Short Final

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A pilot was unable to obtain weather information from Oakland Flight Watch due to a system requirement for an identifier of their current location.
  • The Flight Watch controller stated their computer would not allow them to provide the weather without this specific location identifier.
  • Frustrated by the system's inflexibility, the pilot opted to disregard the request and use a cell phone to get the weather instead.
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This was my experience, airborne near Hollister (CA) inbound to Salinas (CA) airport, SNS:

Me:
“Oakland Flight Watch, Aircoupe 1234, ten east of Hollister. Please give me current Salinas weather.”

OAK:
“Aircoupe 1234, Oakland Flight Watch. What’s the identifier?”

Me:
“Salinas identifier is SNS.”

OAK:
“I know what the identifier for Salinas is. I need the identifier for your location near Hollister.”

Me:
“I don’t know the identifier for Hollister. Just please give me the weather at Salinas.”

OAK:
“The computer won’t let me give you the Salinas weather unless I tell it where you are with an identifier.”

Me:
“Disregard my request. I’ll call on my cell phone. It doesn’t care where I’m at!”


Bill
via e-mail

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