Narrative:

Backgnd: there has been some discussion over the past few yrs to further consolidate FSS as a means of saving tax dollars. Furthermore, there has been increased attention placed on educating pilots as to the advantages of flight plan/obtain WX briefings via the internet and/or private vendors. Over the past two yrs I have filed an average of 10 IFR flight plans per week. In addition to reading the textual descriptions of WX and viewing current charts and radar displays, I routinely contact FSS (800 WX brief) for additional information. Problem: when I explain that I have already filed my flight plan via duats via the internet(or other provider), I am often taken to task by the specialist who feels that since I filed that way, I should obtain all my WX through the same source. This is counter productive and does nothing to enhance safety, nor does it foster a good working relationship between pilots and the FAA. Approximately one out of four (25%) of the flight plans that I have filed through the internet and other private service providers, do not make it to ATC. When I contact clearance delivery or center and request my clearance, I am told that no such flight plan exists in their system. I have made several attempts to trouble shoot this issue, including letters and phone calls to private service providers. I am always told that the flight plan was properly filed and was transmitted to the appropriate center (or local clearance delivery) and should have been available when called for. Not having a clearance available at our proposed departure time at the very least caused unnecessary delays and embarrassment of our flight crews. Our passenger are counting on us to provide safe and timely transportation. That's the nice part. Delays caused by having to refile often shutting down the aircraft and searching for a pay phone(most cell phones don't work on the ramp) can cause issues with duty day limitations and worsening WX. Our flight department SOP will not allow us to fly without being on an active flight plan. My biggest concern has to do with other pilots that have no such restrictions. Faced with the prospect of having to shut-down and re-file, many pilots will (unfortunately) elect to launch without the protection of a flight plan (or possibly attempt to air-file, further overburdening our ATC system). The perception of myself and my fellow pilots is that the flight plans are purposely being lost or mis-filed in an effort to force pilots to file through FSS as a means of artificially increasing the performance numbers of the FSS system. None of this enhances safety, nor does it promote good relationships between pilots and controllers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION REGARDING FSS HANDLING OF FP FILED PROCS.

Narrative: BACKGND: THERE HAS BEEN SOME DISCUSSION OVER THE PAST FEW YRS TO FURTHER CONSOLIDATE FSS AS A MEANS OF SAVING TAX DOLLARS. FURTHERMORE, THERE HAS BEEN INCREASED ATTENTION PLACED ON EDUCATING PLTS AS TO THE ADVANTAGES OF FLT PLAN/OBTAIN WX BRIEFINGS VIA THE INTERNET AND/OR PRIVATE VENDORS. OVER THE PAST TWO YRS I HAVE FILED AN AVERAGE OF 10 IFR FLT PLANS PER WEEK. IN ADDITION TO READING THE TEXTUAL DESCRIPTIONS OF WX AND VIEWING CURRENT CHARTS AND RADAR DISPLAYS, I ROUTINELY CONTACT FSS (800 WX BRIEF) FOR ADDITIONAL INFO. PROB: WHEN I EXPLAIN THAT I HAVE ALREADY FILED MY FLT PLAN VIA DUATS VIA THE INTERNET(OR OTHER PROVIDER), I AM OFTEN TAKEN TO TASK BY THE SPECIALIST WHO FEELS THAT SINCE I FILED THAT WAY, I SHOULD OBTAIN ALL MY WX THROUGH THE SAME SOURCE. THIS IS COUNTER PRODUCTIVE AND DOES NOTHING TO ENHANCE SAFETY, NOR DOES IT FOSTER A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PLTS AND THE FAA. APPROX ONE OUT OF FOUR (25%) OF THE FLT PLANS THAT I HAVE FILED THROUGH THE INTERNET AND OTHER PRIVATE SERVICE PROVIDERS, DO NOT MAKE IT TO ATC. WHEN I CONTACT CLRNC DELIVERY OR CENTER AND REQUEST MY CLRNC, I AM TOLD THAT NO SUCH FLT PLAN EXISTS IN THEIR SYSTEM. I HAVE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO TROUBLE SHOOT THIS ISSUE, INCLUDING LETTERS AND PHONE CALLS TO PRIVATE SERVICE PROVIDERS. I AM ALWAYS TOLD THAT THE FLT PLAN WAS PROPERLY FILED AND WAS TRANSMITTED TO THE APPROPRIATE CTR (OR LOCAL CLRNC DELIVERY) AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE WHEN CALLED FOR. NOT HAVING A CLRNC AVAILABLE AT OUR PROPOSED DEP TIME AT THE VERY LEAST CAUSED UNNECESSARY DELAYS AND EMBARRASSMENT OF OUR FLT CREWS. OUR PAX ARE COUNTING ON US TO PROVIDE SAFE AND TIMELY TRANSPORTATION. THAT'S THE NICE PART. DELAYS CAUSED BY HAVING TO REFILE OFTEN SHUTTING DOWN THE ACFT AND SEARCHING FOR A PAY PHONE(MOST CELL PHONES DON'T WORK ON THE RAMP) CAN CAUSE ISSUES WITH DUTY DAY LIMITATIONS AND WORSENING WX. OUR FLT DEPARTMENT SOP WILL NOT ALLOW US TO FLY WITHOUT BEING ON AN ACTIVE FLT PLAN. MY BIGGEST CONCERN HAS TO DO WITH OTHER PLTS THAT HAVE NO SUCH RESTRICTIONS. FACED WITH THE PROSPECT OF HAVING TO SHUT-DOWN AND RE-FILE, MANY PLTS WILL (UNFORTUNATELY) ELECT TO LAUNCH WITHOUT THE PROTECTION OF A FLT PLAN (OR POSSIBLY ATTEMPT TO AIR-FILE, FURTHER OVERBURDENING OUR ATC SYSTEM). THE PERCEPTION OF MYSELF AND MY FELLOW PLTS IS THAT THE FLT PLANS ARE PURPOSELY BEING LOST OR MIS-FILED IN AN EFFORT TO FORCE PLTS TO FILE THROUGH FSS AS A MEANS OF ARTIFICIALLY INCREASING THE PERFORMANCE NUMBERS OF THE FSS SYSTEM. NONE OF THIS ENHANCES SAFETY, NOR DOES IT PROMOTE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PLTS AND CTLRS.

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.