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.

 

[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