VFR Flight Following Why?

[English]

I guess old timers who never really used it in the VFR environment get along just fine without VFR flight following ...

No, they don't. Those are the guys trying to kill us all.















KIDDING!!

 

[Metro752]

I was in regular air space once down near Daytona, and the controller must have been beating off or something (my initial thoughts), cuz next thing I know, these crazy old guys in their T-6s and a Mooney come blasting out from under a small bit of clouds at about my 1:00, headed right for me, so I dove that rusty little 152 I was renting really hard, and I don't know what, but those old farts did not see me, none of them manuevered to avoid me.

As I was "dodgin" the old coots, the approach controller comes on, Cessna 1............he pauses, and I key up, yeah I saw em.

Apparently they had just taken off from some little private strip, climbed really fast right at me, and ATC didn't really have a chance do to anything about it.

Then there was this one time, in a WELL maintained 152, where I was flying northbound along the Chicago lake shore at about 1000agl and 80kias, and I am now a little further north, just east of Palwaukee and the app controller comes on, kind of paniced, Cessna 970, traffic your 2 to 3:00 climbing fast a little lower than you, 2 miles, westbound.

At this point, I was a fairly fresh little private pilot, and didn't know if I was suppose to call him in sight, even though I didn't get an ATC advisory yet (didnt wanna tie up the radio). So I called back, have the traffic in sight and climbing. the controller, 2nd best app controller I ever had, just said thanks. I had watched this guy coming since he was 4 or 5 miles out.

Ended up being some moron flying just off the water in a twin something headed to PWK.

I don't count on VFR Flight Following very much. Most of the reason why I use it is so I can go over little airports and class C's so I dont have to worry about getting permission, usually. Handoffs have been pretty smooth for me when VFR. Never had a flight following denied or dropped either, except once in Florida, where there was a shift change, and the new controller dropped all 3 of his VFRs. Bastage

 

[TDTURBO]

I have had a few close calls in exactly the same spot you desribe above. Many people don't realize that you can call Midway Radar on 118.7 and get advisories until 3 north of the peir, which was the same Meigs would give you. Where you had your close call, as well as most of mine, are right after the 3 north when they drop you.


That is tuely a heads up place to be flying. I know the CfI that was killed, (3 south of the Peir), in a head-on there while TALKING to Meigs a few years back. Even with advisories I would still look around like you aren't getting them.

Also, get a Monroy or SureCheck for a THIRD pair of eyes if you are on a budget flying small planes. It's portable and has saved my ass a few times!

 

[NookyBooky]

I fly a bizjet in SOCAL. I really want the VFR guys talking to ATC when I'm in the neighborhood. The more people "in the loop" the better.

'Sled

I second that, especially for flying around here. Most of the time I see traffic before ATC calls it out, but it's the ones I don't see that worry me. There is no replacement for a visual scan, but all planes have blind spots-thats why I talk to ATC. You never now when that SWA 737 5k above you in your blind spot is going to start his 7000fpm decent.

ATC is a help, but I would have had many more close calls, or worse, if I wasn't always searching for planes like I was in a dogfight.

 

[Photoflight]

I spend most of my day flying VFR in and around class B and C airspace all over the country do survey work. It has saved my butt more than once. I'm currently in socal and the haze out here makes it nearly impossible to see most of the AC out there.

 

[NookyBooky]

I spend most of my day flying VFR in and around class B and C airspace all over the country do survey work. It has saved my butt more than once. I'm currently in socal and the haze out here makes it nearly impossible to see most of the AC out there.

Cheers to your avatar, and welcome to SoCal.

 

[Goose Egg]

Here in the Boston area there is so much traffic that it would be foolish to both not get flight following and not aggressively scan for traffic. For the record, I have not once ever had a problem getting flight following from Boston Approach or Boston Center.

-Goose

 

[User546]

I always get flight following when able, on my personal VFR cross countries for "another set of eyes" but more importantly to me, to have someone I can immediately talk to and squawk too if I have an emergency and have to put down quickly.

Sure theres 121.5, but theres no guarantee that someone heard you, and even if they did it might be harder for you to accurately relay your position to them in a timely manner. Flight following, just hit the IDENT button a few times, and/or squawk 7700 and your in good hands.

I'd hate to be sitting at a crash scene somewhere wondering if anyone actually heard my calllout.

Even if I don't use flight following on a cross country, I still reguarly check in with "busier" controlled airspaces and defintely check in with Approach when around Class B or C airports, just to let them know I'm over head, or around there, and am monitoring the frequency if they need anything. Never had a controller not sound like they appreciate the gesture.

That's my personal opinion, and how/why I use the system.

 

[aeronautic1]

"Gulfstream XXXXTango...

... I have traffic at your 12 o'click two miles opposite direction indicating 5500, unconfirmed."

Enough Said

 

[ISaidRightTurns]

See and avoid is nice. Class A airspace is better. Also, If your VFR and don't want to talk to anyone, take the time to climb at least above 7k. Most private pilots I know think thats high altitude. I knew a guy at riddle that was private IFR and had never been above 3.5. Very few of the 1200 targets I observe daily make it above 5k. Very very few above 11k.