Just been reading that the US DUATS system records your wx briefings and stores them for 15 days.
Also UK's Avbrief site has stated that it does that, and there have been various statements that the NATS Notam site does it too.
Yet I am sure none of the countless "free" websites do it, and any website that doesn't involve a user login can't do it anyway...
So if there is a legal need for a briefing, or you are flying to a country where the police are known for checking this, what do you do?
I print off a few pages and stick it in the folder with all my other printouts for the flight...
or you are flying to a country where the police are known for checking this
where would that be?
In the US I always get a phone briefing (in addition to online) before any x-country flight. Can't beat these guys' local knowledge!
I normally don't print my briefings any longer. If someone checks me, he is free to apply to DWD to view the activity lig o my account. No my obbligation to prove this.
That said, I normally when flying with a flightplan, i normally have my Rocketroute briefing saved on the ipad. Same for NOTAMs, flightlog and W&B.
Can't beat these guys' local knowledge!
What local knowledge? 1-800-WX-BRIEF was centralized years ago under a contract with Lockheed Martin and is now pretty much centralized with Alaska being the only exception. I've gone to using pure online briefings in the US since that because the local knowledge just isn't what it used to be when the flight service stations were distributed all over the country. I use DUATS and ADDS. (As noted DUATS records that you got a briefing and will also give you the NOTAMs, ADDS won't record anything but it has a lot of useful information on it).
In the US there's no legal requirement you use DUATS or the FSS to get your briefing, but if it all went pear-shaped (weather related incident or busting a TFR for instance) and you can't show you got a weather briefing and/or got the NOTAMs then you will have trouble with the FAA.
In my FAA IR checkride in 2006 I had to use 1-800-WX-BRIEF because it was a part of the protocol (the examiner didn't care about the internet) and I found it quite weird because I was being given a lengthy (and rapidly spoken) verbal description of a weather situation, whereas I was much more familiar with charts, tafs/metars, etc.
So I wonder how many "modern" US pilots actually use 1-800-WX-BRIEF. I bet most just hit the usual websites...
What local knowledge? 1-800-WX-BRIEF was centralized years ago under a contract with Lockheed Martin and is now pretty much centralized with Alaska being the only exception.
Yes and no. When you call up, the system asks you which state you are departing from, then, in the case of CA divides this into N and S. The guys I had on the phone over the last couple of years most definitely were local, as they made some comments - and gave advice - somebody not being very familiar with, say, the L.A. basin, wouldn't think or know about. Same for Arizona and Nevada.
I do, however vaguely recall one conversation where the briefer said he was not local but transferred me to someone who was. I have no idea how that works behind the scenes, the above is from experience over the last couple few years. Definitely works.
So I wonder how many "modern" US pilots actually use 1-800-WX-BRIEF.
Perhaps more then you think, after all you file your flight plan with them also. In addition, IF something goes wrong, there is a trace that you have obtained 'all pertinent information for the flight....' Which, btw, is prob why DUATS stores it for 15 days.
In fact, there is another, VERY GOOD, reason to use them: TFRs. These nasty things can pop up at very short notice. The briefer will know about them, and if you ask and the reply is 'no, there aren't any' and you then do blunder into one that appeared while you were in the air, you got a pretty good - and documented! - argument when Los Federales come for tea and bikkies.
Does the USA have the Notam culture which we have here in Europe?
I don't remember it being mentioned. TFRs seems to be what bothers them most, as you say.
In Europe, a Notam briefing the same day would be your defence to busting a TRA/RAT/whatever.
On an IFR flight, radar control, ATC won't let you go into one anyway and if they do it's their problem.
Does the USA have the Notam culture which we have here in Europe?
Sure has, perhaps not as anal (i.e. the madness as in the UK where some hobbyist rocket club can declare one, AFAIK). I tend to get the wx from the various online sources and then get a phone briefing which goes over the same ground again, but can include local briefer knowledge. A good example for this are the typical times the marine layer along the CA coast burns off during the day. In LA it's typically between 10-12L, but in the Bay Area, this can vary. Then gets me the various NOTAMs and TFRs and other info pertinent to the flight. Sometimes dredges up some obscure but important info.
The thing about DUATS today is that there are graphical interfaces which can plot the NOTAMs and TFRs on a map (something you can't do talking to someone on the phone) which I find much more useful and less time consuming. (And as has already been said, DUATS keeps a record of who gets a briefing).
If you have enough radios, a listening watch on 121.5 - or just getting flight following if you've only got the one radio - will keep you out of any TFRs that might have popped up since you took off (the TFRs that will get you an F16 escort, like the Presidential ones at least).
