pilotyip
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2001
- Posts
- 13,629
Observation while flying VFR in the mightly C-172 the other day. Approaching TOL from the south at 5,500' on a 50 mile visibility clear blue day, I thought I would advise TOL approach I was overflying their airspace at 5,500'. I could not get a word in edgewise, there must have been 10 VFR airplanes asking for VFR flight following. So I finally made the call and was told to "Standby and remain clear of class C airspace". That was cool I was doing it anyway. I continued to moniter the freq. The controller kept telling the VFR airplanes he had a VFR aircraft at 5,500' unconfirmed at xxo'clock, etc. He was overloaded, plus he handels the IFR handoff's at CRUXX intersection for traffic going in YIP and PTK. To the point, why is it on a beautiful VFR day pilots have to be talking to someone? Is not the beauty of flying VFR the escape from the constant chatter on the radios? Why do pilots seek to have VFR flight following?