MGM CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING NEW AFSS PROCS THAT ARE APPARENTLY A RESULT OF CONTRACTING OUT AND CONSOLIDATING AFSS SERVICES/FACS.

2007-03 · NASA ASRS report 730271

Date: 2007-03

Anomalies: other-new-afss-procs

Synopsis

MGM CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING NEW AFSS PROCS THAT ARE APPARENTLY A RESULT OF CONTRACTING OUT AND CONSOLIDATING AFSS SERVICES/FACS.

Narrative

A PLT RPTED BEING IN LIGHT CLR ICE AND NEEDING TO DSND. I GOT ALL THE INFO NEEDED FOR A PIREP AND INSTRUCTED MY FLT DATA CTLR TO RELAY THIS TO AFSS. WHEN AFSS ANSWERED THE LINE AND WAS TOLD THAT WE HAD A PIREP; THEIR FIRST QUESTION WAS THE ACFT CALL SIGN. FAA FORM 7110.2 (PIREPS) DOES NOT REQUIRE THIS INFO; NOR HAVE I EVER BEEN ASKED FOR A CALL SIGN IN 19 YRS OF FORWARDING PIREPS. THE FLT DATA CTLR HAD TO CHK BACK WITH ME TO GET THE CALL SIGN. LAST WEEK WE STARTED NOTICING THAT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF FLT PLANS ALL OF A SUDDEN STARTING LISTING 4 CHARACTER ARPT IDENTIFIERS (MGM..PDK). WE HAD ALL SEEN THIS ON THE OCCASIONAL INTL MIL FLT; BUT NOW ABOUT 40% OF THE GA FLTS ARE GETTING IT. SOMEHOW; WE HAVE PINNED IT DOWN TO AFSS USING A NEW PROC. IN FEB; OUR SVCING AFSS (ANB) WAS CONSOLIDATED INTO A HUB FACILITY IN LEESBURG; VA. I DON'T KNOW IF THESE CHANGES ARE RELATED TO THAT CONSOLIDATION OR NOT. THESE CHANGES MAY SEEM MINOR; BUT WHEN WORKING BUSY TFC; UNEXPECTED NEW PROCS ARE A DISTR. THEY ALSO GENERATE DISTRACTING CONVERSATIONS AND SPECULATIONS. IF LOCKHEED-MARTIN OR ANYONE IS GOING TO CREATE NEW PROCS THAT WILL IMPACT US; THEN WE SHOULD BE BRIEFED BEFORE THE PROCS ARE IMPLEMENTED SO WE ARE NOT DISTR BY THESE LITTLE SURPRISES ON POS. I DON'T KNOW IF THE NEW PROCS ARE BETTER OR WORSE; OR WHAT PURPOSE THEY SERVE; BUT WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT ABOUT THEM WHEN I HAVE TIME TO ASK A QUESTION OR GET A COMPLETE BRIEFING.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.

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