After scrambling around online I finally gave up and called to file. It worked ok, but I was completely rusty. So used to online filing. Turns out the filing did work as I got emails acknowledging the receipt. Not sure what was going on With Wing X.
I don’t even have a Cirrus and have gained a ton from the group. Well worth the investment and welcome aboard.
Charles, You might want to checkout
I like the way it uses color to highlight the parts of notams and weather data that deserve a closer look. It’s a subscription site but I use it for every flight and think it’s worth the fee. They offer a two week free trial.
I use to love weathermiester …Subscription went out and I’ve been using several others …
Weathermiester was the best of the bunch… The web site 800wxbrief was getting better and better …
Of course, you’re right. So it is still unsettled.
John Ylinen started an interesting thread reporting on his discussions with un-named sources in the know at Airventure. LMFS had apparently developed the capability to do one-on-one web briefings so we could be looking at the same products as the briefer in real time. But read down for further comments/discussion. The Future Flight Services Program (FFSP), which is discussed in the FY2015 FAA Budget, signals a move away from all human delivery of briefing information.
The FAA’s goal for the FFSP seems directly opposed to the enforcement action we’ve just been discussing. Jerry’s expert testimony is exactly inline with the stated strategic goal of the FAA :
“FFSP will expand the web portion of flight services, and reduce or eliminate human delivery of flight services as much as possible.” (Emphasis mine).
We’re in a transition stage right now. The FAA budget gurus clearly recognize that pilots prefer electronic delivery. However, the sources of all relevant flight planning info are not yet totally integrated.
“GA pilots have shown a clear preference in using electronic means to obtain the services they need. For this reason, FFSP will utilize more automation to deliver Flight Service to the GA community. The functions not directly or specifically related to flight planning are provided by other means today, (i.e., NOTAM entry, weather entry, inflight assistance). FFSP will perform the necessary analyses and coordination to upgrade and realign the services to achieve the most efficient and cost effective delivery of flight service to the GA community.”
The budget also called for eliminating DUATS at the end of FY 2014. However, John Ylinen reported that the function was transferred to LMFS by a 1-year contract with up to four 1-year extensions.
Link to thread for those on Copa:
Both…I see no downside and I like having the ability to discuss decisions with someone…I do it on every flight, every time!
Legal question for Scott…Does logging in and going through the NextGen online briefing from Lockheed Martin https://lmfsweb.afss.com give the same legal protection as calling LMFS?
I find the online briefing very comprehensive (along with FF and other resources) and do not call anymore.
I launched at 0 Dark Hundred this morning from KSOP (Pinehurst, NC) to the DC area KHEF (Manassas, VA) for a quick Thanksgiving breakfast with my daughter. Filed and briefed on Foreflight but after reading this thread had Catholic guilt while headed to the airport so I called. Got a very nice lady in Leesburg who once I confirmed I was familiar with the SFRA, and had filed and briefed on FF, didn’t have too much to say. Since I was headed her way we talked about my trip, what time she was headed home today, and the fact we both grew up in Massachusetts.
LM folks are very lonely people these days!
Earlier this year I was at Sun N’ Fun and the LM booth was right across the aisle from the FF booth. The contrast in booth traffic was stunning and very telling as to where technology is taking us-
The only time I would call FSS is if I need to file a DVFR flight plan to cross the border. There isn’t anything that the briefer can tell me that I don’t see online. As to “legality”, www.1800wxbrief.com/, LMFSS site is getting much better and it logs the access.
When I need weather briefing, nothing beats Scott’s https://avwxworkshops.com, by far the best weather briefing site. Please consider joining.
I almost always get an internet briefing from a source that logs my briefing. That could be duats, 1800wxbrief, or aviationweather.gov (you have to log in to get an account). Usually I use a couple of sources, since they present information in different ways, which helps avoid missing something.
There are two times that I call, however. First, if it is a VFR flight I will call just before takeoff (maybe while driving to the airport, other times in the plane just before startup). I will specifically ask for TFRs, which usually keeps the call short. They will often ask about adverse conditions, which I will often accept and double check against my briefing. The other time I call is when the weather decision is less than clear cut. In this case, it is sometimes helpful to talk through the weather with a briefer. Some of them are quite knowledgeable and very helpful. I will do the same thing in the air to help manage diversion decisions.
If I call, I will have my computer or tablet open so I can follow along with the discussion with some graphics.
I was once given an enroute clearance to DCA (right in the middle of the FRZ). I questioned the controller, but he said that was the routing he had to give. I didn’t actually fly it–as it happened we needed to divert due to weather which changed my routing out of the FRZ. The whole thing made me rather nervous.
As I read your question, “legal protection” isn’t about complying with FAR 91.103, but rather “if I flew through a TFR, and got a verified briefing on this website, would the FAA prosecute me?”
Probably. This website does not depict TFRs, and in fact has a link to the FAA’s TFR website, which in turn has a disclaimer to telephone LMFS.
I still maintain your briefing complies with 91.103.
