FAAST Blast — Week of May 19, 2019 – May 25, 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.
You can find the phone numbers for clearance delivery in the communications section of the entry for each airport in the Chart Supplement, U.S. This initiative does not affect pilots requesting clearances from Flight Service or Air Traffic over Remote Communications Outlets (RCO) or from locations in Alaska. For more information, visit https://go.usa.gov/x5wsR.
Hazardous Inflight Weather Advisory Service Sunsets
As part of the FAA’s efforts to modernize and streamline service delivery, Flight Service will discontinue the Hazardous Inflight Weather Advisory Service (HIWAS) in the contiguous United States later this year. HIWAS is a continuous recording of inflight weather advisories broadcast over a limited network of VORs that provide pilots with meteorological information related to hazardous weather.
HIWAS is an inflight service not intended to provide a detailed weather briefing. It uses text-to-voice technology to record a broadcast tailored to fit the needs of a specific geographic location. Flight Service created HIWAS when there was a large demand for briefings to alleviate the workload of specialists and reduce wait times for pilots.
With the advent of the internet and other technology, the demand for information from Flight Service specialists has declined. From more than 3,000 specialists in more than 300 facilities during the early 1980s, staffing has decreased to fewer than 400 specialists in three facilities; radio contacts have dropped to less than 900 calls per day from an average of 10,000 per day.
Flight Service will discontinue the text-to-voice recordings of HIWAS with publication of a final policy notice in the Federal Register, which is expected by Sept. 30, 2019. If you have any questions please contact: 9-AWA-ATO-SYSOPS-FS@faa.gov.
Change is Good
Have you ever wondered how the changes in aircraft certification might affect you? In the new May/June 2019 issue of FAA Safety Briefing, editor James Williams explores the changes brought about by the part 23 modernization in his article, “The Quiet Revolution.” While it might not seem like the part 23 changes will make much difference to you, these changes could be the biggest advance for General Aviation in decades. Williams talks to industry stakeholders about what you should expect in the coming years and how the changes will benefit you. A mobile friendly version of the article can be found here: https://adobe.ly/2V4hosH. You can read the entire May/June 2019 issue at http://bit.ly/FAASB.
Produced by the FAA Safety Briefing editors, www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing.
Address questions or comments to: SafetyBriefing@faa.gov.
Follow us on Twitter @FAASafetyBrief or https://twitter.com/FAASafetyBrief.
