Narrative:

I have concern regarding remote airport information service (rais) employed on a test basis at eau. I stated my intentions and taxied to runway 22 for departure. It appeared that 3 aircraft were in the air traffic area (at least briefly) other than myself. One aircraft, a stinson Y, was doing stop-and-goes. Another, a cessna skyhawk, was doing touch-and-goes, another yz was departing to do photography work. All were providing adequate intention and position reports. However, eau rais was repeating their position reports on an already crowded frequency. Much of the time, when aircraft position were repeated, the aircraft was on a different leg of the pattern. I found myself caught up in the communications blizzard. I was looking for airplanes that were no longer there. The number of communications made it sound like 4 times as many airplanes were in the pattern. Not only was a position report being repeated, but eau was giving the winds and favoring runway information on a frequent basis. The airway was saturated with radio communications, not airplanes. Eau rais, in repeating what was told by the pilots, was not providing a correct picture. The rais was 1 pattern leg behind much of the time. I announced my departure and departed from runway 22 sbound. It was there I asked the voice of eau if he was local. He said he was in green bay. I continued to monitor the frequency until clear of the air traffic area. Another airplane zz, intent on landing at eau, idented itself, its position 20 mi out and intent, and asked for advisories. Meanwhile, eau lost track of the 2 airplanes in the pattern. At one point, eau was reporting a cessna on the ground when the cessna was really on a crosswind. I understand there was an air fatality at eau in the recent past. I understand that the FSS station at grb has attempted to implement a solution (rais) for a period of 6 months on a trail basis. Callback conversation with a green bay AFSS specialist revealed the following information: the remote airport information service (rais) is described as an experimental program which is the result of an FAA conference held in washington, dc, in the fall of 1999. The specialist stated that pilots strongly favor FSS airport advisories. Since many FSS's have been deactivated, the FAA decided to provide remote airport advisories, on an experimental basis for 6 months. Old airport advisory frequencys are utilized, via telephone lines rather than a local line. The difference is that the FSS is not on the field, but is remote. In this case, eau is provided rais from the green bay FSS. According to the specialist, there is no difference between being at the field and being remote, as the controller at the field has a limited view and does not rely on looking outside in order to provide the service. There are 3 facilities participating in the experiment: green bay (eau), jonesboro, ar (for harrison), and louisville, ky (for london). The experiment commenced on jun/xa/00 at eau. The specialist was not sure when the other 2 began. The service provides TA's to reported aircraft and states the reported WX. If the experiment is successful, each FSS can maintain up to 5 separate 'lists,' or airports, thereby providing traffic information at uncontrolled airports. At specified intervals, pilot input will be solicited in order to measure the impact of the service. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: nothing new was added as he had not flown since the day in question.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PVT PLT DESCRIBES HIS DISSATISFACTION WITH THE EXPERIMENTAL RAIS AT EAU.

