Definition
A former FAA-funded computer service that allowed certificated pilots to obtain official preflight weather briefings and to file, amend, or cancel domestic VFR and IFR flight plans directly with Flight Service, without going through a briefer. DUATS was discontinued in May 2018 and replaced by services delivered through the Leidos Flight Service portal at 1800wxbrief.com and by approved third-party providers.
Plain English
DUATS was an online system pilots used to get official weather briefings and file flight plans themselves, instead of phoning a briefer. It has been retired and replaced by newer FAA-approved services.
Context Anchor
Seen in older FAA flight planning material when discussing ways to file an IFR flight plan before departure.
Derivation
‘Direct User Access’ describes the idea that the pilot connected directly to the FAA’s flight planning system rather than going through an intermediary. ‘Terminal System’ refers to the computer terminal interface used in the early days of the service, when pilots dialed in from a personal computer.
Why Pilots Care
Older handbooks, test questions, and training materials still mention DUATS by name. Knowing it has been retired prevents confusion when a current pilot looks for it and finds it no longer exists — today the same functions are handled through 1800wxbrief.com or approved third-party flight planning apps.
Intuition Check
DUATS was not an aircraft instrument, cockpit display, or navigation system. It was a ground-based flight planning and filing service used before a flight.
Example Sentence 1
Before DUATS was retired, many instrument pilots used it to pull a standard weather briefing and file their IFR flight plan from home.
Example Sentence 2
She used DUATS from her computer at home to submit the flight plan directly to the FAA.