Category: Facilities

Scottsbluff FSS (BFF), Nebraska, 1984  
Submitted by Roger C. Bodtke

Leonard Johnson at the Preflight Briefing Position

James Wohlers at the Preflight Briefing Position

Robert Clark sending a message on the teletype

Virginia Volk, FSS employee

Jon Preston at the Inflight Position

Bill Leffler at the Inflight Position

Bill Preuit at the Chief Desk

Submitted by Roger C. Bodtke

Omaha FSS (OMA), Nebraska, late 1950’s

Service “A” and Service “B” Switching Units. All information came through this equipment via one circuit per teletype printer or transmit/receive unit.  Service “A” circuits carried all weather to be printed and the Service “B” circuits carried all aircraft movement messages.  The Nebraska Department of Aeronautics had a circuit for 15 weather reporting stations.  Offutt Air Force Base had a dedicated circuit to OMA FSS.  These units were usually located in the same room as the teletypes.

The pilot weather briefing counter where all airline pilots that arrived and departed Omaha were briefed on the weather

The updated telephone weather briefing counter

The pilot weather briefing position using teletype paper and the first faxed weather charts

The flight Data and teletype positions with a DC-6 aircraft parked outside the window

Omaha FSS (OMA), Nebraska, late 1960’s
Photos submitted by Roger C. Bodtke

This was one section of the panoramic board depicting severe weather locations.

Photo taken standing at the pilot weather briefing counter looking over the Preflight and Inflight positions at the panoramic board, which was manually updated every hour. The panoramic board displayed the big picture of the weather, as well as VFR, MVFR, and IFR conditions.

The Preflight pilot weather briefing position

The Inflight Position

Submitted by Roger C. Bodtke

Omaha FSS (OMA), Nebraska December 17, 1986

The first Omaha Flight Service Station was commissioned May 23, 1932. The FSS was located on the second floor under the first Omaha Air Traffic Control Tower, which was on the Southeast corner of Epply Air Field in Omaha.  Prior to the first FSS, a communication station called Omaha Airway Radio was in operation from  1920-1932.

Submitted by Roger C. Bodtke

Omaha FSS (OMA), Nebraska, Late 1980’s

The Omaha Flight Service Station was moved to a new building on the Northwest edge of Epply Airfield in the early 1960’s.  A weather observation center was added on top of the FSS in the late 1980’s.

Submitted by Roger C. Bodtke

Omaha FSS (OMA), Nebraska, 1958

The flight Data and teletype positions with a DC-6 aircraft parked outside the window.

North Platte FSS (LBF), Nebraska, 1989
Photos submitted by Roger C. Bodtke

North Platte employees (L-R), John Totten, Doyle Werner, and Terry Hickey

North Platte FSS employees (L-R), Doyle Werner and John Totten at the Inflight Position

Terry Hickey at the Inflight Position

Curtis Alms, Hub Manager, presenting a retirement plaque to Newt Lippet, the last Air Traffic Manager at North Platte FSS

Photo taken from inside the operations area looking into the Inflight room