Narrative: I HAVE CONCERN REGARDING REMOTE ARPT INFO SVC (RAIS) EMPLOYED ON A TEST BASIS AT EAU. I STATED MY INTENTIONS AND TAXIED TO RWY 22 FOR DEP. IT APPEARED THAT 3 ACFT WERE IN THE ATA (AT LEAST BRIEFLY) OTHER THAN MYSELF. ONE ACFT, A STINSON Y, WAS DOING STOP-AND-GOES. ANOTHER, A CESSNA SKYHAWK, WAS DOING TOUCH-AND-GOES, ANOTHER YZ WAS DEPARTING TO DO PHOTOGRAPHY WORK. ALL WERE PROVIDING ADEQUATE INTENTION AND POS RPTS. HOWEVER, EAU RAIS WAS REPEATING THEIR POS RPTS ON AN ALREADY CROWDED FREQ. MUCH OF THE TIME, WHEN ACFT POS WERE REPEATED, THE ACFT WAS ON A DIFFERENT LEG OF THE PATTERN. I FOUND MYSELF CAUGHT UP IN THE COMS BLIZZARD. I WAS LOOKING FOR AIRPLANES THAT WERE NO LONGER THERE. THE NUMBER OF COMS MADE IT SOUND LIKE 4 TIMES AS MANY AIRPLANES WERE IN THE PATTERN. NOT ONLY WAS A POS RPT BEING REPEATED, BUT EAU WAS GIVING THE WINDS AND FAVORING RWY INFO ON A FREQUENT BASIS. THE AIRWAY WAS SATURATED WITH RADIO COMS, NOT AIRPLANES. EAU RAIS, IN REPEATING WHAT WAS TOLD BY THE PLTS, WAS NOT PROVIDING A CORRECT PICTURE. THE RAIS WAS 1 PATTERN LEG BEHIND MUCH OF THE TIME. I ANNOUNCED MY DEP AND DEPARTED FROM RWY 22 SBOUND. IT WAS THERE I ASKED THE VOICE OF EAU IF HE WAS LCL. HE SAID HE WAS IN GREEN BAY. I CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE FREQ UNTIL CLR OF THE ATA. ANOTHER AIRPLANE ZZ, INTENT ON LNDG AT EAU, IDENTED ITSELF, ITS POS 20 MI OUT AND INTENT, AND ASKED FOR ADVISORIES. MEANWHILE, EAU LOST TRACK OF THE 2 AIRPLANES IN THE PATTERN. AT ONE POINT, EAU WAS RPTING A CESSNA ON THE GND WHEN THE CESSNA WAS REALLY ON A XWIND. I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS AN AIR FATALITY AT EAU IN THE RECENT PAST. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE FSS STATION AT GRB HAS ATTEMPTED TO IMPLEMENT A SOLUTION (RAIS) FOR A PERIOD OF 6 MONTHS ON A TRAIL BASIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH A GREEN BAY AFSS SPECIALIST REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REMOTE ARPT INFO SVC (RAIS) IS DESCRIBED AS AN EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM WHICH IS THE RESULT OF AN FAA CONFERENCE HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC, IN THE FALL OF 1999. THE SPECIALIST STATED THAT PLTS STRONGLY FAVOR FSS ARPT ADVISORIES. SINCE MANY FSS'S HAVE BEEN DEACTIVATED, THE FAA DECIDED TO PROVIDE REMOTE ARPT ADVISORIES, ON AN EXPERIMENTAL BASIS FOR 6 MONTHS. OLD ARPT ADVISORY FREQS ARE UTILIZED, VIA TELEPHONE LINES RATHER THAN A LCL LINE. THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT THE FSS IS NOT ON THE FIELD, BUT IS REMOTE. IN THIS CASE, EAU IS PROVIDED RAIS FROM THE GREEN BAY FSS. ACCORDING TO THE SPECIALIST, THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BTWN BEING AT THE FIELD AND BEING REMOTE, AS THE CTLR AT THE FIELD HAS A LIMITED VIEW AND DOES NOT RELY ON LOOKING OUTSIDE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE SVC. THERE ARE 3 FACILITIES PARTICIPATING IN THE EXPERIMENT: GREEN BAY (EAU), JONESBORO, AR (FOR HARRISON), AND LOUISVILLE, KY (FOR LONDON). THE EXPERIMENT COMMENCED ON JUN/XA/00 AT EAU. THE SPECIALIST WAS NOT SURE WHEN THE OTHER 2 BEGAN. THE SVC PROVIDES TA'S TO RPTED ACFT AND STATES THE RPTED WX. IF THE EXPERIMENT IS SUCCESSFUL, EACH FSS CAN MAINTAIN UP TO 5 SEPARATE 'LISTS,' OR ARPTS, THEREBY PROVIDING TFC INFO AT UNCTLED ARPTS. AT SPECIFIED INTERVALS, PLT INPUT WILL BE SOLICITED IN ORDER TO MEASURE THE IMPACT OF THE SVC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: NOTHING NEW WAS ADDED AS HE HAD NOT FLOWN SINCE THE DAY IN QUESTION.

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.