How to say you had a talk with the FSDO without saying you talked to the FSDO

NealRomeoGolf said:
My CFII taught me to always look at the transponder after leaving the runway. If it didn't say 1200, you forgot something.
Click to expand...
Well I hope you aren't using your phone to close your flight plan as you're leaving the runway.
 
Confession time: I have forgotten to close many, many flight plans...worst one was on Christmas Eve...there was a warm front over my state, so even though it was winter, there was no icing in the low clouds that blanketed my area. I flew into a normally-busy class D to pick up my mom for Christmas dinner. Being Christmas Eve, everything was closed including the tower, so they weren't automatically closing my flight plan on landing like I was used to. After about 20 minutes on the ground, I noticed I could vaguely hear an aircraft engine(s) circling in a hold over the field...OH CRAP! I ran to the plane, grabbed my phone, and saw all the missed phone calls from ATC. Yet, even with this one, I've never had to talk to a FSDO about not closing my flight plans.
 
Last edited:
asicer said:
Well I hope you aren't using your phone to close your flight plan as you're leaving the runway.
Click to expand...
I said after leaving the runway, not as I was leaving the runway. Assuming a non towered field, get off runway, cleanup the airplane, if transponder isn't 1200, you haven't canceled yet. Either use the remote radio or use the Bluetooth in my audio panel to call and cancel.
 
1200 squawked inside the Washington airspace is a violation. You may even be intercepted, and forced to land at the military choice of airports.

As the name, address, and phone number of an active flying club at KCGS, I received a call, "Who is PIC of Nxxxx?" I did not know, but could find out, and called him back. Meanwhile, the non FAA agency contacted the FAA, and had them give the pilot a number to call when he landed at his destination.

It all stared when the ATC controller instructed him "Radar services terminated, squawk 1200, allegedly, too soon, and he complied. The FAA stood behind their controller giving the change at the edge, not inside, the circle, and that the AWAC's radar was not correct. No suspension occurred.

With 15 pilots, and a very active Federal umbrella enforcing everything, from the FCC, FAA, FBI, Homeland Security, plus Md. State Police, and the Airport Authority, such calls were not rare.

The Squawking 1200 were the worst.
 
So I do this now to remind me to close the flight plan. It has worked. Our plane is a club plane so number listed for aircraft is another member. They don’t call the number that you have listed on your flight plan. The called airport and it was closed so the started search and rescue while they waited for airport manager to cb. He ended up calling back and he got ahold of me and I called the tower I would close with but it was at least an hour or more.
 
I knew of a pilot that had 'Close flight plan' tatooed on his forearm. Apparently, there was an incident in his past that resulted in a fine.
 
There used to be a sign over the urinals at the airport I trained at that said "Did you close your flight plan?"
 
geezer said:
1200 squawked inside the Washington airspace is a violation. You may even be intercepted, and forced to land at the military choice of airports.

As the name, address, and phone number of an active flying club at KCGS, I received a call, "Who is PIC of Nxxxx?" I did not know, but could find out, and called him back. Meanwhile, the non FAA agency contacted the FAA, and had them give the pilot a number to call when he landed at his destination.

It all stared when the ATC controller instructed him "Radar services terminated, squawk 1200, allegedly, too soon, and he complied. The FAA stood behind their controller giving the change at the edge, not inside, the circle, and that the AWAC's radar was not correct. No suspension occurred.

With 15 pilots, and a very active Federal umbrella enforcing everything, from the FCC, FAA, FBI, Homeland Security, plus Md. State Police, and the Airport Authority, such calls were not rare.

The Squawking 1200 were the worst.
Click to expand...
Sounds like that SFRA should go away.
 
Not that I file flight plans much anymore with flight following so easy, but flying around Alaska and through Canada it was good practice to use them. The reminder I used was to wear my watch on the other wrist, which I invariably would notice in plenty of time to call to close it.
 
asicer said:
You should give "Location Based Reminders" a try on your iPhone/Android.
Click to expand...
I’ve had problems with location based reminders for the past year or so on my iPhone. They used to fire very reliably for when I arrive at or leave my office. Now it seems to miss more often than fire. I wouldn’t trust them at this time for something as critical as closing the flight plan. And it’s frustrating because I struggle to find how to live without location based reminders. Between work and personal items that occur to me as I’m falling asleep, “Hey Siri, remind me when I get to work” had become my best friend.
 
Shouldn't the title be flight service and not the FSDO?
 
benyflyguy said:
Forgetting to call flight service leads to the long talk with the FSDO….
Click to expand...

Does it though?
(I've only ever filed 1 VFR flight plan, 1st student solo, and that got closed)
 
iamtheari said:
I’ve had problems with location based reminders for the past year or so on my iPhone. They used to fire very reliably for when I arrive at or leave my office. Now it seems to miss more often than fire. I wouldn’t trust them at this time for something as critical as closing the flight plan. And it’s frustrating because I struggle to find how to live without location based reminders. Between work and personal items that occur to me as I’m falling asleep, “Hey Siri, remind me when I get to work” had become my best friend.
Click to expand...
If your phone is paired to the plane's or your headset's Bluetooth, I would think "remind me when I get out of the car" might work. I'll have to give it a try.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top