Flight Service & Airport Advisories

[skyflyer8]

AIM 4-1-9(d), "Airport Advisory/Information Services Provided by a FSS" discusses local airport advisories (LAA) and remote airport advisories (RAA), in which pilots can get airport advisory information (traffic, weather, etc.) via a flight service station.

I am wondering how common this is anymore.

LAA service used to be available at Green Bay when we had a flight service station on the field. I never used it, but I assume the FSS provided info when the control tower was closed at night. GRB no longer has a flight service station physically on the field. For a while after the FSS's closure, the sectional chart still had a heavy-outlined VOR box near GRB, which would make someone assume there is still FSS on the field. But during that transition period, a NOTAM was issued saying LAA service was not available. Eventually, the VOR box started having the normal thin outline.

Moving south, the next closest flight service station that survived the initial chop is Kankakee, IL. On the current sectional chart, it still has a heavy-outlined box and last I heard of, there was still a flight service station on the field. So I would assume LAA service is available. However, I heard that the Kankakee FSS is going to close.

I'm having trouble finding any information on which flight service stations are still open and which are gone. Can anyone help? I am aware of the three new hubs. Are the hubs going to take over ALL flight services, or will there still be some outlying stations?

And the larger question, which I am trying to clarify for myself and my ground school class: If there are say only three FSS hubs plus or minus a few outlying stations, who still has LAA / RAA service at their airports? Is this service going away?

When I was in Kankakee a couple years ago, I got a helpful airport advisory from the FSS on the field letting me know of a non-radio ag plane doing spraying very near the airport. Just wondering if this type of service is going bye-bye with the FSS consolidation.

 

[poadeleted20]

It's pretty rare. I know of only one airport in the Mid-Atlantic region which has Airport Advisory Service (Millville NJ), and it's a Remote AAS now that the Millville FSS is shuttered and the "advisor" is in a windowless room in another state.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

LAA service used to be available at Green Bay when we had a flight service station on the field. I never used it, but I assume the FSS provided info when the control tower was closed at night.

Yup. Went there on my dual night XC for my Private, tower closed after the first landing and advised that FSS would keep us posted, which was nice because they had some wind shear that night...

 

[Joe B]

I'm having trouble finding any information on which flight service stations are still open and which are gone. Can anyone help? I am aware of the three new hubs. Are the hubs going to take over ALL flight services, or will there still be some outlying stations?

Here's an unofficial list of the existing FSS's. I don't know where to get the official list - but LockMart was kind enough to provide a link to that site on their AFSS web site. According to a news report seven of those were to be closed as of Feb 1. We're down to six FSS's in the contiguous 48 now: the hubs in Fort Worth, TX, Ashburn, VA and Prescott, AZ plus Miami, FL, Princeton, MN and Raleigh, NC.

 

[Dr. O]

These days your LAA is the ASOS machine, or calling the airport manager on the phone...

denny-o

 

[Teller1900]

Sounds like LAAs are going the way of DF Steer.

 

[skyflyer8]

Thanks for the answers. Wow, six stations.

On a side note, on my trip to western Canada a while back, I was intrigued at how it was common for flight service there to have a more ATC-like role both enroute and at airports. They have retained a system which I assume is probably more like what the US used to have.

 

[roncachamp]

On a side note, on my trip to western Canada a while back, I was intrigued at how it was common for flight service there to have a more ATC-like role both enroute and at airports. They have retained a system which I assume is probably more like what the US used to have.

Please describe it.

 

[skyflyer8]

Please describe it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_service_station

scroll to "Flight Sevices in Canada"

Enroute IFR, we were required to make position reports to flight service, often during enormous radar gaps or after large radio coverage gaps. At the destination of Grande Prairie, Alberta, we had to speak with the flight service station almost as if it were a control tower even though it is not.

 

[MauleSkinner]

Thanks for the answers. Wow, six stations.

On a side note, on my trip to western Canada a while back, I was intrigued at how it was common for flight service there to have a more ATC-like role both enroute and at airports. They have retained a system which I assume is probably more like what the US used to have.

I believe in Canada it's MANDATORY to make position reports, etc., on these frequencies (not sure if or how they handle NORDO airplanes up there). In the U.S. it was always optional.

 

[Everskyward]

I believe in Canada it's MANDATORY to make position reports, etc., on these frequencies (not sure if or how they handle NORDO airplanes up there). In the U.S. it was always optional.

This is true with the exception of aircraft without radios which use the procedure listed below.

VFR and IFR Aircraft Operations at Uncontrolled Aerodromes within an MF Area 602.97 (1) Subject to subsection (3), no pilot-in-command shall operate a VFR or IFR aircraft within an MF area unless the aircraft is equipped with radiocommunication equipment pursuant to Subpart 5.
(2) The pilot-in-command of a VFR or IFR aircraft operating within an MF area shall maintain a listening watch on the mandatory frequency specified for use in the MF area.
(3) The pilot-in-command of a VFR aircraft that is not equipped with the radiocommunication equipment referred to in subsection (1) may operate the aircraft to or from an uncontrolled aerodrome that lies within an MF area if
(a) a ground station is in operation at the aerodrome;
(b) prior notice of the pilot-in-command's intention to operate the aircraft at the aerodrome has been given to the ground station;
(c) when conducting a take-off, the pilot-in-command ascertains by visual observation that there is no likelihood of collision with another aircraft or a vehicle during take-off; and
(d) when approaching for a landing, the aircraft enters the aerodrome traffic circuit from a position that will require it to complete two sides of a rectangular circuit before turning onto the final approach path.

More on the MF here: http://www.tc.gc.ca/civilaviation/regserv/affairs/cars/part6/602.htm#602_97