Usage Instructions

Current Release

TXT Flight Service Station 1.0.0.0 [Debug]

Introduction

Imagine you are sitting in your R44 helicopter on a heliport or oil platform, blades turning, with no Internet access, and no ability to call FSS (either by radio or telephone). As a safety-conscious pilot, you need up-to-date weather information for both current conditions and future conditions.

As all good pilots, when you encounter unforecasted weather, you file a PIREP with FSS. Unfortunately, if you are confined to low altitude, this can be a difficult process since you are too low to call Flight Watch or FSS on the radio, but too high to make a voice phone call from your cellphone.

Now supposed you are on a cross country flight at 1000 AGL, below a cloud deck, and are running 45 minutes late on your VFR flight plan. You need to contact FSS to extend your flight plan before search and rescue operations are initiated.

These are all situations that I have personally encountered. The first and second while at Steel Pier heliport and the third while ferrying an R22 from Texas to Pennsylvania. TXT Flight Service Station was created for those of us who try to do "the right thing" by getting weather briefings, filing PIREPs, and activating VFR flight plans, but are limited by the capabilities of our aircraft and non-web-enabled cell phones.

Beta Tester Mailing List

While not a requirement, I am requesting that everyone using this service please join our mailing list. Thank you in advance.

Reporting Bugs

Please report any bugs that you encounter into our bug report form. Thank you.

Current Features

METAR Reports

Send a text message to wx@txtfss.com with the word METAR followed by the station identification. Within about 15 seconds, you will receive a response with the METAR report for that station.

Send: METAR BWI
Receive: KBWI 080154Z 26006KT 10SM CLR M06/M11 A3002 RMK AO2 SLP169 T10611106

TAF Reports

Send a text message to wx@txtfss.com with the word TAF followed by the station identification. Within about 15 seconds, you will receive a response with the TAF report for that station.

Send: TAF BWI
Receive: KBWI 072340Z 0800/0906 29007KT P6SM SCT200
     FM080400 30009KT P6SM SKC
     FM081400 30012KT P6SM SKC
     FM090000 29007KT P6SM SKC

PIREP Reports

Send a text message to wx@txtfss.com with the word PIREP followed by the station identification. Within about 15 seconds, you will receive a response with the PIREP report for that station.

Send: PIREP BWI
Receive: BWI UA /OV BWI215008 /TM 0147 /FL040 /TP PA30 /TB MOD

Area Forecast (FA) Reports

Send a text message to wx@txtfss.com with the word FA followed by the station identification. Within about 15 seconds, you will receive a response with the PIREP report for that station.

Send: FA MD
Receive: WRN WV...BKN030-035 TOP 090. 08Z OCNL VIS 3-5SM BR. OTLK...MVFR CIG BECMG 16Z VFR. ERN WV/FAR SW VA...OVC040-050 TOP 090. OTLK...MVFR CIG BECMG 16Z VFR. RMNDR...SKC. OTLK...VFR.

If a response is greater than 160 characters, the response will be broken up into multiple messages.

New Up and Coming Features

These features are currently in development. They are covered by the original patent, and will be included in the final product. Once they become available, everyone on our mailing list will be notified.

Upd. Feb 07, 2010.