VFR Flight Following Why?

[LAXSaabdude]

I guess there is not a high confidence level in see and avoid.

Not really! I tell you what, TCAS has made a believer out of me. I have 20/15 vision, but I can't count the times the TCAS has pointed out traffic that was almost dangerously close, that I never saw! Made me wonder how close to other airplanes I have gotten over the years when I was TCAS-less.

LAXSaabdude.

 

[dsee8driver]

Toledo approach and tower get overloaded at 3am when they have 1 727 and 1 DC-8 coming in from opposite directions.

Sometimes your lucky if the tower guy wakes up long enough to answer your call for landing clearance sometime before your wheels hit the pavement.

I assume you meant this as a joke, right? TOL in the middle of the night can get busy with /ac coming from all over. When the weather gets crappy they do a very good job. I've never encountered any "sleeping" tower dude. At least at night they are on the ball. A few years ago they had "Breathless", a chick controller with an awesome voice, specially at 2 am and she hustled us in and out very efficiently.

 

[YGBSM]

NO, there really isn't... and I have 20/10 vision and keep my eyes outside the airplane.

Don't they get dry?

 

[wrxpilot]

I like to do flight following whenever I'm going very far, but this is mainly so I can get in the practice for my instrument training. I also like doing it here in South FL, as it's extremely busy and I like to have the redundancy of having someone out there looking as well. Of course I keep my own eyes out, particularly since I've had to make room for traffic before (or even if) they give me the heads up. They're usually pretty good about it though.

 

[cforst513]

it's a nice, free insurance policy. i, as a student, will definitely ask for flight following to cover my butt until i am completely comfortable and capable of flying without it.

 

[SammyG]

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.

Sssshhh...you're giving away my secrets. I really do like to cruise at the highest altitude I reasnoably can in a 172, because of this very reason. If you keep telling people then I won't be as alone up there anymore

On my flight from Florida to Atlanta last year I went up to 8500' and stayed there the whole time. Saw very few others, so I felt at ease. One of the few aircraft I saw was a Southwest Airlines jet, BELOW me.

 

[lymanm]

If done properly, VFR FF works very well. When I say properly, I'm refering to good vigilance by both ATC and pilot. However, this is not always the case - ATC of course will only provide it "work load" permitting. Even worse, though, are pilots who recieve FF and never look outside for the rest of the flight. That sense of complancency can be dangerous.

 

[FlyJordan]

I get VFR FF so I can set the AP and go to sleep. Good thing my Garmin 530 tells me when to desend!

 

[Bryan D]

it's a nice, free insurance policy. i, as a student, will definitely ask for flight following to cover my butt until i am completely comfortable and capable of flying without it.

I've flown twice from coast to coast all VFR with a sectional and a handheld GPS without flight following. I never request flight following but, sometimes when transitioning B/C/D it is automatically given. I would'nt consider it free insurance though. Yes, it keeps you out of restricted airspace but it does not relieve you of your navigation and see/avoid responsibilities.
I prefer dead recon or pilotage navigation. It keeps me awake, gives me something to do, I get to take in the scenery and I know exactly where I am 99% of time at any given moment.

 

[Lead Sled]

I get VFR FF so I can set the AP and go to sleep. Good thing my Garmin 530 tells me when to desend!

At night, when things are slow, ATC will also give you a wakeup call if you ask real nice.

'Sled