Definition
A former FAA-funded service that allowed certificated pilots to obtain official weather briefings and file flight plans directly through an internet or computer connection, without needing to call a Flight Service Station. The DUATS program was discontinued in 2018 and replaced by 1800wxbrief.com and other approved third-party providers.
Plain English
DUATS was an older online system pilots used to get weather information and file flight plans themselves, instead of phoning a briefer. It has since been retired and replaced by newer online services.
Context Anchor
Seen in older FAA weather-reporting discussions as one of the ways pilots could receive METARs and other official preflight weather information.
Derivation
The name describes the service plainly: 'Direct User' (the pilot, accessing the system directly), 'Access Terminal' (a computer), 'Service' (an FAA-provided service). It was named in an era when 'terminal' meant a computer screen connected to a remote system.
Why Pilots Care
Allows pilots to retrieve essential weather data and file flight plans independently and quickly.
Intuition Check
Do not assume DUATS is a current briefing option just because it appears in FAA text. In this context, DUATS refers to an older official access system that has been replaced by current briefing services.
Example Sentence 1
Older textbooks mention DUATS as a way to get a weather briefing, but today pilots use 1800wxbrief.com instead.
Example Sentence 2
DUATS lets a pilot file a flight plan directly instead of calling the Flight Service Station.