Chapter 5. Pre‐Flight Services

Section 1. General

1. DESCRIPTION

Pre‐flight services are those provided prior to takeoff to assist pilots in flight planning for the safe and efficient operation of aircraft. Pre‐flight services may also include other air traffic‐related requests over the phone. Pre‐flight services include (but are not limited to):

1. Pilot briefing (includes weather and aeronautical information).
2. NOTAM delivery.
3. Flight plan handling (see Chapter 6, Section 2).
4. Weather report input including surface observations and augmentation (Alaska only), and PIREPs.
5. Clearance relay (for Alaska or MEDEVAC only for the CONUS).
6. Flight plan activation (see paragraph 6-2-6) and closure (see paragraph 6-2-13).

1. PRE‐DUTY REQUIREMENTS

Before assuming pre‐flight duties, specialists must familiarize themselves with meteorological and aeronautical conditions in accordance with appropriate facility directives. This includes but not limited to:

1. General locations of weather-causing systems and general weather conditions.
2. Detailed information on current and forecast weather conditions for the assigned FPA or AOR.
3. Aeronautical information (for example, NOTAMs, SUAs, TFRs, and air traffic delays).

1. UNAVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION

Use all available means to obtain the information required for a regulatory-compliant briefing. If a complete briefing cannot be provided due to circuit problems or missing data, inform the user of this fact. If known, advise the user of the time you expect the data to be available.