DUAT

[Guest DILLA]

Do military pilots use DUAT or is there a military equivalent?

[Techsan]

As a former C-21 guy, I used it from time to time, seeing that I was flying a civilian LJ 35. The only thing I would use it for was to see what the fuel burn would be for a particular leg, if I had no access to a .mil computer. Even then, it was only to get ballpark numbers. Officially, we used ACFP for flight planning.

[Guest rotorhead]

Unless your MAJCOM specifically says it's okay, you cannot use the feds for wx. From AFI 11-202v3:

The following weather sources are authorized:

2.3.1.1. US Military Weather Services.

2.3.1.2. Approved weather sources listed in the MAJCOM supplement to this instruction or MDS

specific Volume 3.

2.3.2. Alternative Method. If there are no possible means of obtaining weather from the above

sources, pilots may fly in VMC to a point where contact can be established with an authorized weather

source.

What is STOO PID is that in many, many cases, the USAF wx sqdn dudes go to the civ sites, and cut and paste...same weather, different company.

Edited June 14, 2007 by rotorhead

[163 FS]

I use it like a MFer on CT XC and I'll use it to back up what the student brings to me after he/she plans the sortie. I love DUATS

[brabus]

I use it like a MFer on CT XC and I'll use it to back up what the student brings to me after he/she plans the sortie. I love DUATS[

"Sir, here's what I got on my form 70."

(IP spends 6.9 sec putting in crap on DUATS)

"Nope...come on fvcker, we don't have all day!"

Stud mumbling to himself - "fvcking gay whiz wheel"

On a slightly more serious note. On my XC a while ago the briefers were taking up to 30 min to get a hold of, so I just said fvck it and logged on to my DUATs account and filed all our flight plans in 2 min. My IP didn't even know you could do that and thought it was pretty sweet. It may not technically be approved, but all the IPs that weekend didn't give a shit if we used it (after the initial "show me you can do this old way").

Edited June 15, 2007 by brabus

[PirateAF]

Any AMC guys out there have a good help/how-to file for deciphering a CFP?

I've already got "Rabbits CFP decoder" but it's somewhat dated.

Thanks

[ellsworb]

Any AMC guys out there have a good help/how-to file for deciphering a CFP?

I've already got "Rabbits CFP decoder" but it's somewhat dated.

Thanks

The TACC website has the entire book for CFP for every aircraft. Its a link to software manufacturers. Then you can get the book there. PM me if you have any issues. . I've got a copy on my thumbdrive.

[Guest Mox Nix]

Unless your MAJCOM specifically says it's okay, you cannot use the feds for wx. From AFI 11-202v3:

The following weather sources are authorized:

2.3.1.1. US Military Weather Services.

2.3.1.2. Approved weather sources listed in the MAJCOM supplement to this instruction or MDS

specific Volume 3.

2.3.2. Alternative Method. If there are no possible means of obtaining weather from the above

sources, pilots may fly in VMC to a point where contact can be established with an authorized weather

source.

ACC Sup: When military weather services are unavailable, call the applicable OWS… or use any FAA approved weather system or service (e.g. DUATS or the NOAA Aviation Weather Site: https://aviationweather.gov/)

I think the AETC sup says the same thing, don't know about AMC but I'd be surprised if it didn't.

As for other FAA approved sources, per FAA Order 8400.10, there's any Flight Service Station (duh) or any "Qualified Internet Communications Provider" (QICP) which is certified by the FAA. There are currently 15 certified sites...many need a user registration/login, some are pay sites. Here's the FAA's page listing the QICP sites

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headqu.../qicp/approved/

[sky_king]

Do not file through DUATS while departing from a mil field. We had a fellow FAIP figure that out the hard way a while ago. A little time in jail and a phone call to the DO was required.

[FlyinGrunt]

hey sky king, care to explain that one a bit more?

[Guest Safe&Clear]

Do not file through DUATS while departing from a mil field. We had a fellow FAIP figure that out the hard way a while ago. A little time in jail and a phone call to the DO was required.

Yep, if you file with DUATS-- or even better: flightplan.com-- the military gets the beak.

The reasoning is: We've always had enlisted kids or civilians in Base Ops to input flight plans to ATC. Therefore, we always will! Even if it's obsolete. And even if they often screw it up.

If we start filing flight plans using more efficient, modern methods, Base Operations staffs around the country will no longer have a reason to exist. The AF could then cut some positions, some facilities, and save some money. That's unheard of and wouldn't be tolerated.

[BigFreddie]

hey sky king, care to explain that one a bit more?

The story I heard while there was that the guy filed via DUATs and never went by base ops. Base ops sees a guy get in a jet, fire it up but there is no flight plan. They figure someone is stealing a jet since no one talked to them or gave them a flight plan. The sky cops stopped him before he took off - I bet that story will live forever in the sky cop world...

The T-1 commander down there owned an airplane and used DUATs for that but wouldn't allow the IPs or students to use it because it basically gave the FAA all the info they needed to bring the big violation hammer down on you much easier than fighting with the Air Force for more than "On File" or O/F.

[Guest Safe&Clear]

... it basically gave the FAA all the info they needed to bring the big violation hammer down on you much easier than fighting with the Air Force for more than "On File" or O/F.

Guess what? Nowhere on the standard FAA flight plan is your Social Security number required. The military DD-175 is the only "flightplan" where there's even a space for it! We write "on file" to "protect our social" from them-- but they don't want it anyway!

As far as your name is concerned, at least on Flightplan.com you can type "OnFile" or "USMil" in the PIC's name block if you like. (I personally just go ahead and use my name-- if I buy myself a violation, I'll take it. I don't need Big Blue to "protect" me.)

A Flightplan.com account is an awesome filing tool if you rarely stop at mil fields. Even if you do, it often works just fine-- Clearance Delivery/ Tower can see your "strip" in the system. But there are bases where they call you out if you didn't allow THEM to put it there.

[Flare]

So what led to the supposed jail time?

[sky_king]

Like it was posted here, filing through base ops will basically let security forces know that you are going out to the airplane. Filing through duats doesn't do anything for you until you call clearance delivery. Some sky cop saw them walk out to the airplane and fire it up. Immediately he got a power erection and decided to arrest said individuals on suspicion. Kind of like another buddy of mine who was driving 8 mph in a 15 mph zone on base and got pulled over for driving suspiciously slow... but that's a whole other story.

Long story short: Mil Field = Base Ops ............. Civ Field = Duats or 1-800-WXBRIEF