DUAT Service

[djschaut]

Is everyone familiar with the website www.duat.com/ for flight planning, weather, and such?

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DJSchaut

[wxwatcher]

I'm familiar with the DUATS products from the complaints I get at work. DUATS service is ONLY valid in the lower 48, not Hawaii, Alaska, or for flight into/out of Mexico and Canada.

Once you file a flight plan, if you want to make a change or cancel the flight, you can't use the system. If you make a mistake and an IFR flight plan is rejected by the ATRCC computer, you don't know about it until you ask for your clearance.

The system cannot display local notams, only the NOTAM D's and FDC NOTAMS. It can overload the new pilot with a dump of unnecessary weather products and notam information.

I've received a number of calls from piltos who got a DUATS briefing, then had to call the flight service station to ask for help decoding some of the products because the DUATS decoder didn't recognize something. I've also had to refile numerous flight plans that the DUATS system "lost".

In the Bay area of northern California, there is a special program, flight plan requirement, and routing for VFR aircraft departing SFO. It's not in the DUATS system. I believe the same goes for the SOCAL routes of siuthern CA, though I haven't had to work with those for a couple years.

Personal opinion, DUATS is good for a "prebriefing" overview of the weather, but that's about it. If you want a good weather briefing and flight plan service, call your local FAA flight service station. That's what they are there for and it doesn't cost you anything.

But then again, I may be a bit prejudiced. :-)

Jerry

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Comments and opinions are my own and do not reflect those of my employer.