Chapter 6. Flight Data
Section 1. General

6-1-1. COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE

Most flight movement data exchanged outside of the facility is processed by automated systems such as NADIN. It is important to adhere to strict format and procedures during normal operations as well as system interruption periods.

a. Circuit interruption notifications should be as follows:

1. Consult your operational system handbook and standard operating procedures for detailed instructions regarding circuit interruption notification procedures.

2. Notify any guarding facility/sector, the Aeronautical Information System Replacement (AISR) Customer Service Center, and NADIN.

b. All outage reports should refer to the correct circuit and/or equipment identification numbers. Facilities should obtain and record ticket numbers provided by AISR or the TELCO authority.

c. AISR and NADIN telephone numbers.

1. NADIN/ATLANTA: (KATLYTYX)
770 210­7675.

2. NADIN/SALT LAKE CITY: (KSLCYTYX) 801 320­2172.

3. AISR Helpdesk: 866­466­1336.

d. Weather Message Switching Center Replacement (WMSCR) telephone numbers.

1. WMSCR/ATLANTA: 770­210­7574.

2. WMSCR/SALT LAKE CITY: 801­320­2046.

6-1-2. FLIGHT PLANS

Filing a VFR flight plan is recommended. Brief pilots, as appropriate, on the following:

a. Identify the tie­in station for the departure point, and advise the pilot to report departure time directly to that facility.

b. When a departure report is unlikely because of inadequate communications capability, advise the pilot that the flight plan will be activated using the proposed departure time as the actual departure time. Include “ASMD DEP” in remarks. The pilot is responsible for closing, cancelling, or extending the flight plan if the flight is cancelled or delayed.

c. Determine the flight plan area in which the destination is located. Request the pilot close the flight plan with the tie­in facility. Provide the pilot the tie­in facility/sector contact information upon request.

d. Recommend that a separate flight plan be filed for each leg of a VFR flight.

e. Request the pilot inform FSS whenever the filed time en route changes more than 30 minutes.

f. On return flights from remote areas, such as a fishing site, establish a mutually acceptable date/time with the pilot for alerting search and rescue.

g. When a pilot files to an airport served by a part­time FSS and the ETA is during the period the facility is closed, ask the pilot to close with the associated FSS, identified in FAA Order JO 7350.8, Location Identifiers, and the Airport/Facility Directory.

h. Upon request, inform pilots filing IFR flight plans of the appropriate and most effective means of obtaining IFR departure clearances.

i. When a pilot files a DVFR flight plan, advise the pilot to activate with Flight Service. Also advise the pilot that a discrete beacon code will be assigned upon activation.

NOTE-
1. A discrete beacon code may be assigned when the flight plan is filed, as necessary. If the pilot wants to file a DVFR flight plan that departs outside the facility's flight plan area, provide the applicable toll­free number for the departure FSS.

2. Discrete beacon codes are assigned to facilities in accordance with FAA Order JO 7110.66, National Beacon Code Allocation Plan.

6-1-3. FLIGHT PLAN DATA

Handle flight plan data as follows:

a. Record flight plan data on a domestic or ICAO flight plan form or electronic equivalent. Locally approved procedures may be used to manually record data prior to entry into the operational system. Flight plan data received from an operations office may be limited to only those items required for ATC or SAR purposes, provided the operations office obtains complete information on the flight.

b. Accept military flight plan proposals, cancellations, and closures from any source, including collect telephone calls.

NOTE-
Part­time operations offices must provide complete information in the event it is needed for SAR purposes.

6-1-4. TYPES OF DATA RECORDED

a. Operational system entries for:

1. Flight plans and related messages.

2. Logging pilot briefings and aircraft contacts.

3. Service A/B messages.

b. Manual strip marking.

6-1-5. METHODS OF RECORDING DATA

a. Except as provided in para 4­2­2b, all entries must be made directly into the operational system.

b. Locally approved procedures may be used to manually record data during heavy traffic periods or system outages. Aircraft contact information should be logged in the operational system as soon as practical.

c. Use control/clearance symbols, abbreviations, location identifiers, and contractions for recording position reports, traffic clearances, and other data. When recording data either electronically or manually, you may use:

1. Plain language to supplement data when it will aid in understanding the recorded information.

2. Locally approved contractions and identifiers for frequently used terms and local fixes not listed in FAA Order JO 7340.2, Contractions, or FAA Order JO 7350.8, Location Identifiers. Use only within your facility, not on data or interphone circuits. All locally approved contractions and identifiers must be placed in facility files for record and reference purposes.

d. When recording data manually, use the standard hand­printed characters shown in FIG 6-1­1 to prevent misinterpretation.

FIG 6-1-1
Hand­Printed Characters Chart

NOTE-
A slant line crossing through the numeral zero and an underline of the letter “S” on handwritten portions of flight progress strips are required only when there is reason to believe the lack of these markings could lead to a misunderstanding. A slant line through the numeral zero is required on all weather data.

e. To correct or update data, draw a horizontal line through it and write the correct information adjacent to it.

f. Do not erase any item.

6-1-6. IFR/VFR/DVFR FLIGHT PLAN RECORDING

a. Use the operational system to record and file flight plans, flight plan modifications, cancellations, activations, and closures for appropriate distribution and processing. Detailed instructions are contained in the operational system manuals.

NOTE-
FSS operational systems contain the electronic equivalent of FAA Form 7233­1, Flight Plan

b. When closing an active VFR flight plan, obtain departure point and destination, if not already known.

NOTE-
A cancelled VFR flight plan is one that is removed from a proposed list and has not been activated. A closed VFR flight plan is one that has been activated and is now removed from an inbound list.

c. Flight plan information may initially be recorded on FAA Form 7233­1 or other paper prior to entry into the operational system

6-1-7. PART­TIME FSS CLOSURE ACTION

Part­time facilities must forward the following information to the designated guard FSS.

a. Inbound flights ­ all information.

b. Outbound flights ­ VFR and IFR flight plan data when proposed departure time and/or ETA is within the period from 1 hour prior to closing until 1 hour after opening.

c. All other pertinent information; for example, NOTAMs and pending outages.

6-1-8. TELEPHONE REQUESTS FOR ATC CLEARANCES

When a telephone request for an ATC clearance is received, positively verify the departure location by airport name or location identifier, and the city name and state.

NOTE-
1. With telephone calls being received from larger geographic areas, verification of the departure location may prevent a critical safety situation involving similar or identical airport or city names possibly located in different states.

2. City refers to a city, town, village or publicly recognized place.

3. Refer to FAA Order JO 7110.10, Para 4­3­7, ATC Clearances, Advisories, or Requests, for guidance on relaying ATC clearances.