Flight Service Changes

Saying it is responding to a shift in users preferences for automated services, the FAA in August announced it will discontinue the so-called Flight Watch radio service, also known as En Route Flight Advisory Service, or EFAS, available nationwide on 122.0 MHz. Flight Watch will be discontinued about the time you read this, on September 24, 2015, although the frequency will be monitored for an additional six months, presumably to tell pilots trying to use it to do a better job of preflight planning.

Friday, September 25, 2015 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The FAA is implementing several Flight Service changes by October 1, 2015, including discontinuing Flight Watch radio service (EFAS), mandating the use of the ICAO flight plan form, and phasing out Remote Airport Advisory Service (except in Alaska), driven by a shift towards automated services and efficiency.
The latest Nall Report from AOPA-ASI indicates that General Aviation (GA) safety is slightly worsening, with accident rates increasing due to a consistent number of accidents despite a decrease in non-commercial airplane operations.
The Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZDC) experienced a significant outage on August 15, 2015, caused by a software upgrade issue in the NextGen ERAM system, leading to hundreds of flight cancellations and delays.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Saying it is responding to “a shift in users’ preferences for automated services,” the FAA in August announced it will discontinue the so-called Flight Watch radio service, also known as En Route Flight Advisory Service, or EFAS, available nationwide on 122.0 MHz. Flight Watch will be discontinued about the time you read this, on September 24, 2015, although the frequency will be monitored for an additional six months, presumably to tell pilots trying to use it to do a better job of preflight planning.

The FAA says the change is designed to make Flight Service more efficient and reduce its cost, and that safety will not be compromised. “None of these changes will affect core flight service safety functions such as search and rescue, emergency services, Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) entry and dissemination, and pilot weather reports,” said Steven Villanueva, Deputy Director Flight Service, in the ATO’s System Operations Service Unit.