Lockheed Martin Taking Over FSS System

Lockheed Martin is scheduled to take over operation of Flight Service Stations today in what the company promises to be a seamless transition. In February the FAA awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to provide FSS services now offered by the agency’s 58 automated flight service stations in the continental U.S. Over the next 18 months the company plans to upgrade the FSS system and consolidate the number of stations from 58 to 20. Once Lockheed Martin finishes its work, FSS specialists must answer telephone calls within 20 seconds and radio calls within 15 seconds. They must also process flight plans in three minutes and pireps within 30 seconds of receipt, according to AOPA. Nearly all of the 2,000 FSS specialists, formerly FAA employees, will remain on the job as employees of Lockheed Martin. Next April Lockheed Martin plans to launch Flight Service 21 to allow pilots to get FSS briefings and file and store flight plans online.