RW: Goodbye, Flight Watch

[Don Desfosse]

The FAA has discontinued the Enroute Weather Advisory Service, nicknamed "Flight Watch" (frequency 122.00), effective today.  I used it several times.  Not a lot, but it was nice to have it there when you needed it.  So being the crusty old fart pilot that I am, I'll say that I'll miss it.  Goodbye, Flight Watch, thanks for all the help you've provided me and every other pilot who needed the service.

Flight Watch frequency end date changed to Sept. 24
August 31, 2015
By Dan Namowitz

The FAA will discontinue the use of the dedicated Flight Watch radio frequency 122.0 MHz on Sept.24, a week earlier than the previously announced end date for the En Route Flight Advisory Service (EFAS) frequency.

The FAA changed the implementation date to Sept. 24 from Oct. 1 because all necessary preparations will be completed earlier than planned, it said.

Services provided by EFAS will continue to be offered over published Flight Service frequencies and on 122.2 MHz, the universal frequency for contacting Flight Service.

After its discontinuation, 122.0 MHz will be monitored for six months so pilots may be directed to other frequencies appropriate for their flight.

The FAA will publish a notam advising of the new end date. The agency also will send out a FAAST Blast email message on Sept. 9, and update the FAA website to announce the change, said Rune Duke, AOPA director of government affairs for airspace and air traffic.

AOPA reported Aug. 18 that the FAA had decided to discontinue 122.0 MHz as increasing numbers of pilots switch from traditional Flight Service assistance to more automated and Web-based information sources.

The change will give the agency an opportunity to eliminate redundancies and reduce underutilized services, and resolve issues of bleed-over and frequency congestion on 122.0 MHz, the FAA said.

AOPA has worked to make pilots aware of the transition, and to assure that satisfactory levels of service continue on the other frequencies.

[Shane VanHoven]

"Attention all aircraft, hazardous weather information available on HIWAS, fligh-, correction, flight service frequencies."

I guess we'll have to see how many times that will happen now.

[Tom Seeley]

So, who takes your in-flight PIREP now? I always did that through Flight Watch.

[Don Desfosse]

Flight Service.

[Tim Simpson]

I hate change....lol.

Tim

[Joshua Walden]

Now its really just the center controllers taking PIREPS. IFR requirements dictate a pilot let them know of any unforecasted weather. Flying in a PC-12, we do that a lot, we are right in the lower altitudes and get the brunt of the garbage weather, so its not uncommon to see a lot of our pireps pop up.