Flight following gives you one more thing that is the most important one - and nobody talks about it. It gives you an option to key in the mic at any moment and say MAYDAY three times. Even if you're flying around without flight following - it's always a good idea to tune in the frequency of the closest TRACON (approach/departure) or ARTCC (center). You don't have to say anything, just fly around with it tuned in. When it hits the fan, just key in the mic, say the magic word and tell them what you need. If you can remember to squawk 7700 - even better. They'll drop everything and give you what you need, including sending the search and rescue mission to get you. The best thing ever, saves lives.
I train in the Los Angeles area and we use flight following 100% of the time. It’s the standard out here because it’s so busy it would be suicide not to use it. I couldn’t imagine being in the air without ATC having my back. I didn’t realize in other parts of the country it was common to not use it.
Another thing you can get flight following with clearance delivery before you take off. You don’t need to file a flight plan. Call them and say you have a “VFR request.” Then tell them where you are going, you’re aircraft type, and cruising altitude. They’ll give you a “clearance” that you read back. It will be more simple than an IFR read back. They’ll give you the squawk code right then and you’re good to go. The tower will hand you off to departure.
One big benefit is that aircraft without ADSB flying would have no traffic marker on an EFB. Control has radar which bounces a radio signal off objects in the sky to see. So even without ADSB they see others.
The controller you were talking to on initial contact is an avid flyer himself, flies out of Birchwood I believe. Hopefully we can get you up to ZAN so you can see what we can offer in the HOM area. I will send you an e-mail in the next few days and give you more details.
Chris, Great video here. I am always on with flight following if I am going anywhere. Near the airport I fly out of the radar coverage is poor at lower altitudes so if I am local flying I sometimes cannot but any type of cross country I would always recommend it. Thank you for the effort on putting these out. Hope your Thanksgiving was great.
Wouldn't mind a lost comms video if you're taking suggestions. Really weird flying around at midnight on Flight Following with no comms (from anyone) in the last 10 min, having to do a Radio Check to see if Center's even still with you.
Flight following can be intimidating, but it’s something you’d better get used to if you’re gonna go IFR any time! In my limited experience, I’ve had a whole range of flight following experiences; I’ve called center at 10:30 pm with no one else around, and I’ve had approach call me after a frequency change because I just couldn’t get a word in! I haven’t been denied flight following yet, but I’m sure my time is coming.
Curious if you've ever been denied flight following in busy airspace? Is ATC obligated to give it to you if requested? Keep up the great work Chris! Love your videos and learning a lot!!
Question...While on VFR flight following... if I fly enroute through B, C, D airspace, will FF clear me into the airspace or do I need to contact the airspace tower while on FF?
@@angleofattack As someone who got their PPL 50 yrs ago when he had just turned 17, the advances in avionics and support are amazing. I ended up with 300+ hours and unfortunately life got in the way. I haven't flown in about 47 years. Now nearly 50 yrs later, I am looking to pick it back up as I have more financial resources.
@@scottmackenzie3761 you should do it! There are rusty pilot seminars but I'm sure you could go to any CFI and see what you remember. Heck I'd take you up if you were nearby, just for fun.
Love your videos, your channel and your style! On initial callup, along with the squawk code, the Altimeter setting ATC gives you is another key data item. That helps them correlate your ALT to what they see on their scope. FF is also good for when you're out in the training area practicing maneuvers. Instead of telling them your dest on the callup, you just say "local maneuvering." It's a great service.
Thanks Chris for another great video. I use flight following but my question is as follows: If my flight is not direct to my destination but has at least one waypoint, how do I ask ATC for FF the entire flight. My experience is that ATC only wants to provide FF one leg at a time. Thanks.
Do you also need to file a flight plan to get flight following or would filing a flight plan be an extra safety precaution? Great video very informative!
A flight plan is a Flight Service thing (unless IFR). Flight following is an ATC service. ATC wouldn’t even be able to see your flight plan, to my knowledge.
Another great vid Chris! Fight following underutilised huh? I guess I lucked out in the past with a good CFI. He always emphasised requesting FF was standard with every trip away from my home airfield.
Thanks for the flight following video. I am getting back to flying after an 18 year hiatus. I have a question. If I am doing a local sightseeing flight within 50 nautical miles from home airport and not landing anywhere else, what do I ask for?
I fly around a busy Class Bravo Airspace and the DC SFRA, I always get Flight Following on Cross Country Flights. Another benefit to add on to your list is often if they are not busy, they will clear you through the Class Bravo Airspace. I have a video on my channel where I get the on the ground at my home Class Delta airport
Fly a Champ so don’t have access to Flight Following and am not really familiar with doing it so the video was helpful should I ever get a plane with an electrical system. In the video you mentioned “VFR Flight Following” what other kind(s) is/are there?
German flight student here! Kinda funny, because my FI had me basically contact flight information service from my very first flight lesson on almost anytime we were going cross country. Is that a non-mandatory part of flight training in the US?
To be clear with students. "Flight following" is pilot slang, ATC and FAA documents call it "Basic radar service to VFR aircraft". Of course ATC knows what "flight following" is and everybody uses it, but I like to include a mention of the official term when teaching it on the ground. Knowing the official term could help a student that wants to look up some reference documents, or to understand that it's not general ATC service and that it is only availible in radar coverage areas; and when they hear "radar contact" or "radar services terminated" they will automatically associate that with the service rather than just the radio comms.
I am looking forward to flying above the Rocky mountains one day. Please tell me one day a thing or two about flying at high altitudes and mountain flying in general. What is different, and what to look for?? Also, I'd love to see some beautiful images of the mountains!!
If you're like me, you learned tp fly in uncontrolled airspace. I went to the local class C airport (and through its airspace) with a FI, and it brought my confidence level up.
Nice landing ! I use Flight Following sometimes but I do have a question. When you fly to remote areas is there a way to get FF to areas not marked on charts ? I have a landing strip in the western part of Texas and would like FF to it . At present I get it to closest marked airport which is 60 miles from my destination.
If they have radar coverage in the area they can usually relate it pretty easily to a navaid telling them something like: "destination is a private airstrip 60 miles on the 230 radial of the xxx VOR"
