four ways to contact flight service station

8/7/2019 FOUR Ways to Contact Flight Service Station

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FOUR Ways to Contact Flight Service Station

(FSS)(November 2005)

1. TELEPHONECall FSS on a direct landline at 1-800-992-7433 OR

1-800-WX-BRIEF. You can use a cell phone to call but even using

the 1-800-992-7433 number you MAY reach a FSS in another state

depending on your location and the antenna location. If you use a cell

phone you may need the exact phone number of the FSS you are

trying to reach to close your flight plan on the way home because you

forgot to close it out before! You can find the particular FSS phone

number in the green book or Airport/Facility Directory (A/FD) from

the FSS and DOT or in AOPAs Airport Directory they publish eachyear. (In a situation where an airplane had complete electrical failure,

the pilot used a cell phone to contact FSS in the air to let them know

the pilots intentions, that there had been a complete electrical failure

although they were not declaring an emergency at that time, and

updated the change of destination and the estimated time to the new

destination plus extended the ETA on the filed VFR flight plan and

requested and received updated landing weather information.

Sometimes you do what you have to do.)

2.

RCO (Single Frequency) or Remote Communications OutletThis is a SINGLE frequency used for two-way communication

directly to the individual located within the FSS. This frequency can

be found on the Sectional Chart, in the A/FD, in the AOPA Airport

Directory and on the state published Airport Diagram like in the

Minnesota Airport Directory. You contact FSS on the frequency

indicated for that particular airport. (See the Sectional Chart example

and Minnesota Airport Directory example for MML and MKT

airports).

3. RCO (Transmit/Receive on VOR) or Remote CommunicationsOutletIn this situation you will use both the VHF Comm and VHF Nav

radios to converse with FSS. Looking at the Airport Diagram for

Mankato Regional Airport MKT(an attached page in this section) you

see that the RCO frequency is 122.1R and 110.8T for Princeton FSS.

What this means is that the PILOT will transmit from the airplane on

frequency 122.1 and FSS will receive on 122.1. When FSS transmits,


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they will transmiton the VOR frequency of 110.8 and the PILOT

will receive the message by listening to the VOR frequency. In order

to keep this simple and easily understood, the T and R are made in

reference to the FSS briefers seat and NOT the pilots seat in the

airplane. Also, remember, as pilots, we cannot transmitover the VOR

frequency ever but we can receive over the VOR just like when we

get the AWOS weather over the VOR. Remember to turn up the

volume on BOTH radios when you use this method to contact FSS.

4. GCO or Ground Communication OutletThis is a new method to use to contact FSS. It is a more economical

system to operate and the use of GCOs will increase in the future.

(See the attached copy of the brochure explaining the use of the

GCO.) The definition from the A/FD states thus: GCOGround

Communication OutletAn unstaffed, remotely controlled,

ground/ground communication facility. Pilots at uncontrolled airportsmay contact ATC and FSS via VHF to a telephone connection to

obtain an instrument clearance or close a VFR or IFR flight plan.

They may also get an updated weather briefing prior to takeoff. Pilots

will use four key clicks on the VHF radio to contact the appropriate

ATC facility or six key clicks to contact the FSS. The GCO system

is intended to be used only on the ground. All GCOs use the same

frequency, which is 121.725. When you set 121.725 in the VHF

Comm radio and key click SIX times for FSS you will hear it dial

through just like placing a telephone call. You may get through or youmay not get through on the first or second try, depending on how busy

the line is at the FSS. Once through to FSS, the FSS briefer will talk

to the pilot like he is talking on the telephone, which he/she is actually

doing. The pilot is required to use standard radio procedures so then

you would talk to FSS just like you would on a VHF frequency, which

you are doing at that time. Remember, once you are connected to FSS,

if the GCO frequency is NOT used for a minute, it will automatically

disconnect. So if you are conversing with FSS make sure you key the

mike in the airplane at least ONCE every minute to keep the

connection. Remember, click six for Service.


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four ways to contact flight service station

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