Easy TRSA question

[still learning]

Scenario: Departed non-towered airport. en route to other non towered airport.

-Wanted VFR flight following
-A/FD says I could contact nearby class delta APP/DEP or I could contact XXX center APP/DEP
-I elect to contact the class delta because even though it is not my destination nor entering the delta, I am well inside their TRSA while en route to my destination

Is this okay? Odds of class delta telling me to contact XXX center?

 

[Brad Z]

Scenario: Departed non-towered airport. en route to other non towered airport.

-Wanted VFR flight following
-A/FD says I could contact nearby class delta APP/DEP or I could contact XXX center APP/DEP
-I elect to contact the class delta because even though it is not my destination nor entering the delta, I am well inside their TRSA while en route to my destination

Is this okay? Odds of class delta telling me to contact XXX center?

No, contact the radar control facility associated with the trsa. The tower controller only handles traffic in the immediate proximity of the airport. If you contact the tower, they will tell you to contact the associated approach control for advisories.

Odds of them telling you to contact center are nil, unless the approach control facility is closed.

 

[sourdough44]

How about just avoiding the Class D space and call up app for the flight following?

 

[jordane93]

The tower will give you the approach frequency if you are calling for FF. Tower can not give you FF

 

[mcmanigle]

Based on your questions, it sounds like you're going inside the TRSA but not the Class D, right? In that case you're right, you'll contact the approach (not tower) of the Class D airport -- that is, the TRSA controllers. They'll give you flight following. I suspect if you contacted center, they'd pass you off to the TRSA approach controllers anyway.

Think of TRSA as an optional Class C. If you want flight following, you're opting in. So it would make about as much sense to get flight following from center while in there as it would to try to convince center not to hand you off to a Class C approach controller that you were passing through.

(Some of the other answers seem to think you were contacting the Class D tower directly, but nothing in your original question makes me think that... So either they or I misread, or they've not used a TRSA recently enough to remember how it works.)

 

[Mike Smith]

Yes OP, contact approach.

 

[still learning]

I know to not contact tower of the delta and to contact approach. Thanks everyone.

 

[still learning]

Based on your questions, it sounds like you're going inside the TRSA but not the Class D, right? In that case you're right, you'll contact the approach (not tower) of the Class D airport -- that is, the TRSA controllers. They'll give you flight following. I suspect if you contacted center, they'd pass you off to the TRSA approach controllers anyway.

Think of TRSA as an optional Class C. If you want flight following, you're opting in. So it would make about as much sense to get flight following from center while in there as it would to try to convince center not to hand you off to a Class C approach controller that you were passing through.

(Some of the other answers seem to think you were contacting the Class D tower directly, but nothing in your original question makes me think that... So either they or I misread, or they've not used a TRSA recently enough to remember how it works.)

Yes. I will be in the TRSA but not the Delta. I guess I didn't make it clear in my question because everyone says do not contact tower. I know to not contact tower unless I was landing there and I'd probably contact app first anyways. My question was if it was okay to contact Approach of the class delta. thankyou

 

[still learning]

How about just avoiding the Class D space and call up app for the flight following?

That was what I was planning to do. I have no intentions on entering the delta, but am in their TRSA. That's why I was seeing if I could just contact app. not tower.

 

[still learning]

No, contact the radar control facility associated with the trsa. The tower controller only handles traffic in the immediate proximity of the airport. If you contact the tower, they will tell you to contact the associated approach control for advisories.

Odds of them telling you to contact center are nil, unless the approach control facility is closed.

I was not planning to contact the delta's tower. I was going to contact the delta's app.

 

[James331]

Whatever, if they don't want to deal with you they'll just give you approach, which is probably what they will do.

If it were me I'd just contact approach, shy of wanting to enter the delta.

Just use the freq on sectional back for the TSRA.

 

[midlifeflyer]

My question was if it was okay to contact Approach of the class delta. thankyou

It should be the same.

If the Delta is inside the TRSA, the Approach Control for the Delta is typically the Approach Control for the TRSA. If you see different frequencies, it probably just multiple sectors of the same Approach Control facility. Just line Class C, sometimes they divide duties among several stations.

What airport are we talking about?- It will help to clarify if this is standard fare or something unusual.

 

[Brad Z]

I was not planning to contact the delta's tower. I was going to contact the delta's app.

OK. You're question was confusing because of the terminology you used. You said:

I elect to contact the class delta because even though it is not my destination nor entering the delta, I am well inside their TRSA while en route to my destination

Is this okay? Odds of class delta telling me to contact XXX center?

The approach control is the approach control. the majority of their airspace is class E, and whatever they have a letter of agreement to control inside the class D. When you say "I elect to contact the class Delta", I and others assumed you were speaking of the tower controller.

Approach control ( regardless of the airspace airport it serves--E, D, C, or B or a TRSA) generally handles altitudes from minimum becoming altitude up to somewhere around 10k AGL (at least here on the east coast, anyway).

If you contact center, it's not a big deal. They'll figure out where you are and tell you which facility to call. It might even change depending on time of day or day of week. But if you are in the vicinity of the TRSA, and have the frequency, call them...good chance that's who you're gonna need to talk to.

 

[Hank S]

I was based for 7 years at a non-towered field on the edge of Class D inside a TRSA. We would routinely call Approach at the Class D for flight following. They knew all of the flight school planes, and once I bought and flew regularly for a while, they knew my tail number and I knew their voices.

It was the same people that Center would pass me off to on my way back in, regardless of which direction we were coming from.

 

[kkoran]

I was based for 7 years at a non-towered field on the edge of Class D inside a TRSA. We would routinely call Approach at the Class D for flight following. They knew all of the flight school planes, and once I bought and flew regularly for a while, they knew my tail number and I knew their voices.

It was the same people that Center would pass me off to on my way back in, regardless of which direction we were coming from.

Class D flight following?

 

[SbestCFII]

If you're inside the TRSA, call that facility. The TRSA will basically provide the same services as Class C airspace, but participation of VFR aircraft within the TRSA is voluntary. TRSA'a are great training grounds for radar approach controllers before moving up to Class C. I originally trained for my PPL in a TRSA (Wilmington, NC) back in 1990. I had all the benefits of "big airport" service without the "big airport" congestion and rush. The tower was part-time, closing in the evening. So you could treat the airport like class C,D or E airspace depending on the circumstances.

 

[Hank S]

Class D flight following?

You betcha! They even offered No Gyro approaches. Class D with a TRSA, the radar worked very well. They vectored me one night around the college football TFR, ended up crossing our runway midfield.

 

[kkoran]

You betcha! They even offered No Gyro approaches. Class D with a TRSA, the radar worked very well. They vectored me one night around the college football TFR, ended up crossing our runway midfield.

That really has nothing to do with the Class D airspace.

 

[SbestCFII]

That's a good point. When I an training my accelerated IFR students, I still fly down to Wilmington (ILM) on the long cross-country so they can get experience flying at least one ASR approach.