ATC/FSS interaction

TFaudree_ERAU · May 15th, 2007, 19:22

Does FSS notify ATC facilities when a nearby VOR is going OTS for a few weeks? More specifically, would the guys in Tampa tower and/or approach get any sort of notification from St. Petersburg FSS when the La Belle (LBV) VOR is scheduled to be taken down for maintenance? I had a personal experience with Tampa not having a clue that the nearby VOR was OTS, and was wondering if this was just another side effect of the lousy FSS situation as of recent.

Fox Xray · May 17th, 2007, 09:31

I'm not sure who does the actual notification but any navaid outage is always reported to facilities and sectors impacted by the outage. It can be as simple as a note at the sector indicating XYZ VOR will be OTS 1400-1600 or in the case of a long term outage there could be a briefing item on it.

I think VOR's and such are maintained by Airways Facilities and therefore notification comes via them.

PurduePilot · May 19th, 2007, 18:21

I think NOC (I think that's what I keep hearing it referred to) is supposed to notify all affected sectors.

Aside from that, it gets spit out from the FDIO machine (the magic box) from god-knows where.

TFaudree_ERAU · May 19th, 2007, 21:42

So you would think that the controllers at Tampa know that the La Belle (LBV) VOR is OTS (has been for 3 weeks now) and that a non-RNAV aircraft can't use it? Even if the guys in the tower/TRACON didn't know, shouldn't the computer know to not spit out a flight strip with routing over LBV?

Fox Xray · May 20th, 2007, 11:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by TFaudree_ERAU

So you would think that the controllers at Tampa know that the La Belle (LBV) VOR is OTS (has been for 3 weeks now) and that a non-RNAV aircraft can't use it? Even if the guys in the tower/TRACON didn't know, shouldn't the computer know to not spit out a flight strip with routing over LBV?

They should know... there are numerous things that can be happening. They may not have been notified, the individual controllers may have missed it, they may have missed that you are not RNAV equipped (many A/C are equipped). From time to time I clear /A to a point and they respond errr... we're not RNAV.

As for the computer know not to spit it out ... not a chance

You should see the flight plan computer system... it's 1950's technology. It's like working with the old MS DOS. It's a black screen with puke green text and everything is entered using commands. If you make one mistake it rejects the whole entry but won't even clue you in to why...

Most people have the perception that we work in a state of the art operation... nothing can be further from the truth. In the case of the VOR outage the only notification we usually get is a hand written post it note somewhere in the vicinity of the sector. Of course being a Gov't post it note it falls off in about 23 minutes...

pilotnate23 · May 20th, 2007, 13:35

We usually get notification over the dial line that a VOR in the area will be OTS. We only have 3 NAVAIDS in our airspace. Also, we verify all of our NOTAMs with Huron FSS when we open in the morning, so we kind of check and verify on that kind of stuff. Yes, the FSS situation hasn't been too good lately, hopefully when all of the transition work is completed we'll start to see better service!

- Nate

May 15th, 2007, 19:22	#1
TFaudree_ERAU Old Skool Join Date: May 2006 Location: Virginia is for Lovers, yacht chasing on the weekends Posts: 1,774	ATC/FSS interaction Does FSS notify ATC facilities when a nearby VOR is going OTS for a few weeks? More specifically, would the guys in Tampa tower and/or approach get any sort of notification from St. Petersburg FSS when the La Belle (LBV) VOR is scheduled to be taken down for maintenance? I had a personal experience with Tampa not having a clue that the nearby VOR was OTS, and was wondering if this was just another side effect of the lousy FSS situation as of recent. __________________ Charter Member - JC Pilot Motion Picture Society (JC PiMPS)

May 17th, 2007, 09:31	#2
Fox Xray ATC Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 402	Re: ATC/FSS interaction I'm not sure who does the actual notification but any navaid outage is always reported to facilities and sectors impacted by the outage. It can be as simple as a note at the sector indicating XYZ VOR will be OTS 1400-1600 or in the case of a long term outage there could be a briefing item on it. I think VOR's and such are maintained by Airways Facilities and therefore notification comes via them.

May 19th, 2007, 18:21	#3
PurduePilot Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Sherborn, Massachusetts USA Posts: 1,309	Re: ATC/FSS interaction I think NOC (I think that's what I keep hearing it referred to) is supposed to notify all affected sectors. Aside from that, it gets spit out from the FDIO machine (the magic box) from god-knows where. __________________ Neil Harrison

May 19th, 2007, 21:42	#4
TFaudree_ERAU Old Skool Join Date: May 2006 Location: Virginia is for Lovers, yacht chasing on the weekends Posts: 1,774	Re: ATC/FSS interaction So you would think that the controllers at Tampa know that the La Belle (LBV) VOR is OTS (has been for 3 weeks now) and that a non-RNAV aircraft can't use it? Even if the guys in the tower/TRACON didn't know, shouldn't the computer know to not spit out a flight strip with routing over LBV? __________________ Charter Member - JC Pilot Motion Picture Society (JC PiMPS)

May 20th, 2007, 13:35	#6
pilotnate23 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: SD Posts: 98	Re: ATC/FSS interaction We usually get notification over the dial line that a VOR in the area will be OTS. We only have 3 NAVAIDS in our airspace. Also, we verify all of our NOTAMs with Huron FSS when we open in the morning, so we kind of check and verify on that kind of stuff. Yes, the FSS situation hasn't been too good lately, hopefully when all of the transition work is completed we'll start to see better service! - Nate __________________ "Two things make an airplane fly: airspeed and money"

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