Flightwatch – 27 VHF outlets being closed

[Dick Smith]

Former AusFICer, a most important post. I hope the Airservices Board members read it. I will print out a copy and post it to some of the addresses I have – here’s hoping.

I agree with everything you have said. I know there has been criticism directed at me because of my involvement in AMATS in 1991. I still have the video which went out with AMATS and it showed quite clearly that whilst we were changing the traffic information services to ATC, there would also be two automated Flight Service stations and a Flight Service system in parallel – exactly as per the North American system. Note – that is not just the USA, it is the USA and Canada.

I’m absolutely amazed to read what you have put into this post. I (and many others) would have had no idea that there was a plan to basically change everything to ATC and not have a separate Flightwatch/Flight Information Service system at all.

I point out that virtually everything that you have said in your post is news to me – and will be news to many other people in the industry. For some reason proper consultation has not taken place regarding these changes.

We are a very wealthy country and we can afford to have a duplicated ATC/Flightwatch/Flight Service system. I believe we can afford to have more than the 27 VHF outlets. I also believe that we can afford to have a proper automated Flight Service station where briefing officers are actually trained to give weather advice to pilots – not just quote met reports. This is no criticism of the people who give the briefings now – I find that they are excellent. However they simply do not have the training of their equivalents in the North American System, who will actually advise whether VFR flight is recommended after an interpretation of the forecast.

I am very disappointed to see a vision that I had (as did others – including many Flight Service Officers) being completely abandoned. I fear that it has been abandoned because of ignorance and a lack of vision, not because of any real ulterior motive.

My aim with the changes was to re-allocate the resources so they had the maximum affect for safety. My aim was never to remove all of the resources – that would be ridiculous.

I don’t like the fact that I have to try to do something to stop this as an individual. As you have stated, it is probably the only way to stop this reversal at the present time, and have some proper consultation.
I believe it all goes back to a total lack of leadership in aviation. I’m sure you will agree that the old system was ridiculous – that is, where Flight Service Officers gave traffic information in airspace which was covered by radar, but were not allowed to use the radar. I would have been happy to have the Flight Service Officers trained to use the radar. As it was, the Board decided we would follow the North American system, where the air traffic controller provided both separation and traffic information using radar where it was available. The FSO – or Flightwatch person, or whatever you call him or her – gave the important Flight Information Service.