The Leesburg FSS had some problems last weekend.
When we went up the DelMarVa peninsula for Husband's birthday trip on Saturday, I had used the AOPA RTFP to file a VFR flight plan. At 10:14 am ET I called Leesburg Radio from ~2000' 2 nm north of JGG and opened the flight plan. When we got to GED, I called 1-800-WX-BRIEF to close it, and was on hold for 8 1/2 minutes.
It was the first time I had ever waited more than 2 rings for an answer. When that answer came, it was an automated (Lockheed) system instead of a person, also a first. Then the long hold time as I was assured that my call was important to them and that they were experiencing higher than usual call volume.
And I just figured the skies were crowded on such a gorgeous day!
Interesting, one of the other students in my group (at JYO) had filed in person at the FSS and then was told that it wasn't on file. He called them from the plane and spent 30-minutes on hold and then walked over there. That had happened to me once a couple of weeks ago. The FSS is moving in May (I think) so that we won't be able to file in person which we're dreading on good weather days.
ReplyDeleteCould you have not closed it in the air just before arrival ?
ReplyDeleteThey amended the rules in Canada that you had to phone in on the ground to close a flight plan and you were not allowed to close from the air.
After a lot of complaining and overdue flight plans they allowed us to do it again :) Crappy deal is if you have a bad landing and need help at a remote strip then nobody will be looking for you if you closed out early.
I have a personal flight follower that takes care of that, it's my mother :) She is retired and follows me on Flight Aware...soon I will have her filing and giving me weather briefings !
Safe flying !
Hi Doug -
ReplyDeleteFiling in person?!?! Wow, that's a new one! I didn't know you could even do that!
Hi FD -
Yeah, I could have and typically do close from the air just before reaching the airport, but it was so very busy around the airport that day that calling in from the ground seemed like a reasonable sacrifice to ensure that we'd make it to the ground to call! I would have asked Husband to cancel for us, but the right-seat push-to-talk flaked out. ..
Take care!
re "filing in person", yep, the Leesburg FSS has (up until 7-May-2007) a pilot briefing room where we can file in person.
ReplyDeleteThat is a real convenience and I'm sorry that we're losing it soon. I've also had the chance to stand in line and listen to weather briefings for people doing more interesting stuff than me.
Doug
http://flysomewhere.blogspot.com/