Flight Planning's New Age

Anyone who's picked up the phone to obtain a weather briefing from an FAA Flight Service Station (FSS) in recent weeks has discovered the ongoing consolidation by federal contractor Lockheed Martin (LockMart) isn't going so well.

Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Wednesday, June 27, 2007 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

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Key Takeaways:

FAA Flight Service Stations (FSS) are experiencing significant service degradation due to Lockheed Martin's consolidation, leading to long hold times and a loss of critical human-provided weather interpretation and local knowledge.
The decline in FSS quality forces pilots to become more self-reliant in interpreting complex weather data, as automated systems lack the ability to contextualize information, especially concerning terrain effects or local phenomena.
Pilots must actively develop their own local weather knowledge and interpretive skills by consulting other aviators, monitoring broader weather patterns, and gaining direct flight experience to correlate forecasts with real-world conditions.
While promoting pilot self-sufficiency, this reduction in expert FSS services presents a safety concern, particularly for inexperienced pilots who now lack immediate access to professional guidance for crucial go/no-go decisions.

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Anyone whos picked up the phone to obtain a weather briefing from an FAA Flight Service Station (FSS) in recent weeks has discovered the ongoing consolidation by federal contractor Lockheed Martin (LockMart) isnt going so well. Lengthy hold times have been common, if the telephone is answered at all. Once a pilot gets to speak with a briefer, the service has been, shall we say, uneven. Recognizing this, the FAA recently announced a $3 million fine against LockMart for failing to live up to the terms of its contract.