FAAST Blast — Week of Feb. 25, 2019 – Mar. 03, 2019
Biweekly FAA Safety Briefing News Update
FAA Completes Clearance Relay Initiative
Flight Service will complete the Clearance Relay initiative on June 20 when it publishes the remaining phone numbers for pilots to obtain IFR clearances at public- and private-use airports, from either the overlying Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) Flight Data Units, or an approach control facility. As part of modernization efforts to streamline service delivery and increase efficiency, pilots now call directly to obtain or cancel an IFR clearance, reducing the risk of potential errors.
Last year, Flight Service formalized a process already in place by publishing phone numbers for 30 approach controls covering 667 public use airports, providing pilots direct contact with the controlling facility. Last fall, another 26 approach control facilities covering 226 public-use and 3,000 private-use airports had numbers published in the Chart Supplement, US and subscriber files.
Leidos Flight Service will provide pilots with the name of the facility to contact or the correct phone number to obtain or cancel an IFR clearance. Pilots may continue to request clearances via radio from air traffic control or Flight Service.
You can find the phone numbers for clearance delivery in the remarks section of the entry for each airport in the Chart Supplement, US. This initiative does not affect pilots requesting clearances from Flight Service over Remote Communications Outlets (RCO), Ground Communication Outlets (GCO), or from locations in Alaska. For more information, visit https://go.usa.gov/x5wsR.
Mountain Flying
Flying over mountains can offer beautiful scenery and views you just can’t get from the ground. However, keep in mind that mountain flying often involves more risks than flying over flatland areas. For more information, check out our Mountain Flying Fact Sheet at http://bit.ly/SE2019-02. You can also watch a video on the dangers of density altitude here: https://youtu.be/k1qylDKtr6M?list=PL5vHkqHi51DQdF_PXKQT7uJUPd4UzlxNS.
Is My ADS-B Broadcasting Me?
Do you know if your ADS-B Out system is broadcasting the truth about your aircraft’s position in the air or on the ground? It may appear to be working just fine, but in reality, air traffic control or other aircraft could be receiving traffic information from your system that just is not accurate. In the article, “Is My ADS-B Broadcasting Me,” editor Jennifer Caron provides important information on how you can run a free, online test of your ADS-B system to make sure that it’s transmitting correctly. You can read the full article at http://bit.ly/adsbemitter. You can read the entire issue at 1.usa.gov/FAA_ASB.
Produced by the FAA Safety Briefing editors, www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing.
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