FAA's Program To Automate Flight Service Stations

Status and Needs Gao ID: PSAD-80-1 October 31, 1979

To meet a large anticipated demand for services by 1990, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to automate flight service stations, enabling pilots to brief themselves. GAO reviewed this plan as a part of an ongoing review of major acquisitions of executive agencies.

The plan will be instituted in three segments called models. The objective of the first model, establishment of a limited-capability automated system at the busiest stations, is already being achieved by other programs and could be eliminated. FAA plans to begin production of the second model after a competitive design verification phase that does not include a software function. GAO felt that the plan could be improved by requiring some functional software development during the initial competitive development phase to insure obtaining a better system. Improvements and additions in the third model will enable pilot self-briefing. As specialists will continue to be available to all pilots, some controls will be necessary to achieve maximum use of the automated system.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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