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

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Key Takeaways:

The FAA is making significant changes to its Flight Service operations, including discontinuing the Flight Watch radio service, mandating the ICAO flight plan form for all domestic and international flights, and phasing out most Remote Airport Advisory Services, citing a shift towards automated systems and increased efficiency.
The 24th Nall Report indicates a slight decline in general aviation safety, with increased accident rates attributed to a steady number of accidents despite a decrease in non-commercial flight operations between 2010 and 2012.
A software upgrade issue in the En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) system caused a major ATC outage at the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZDC), leading to hundreds of flight delays and cancellations.

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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.