Pilot unable to receive WX brief due to FSS operating times and security.

Attributes
ACN	188919
Time
Date	199109
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dlg
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	188919
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Shortly after XA00 I called kenai FSS for IFR flight from ena to anc and on to dlg. The briefer advised dlg did not report until XB00. That meant that the tf (terminal forecast) would not be available until XE00-XF00. My concern is about dlg (dillingham) FSS hours of operation. Apparently they open at XA00, make their first report at XB00 and close at around XT00. Several of my clients are air taxi operators (throughout alaska). These operators (and myself) need WX information at XY00-XA00 to plan XB00 departures. My clients comment that most all operations are done by XX00-XX00 at dlg. We need longer hours or increased staffing at dlg FSS. At around XX00 I taxied over to dlg FSS for a WX brief home. All gates were padlocked on fences with barbed wire on top. How can you get a briefing if locked in airport ramp. I did find a gate left unlocked. The one and only briefer ran radios and did my brief which was interrupted many times. We have been told that the consolidation of alaska FSS would improve service.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT UNABLE TO RECEIVE WX BRIEF DUE TO FSS OPERATING TIMES AND SECURITY.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER XA00 I CALLED KENAI FSS FOR IFR FLT FROM ENA TO ANC AND ON TO DLG. THE BRIEFER ADVISED DLG DID NOT RPT UNTIL XB00. THAT MEANT THAT THE TF (TERMINAL FORECAST) WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL XE00-XF00. MY CONCERN IS ABOUT DLG (DILLINGHAM) FSS HRS OF OP. APPARENTLY THEY OPEN AT XA00, MAKE THEIR FIRST RPT AT XB00 AND CLOSE AT AROUND XT00. SEVERAL OF MY CLIENTS ARE AIR TAXI OPERATORS (THROUGHOUT ALASKA). THESE OPERATORS (AND MYSELF) NEED WX INFO AT XY00-XA00 TO PLAN XB00 DEPS. MY CLIENTS COMMENT THAT MOST ALL OPS ARE DONE BY XX00-XX00 AT DLG. WE NEED LONGER HRS OR INCREASED STAFFING AT DLG FSS. AT AROUND XX00 I TAXIED OVER TO DLG FSS FOR A WX BRIEF HOME. ALL GATES WERE PADLOCKED ON FENCES WITH BARBED WIRE ON TOP. HOW CAN YOU GET A BRIEFING IF LOCKED IN ARPT RAMP. I DID FIND A GATE LEFT UNLOCKED. THE ONE AND ONLY BRIEFER RAN RADIOS AND DID MY BRIEF WHICH WAS INTERRUPTED MANY TIMES. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE CONSOLIDATION OF ALASKA FSS WOULD IMPROVE SVC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.