Growing pains are no real surprise following a major change like the FAA's decision to outsource Flight Service Station (FSS) operations to Lockheed Martin. But the current situation, including long hold times, lost flight plans, and the inability to raise FSS on the radio, has created safety-of-flight issues that AOPA says are flatly unacceptable.
Now AOPA is in daily, and sometimes hourly, contact with the FAA and officials from Lockheed Martin to identify pilot-reported problems and push the officials to solve them. (Get daily updates on AOPA Online.)
Congress is also demanding changes. Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) recently sent a letter to FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, demanding to know "what the FAA is doing to fix these serious flight service problems both now and long term." As chairman of the House aviation subcommittee, Costello plays a key role in writing the check to fund the FAA.
"We have their attention," said AOPA President Phil Boyer, who has spoken with FAA Administrator Marion Blakey and high-level Lockheed officials repeatedly during recent weeks. "But I can't help wondering why some of these safety-of-flight issues are taking so long to resolve."
The new FSS system began falling apart in late April, when the FAA fired up its new computer system, FS21, and began aggressively consolidating existing flight service stations into just three hubs and 16 satellite locations.
That's when legions of pilots began contacting AOPA to complain about hold times of up to 30 minutes, dropped calls, flight plans that were never entered into the system, and weather briefers who couldn't find information for a specific route of flight.
Despite promises that a fix was in the works, the problems have continued, recently coming to a head when high call volume frustrated pilots trying to launch for the Memorial Day weekend.
"When FSS services were contracted out in February, we promised to hold the FAA and Lockheed accountable," said Boyer. "And that's what we're doing. We won't rest until these problems are solved."
If you experience problems with FSS, be sure to report them directly to Lockheed Martin. In the meantime, visit AOPA Online for tips that can make your dealings with FSS run more smoothly.