Flight Service Station

A Flight Service Station (FSS) is an air traffic facility which provides pilot briefings regarding current weather and possible hazards along a route of flight. An FSS station may also give en route communication services and VFR search and rescue assistance. Other resposibilites include relaying Air Traffic Control (ATC) clearances, creating Notices to Airmen (NOTAM), receive IFR flight plans and monitor Navigation Aides (NAVAIDs).

The nearest FSS can be reached by telephone with the number 1-800-WX-BRIEF. A pilot en route may also hail a FSS using the common frequency of 122.2 MHz with their COMM radio. While this is the common frequency some stations may use other frequencies: check the latest Airport/Facility Directory (AFD) or Sectional Chart.

All Flight Service Stations listen on standard frequencies with 121.5 MHz being the most important. This frequency is the emergency frequency that a pilot would use to give a distress call or to seek help when lost. Every station has it's own discrete frequency, generally between 122.3 and 122.6 MHz, so two stations aren't picking up the same pilot. Since a flight service station may be covering a large area of land there may be one or more Remote Communications Outlets (RCO) which it monitors through land lines. An RCO may be located by itself or with a VHF omnidirectional range (VOR).

Pilots are encouraged to radio a FSS and give a pilot report (PIREP). FSS flight briefers give any available PIREPs to pilots that may be traveling through the same area as the given report.

Search and Rescue

A flight service station not only takes IFR flight plans but VFR as well. A VFR flight plan is considered by many general aviation (GA) pilots as a free insurance policy. By activating a VFR flight plan the pilot is guaranteeing for him or herself that someone will start searching for them if they don't arrive at their destination in a timely manner.

In the case of a pilot not arriving at their destination and closing their flight plan flight service will start making calls to nearby ATC and Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs). If this turns up nothing then a call is made to any contact numbers given with the flight plan. If there is no information about a pilots whereabouts within two hours of their scheduled arrival flight service will contact the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. (Other facilities would be contacted if the pilot was in Alaska or Hawaii.)

The AFRCC contacts friends and relatives of the pilot asking about the pilots intentions and flying abilities. The AFRCC may make phone calls to local military, police or Civil Air Patrol units as well. If by three hours the pilot has not been located an actual search mission is launched weather permitting. If there is an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) onboard the aircraft a search mission can be drastically reduced in time.

List of Flight Service Stations (and their identifiers):

References

See also: Flight Service Station, Air Traffic Control, Aircraft emergency frequency, Civil Air Patrol, Emergency locator transmitter, General aviation, IFR, VFR, VHF omnidirectional range, Pilot report