Lockheed Martin: AFSS Performance Is Improving

Editorial Staff

Friday, October 05, 2007 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Lockheed Martin acknowledges widespread complaints about its Flight Service Station contract, including long wait times, dropped calls, and briefers lacking local knowledge.
In response, the company has rewired its call waiting system to delay transferring calls to briefers unfamiliar with the origination area and is providing briefers with enhanced training on general airspace issues.
Lockheed Martin reports that average call answer times have been reduced to under two minutes, and provides a contact number for pilots to voice any complaints.

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Right up front, we’ll say we’ve heard the same complaints about Lockheed Martin’s handling of the Flight Service Station contract as everyone else: Long wait times, dropped calls, lost flight plans and briefers lacking local knowledge of the areas they cover. Lockheed Martin’s Dan Courain, the company’s VP of aviation services, says he has gotten a similar earful and at AOPA Expo on Thursday, Courain told AVweb that LockMart is doing something about. Specifically, it has rewired the call waiting system to delay bumping of calls from their origination area to other parts of the system, where briefers may be umfamiliar with local landmarks, airspace and conditions.

Further, says Courain, briefers are being given more generalized training on airspace issues such as TFRs and the Washington ADIZ, into which many pilots they brief may fly. What about call delays? Courain acknowledges that the company had early problems with delays but has now reduced average answer times to under two minutes. If pilots have complaints, says Courain, they can call (888) 358-7782. For direct information on the Washington area ADIZ, call (866) 225-7410.