Flight Following or Flight Plan or just Wing it

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Monpilot

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Monpilot
during my PPL training I was always advised to use flight following or file a flight plan when not in the training area...

I have my PPL now and wonder about what to do when just flying around...

yesterday I took the plane up with nowhere in particular to go so I couldn't file a flight plan and since I was just meandering trying to see if I could recognize landmarks from the air, I didn't want to bother the controllers with flight following.. so I just went up, flew around, landed somewhere else, then came back...

being in Houston, it'd be difficult for me to crash somewhere during daylight hours and not have someone notice, which I figure is the whole purpose for flight planning.

what do most of you do for:

1. short (20-60 minute) flights to a specific destination
2. xcountry (60+ minute) flights to a specific destination
3. just going up to enjoy the day in the air
 
For short flights I just get a briefing then go. If it's a longer flight to another airport, I would get flight following. Three benefits:
(1) They help watch for traffic
(2) They can vector you if you get lost
(3) If you have an emergency, they already know where you are (most important reason of all)
 
Monpilot said:
what do most of you do for:

1. short (20-60 minute) flights to a specific destination
2. xcountry (60+ minute) flights to a specific destination
3. just going up to enjoy the day in the air
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1. Brief and FF.

2. Brief and FF

3. Brief and go. (no ff.)
 
Using your #'s

1: Be on Flight Following
2: Definitely be on Flight Following
3: If staying close to home and no particular destination, then optional to be in Flight Following.

Using FF is extremely helpful in many ways, and your taxes has already paid for the service.

The big help is

A ) sharpening the skill of working with ATC to get the service you need,
B ) listening for your call sign and instructions when you get the controller who talks like John Moschitta;
C ) and knowing someone is out there to provide assistance when something isn't going the way you desired or planned.

So keep using the service as often as you want.

And don't forget that even though you have your PPL, you can still use the phrase "...Student Pilot" to get them to slow down until you've trained your brain to respond to them speaking 80 words a minute with gusts to 150.
 
Monpilot said:
what do most of you do for:

1. short (20-60 minute) flights to a specific destination
2. xcountry (60+ minute) flights to a specific destination
3. just going up to enjoy the day in the air
Click to expand...


1. No flight plan, and no flight following unless transiting C/B airspace.
2. No flight plan, and no flight following unless transiting C/B airspace.
3. N/A - I always try to go somewhere.

Flight following interrupts me listening to my music.

But I'm also instrument rated, and fly in the system IFR so I don't get rusty.
 
Monpilot said:
1. short (20-60 minute) flights to a specific destination
2. xcountry (60+ minute) flights to a specific destination
3. just going up to enjoy the day in the air
Click to expand...

1 and 2: No FPL. No FF unless there is airspace transition or I'm doing a night flight. But I'm going someplace at night with a more or less direct IFR route I'll usually go IFR.

3. I'll let the hot air balloon pilot figure that one out. If I'm flying, it's to get somewhere.
 
1&2 no flight plan and maybe ff depending on distance and terrain I'm going to fly over.
3 get weather for the area and go.
 
I try to use flight following for nearly everything, but that's mostly due to busy local airspace.

While it's possible to negotiate the Bay Area without it, it sure makes things simpler. It's a lot easier to transition airspace (even Class B) than to avoid it, and FF gets you almost all the way there.
 
Monpilot said:
I didn't want to bother the controllers with flight following..
Click to expand...

I used to feel that way, but had a chance to talk with one of the New Orleans Bravo controllers and he said Just the opposite. In fact, he asked that I pass on to anyone flying out of Lakfront (under the bravo) to please ask for FF as it helps their numbers for staffing.
 
Don't worry about bothering the controllers...it makes their job easier if they know the intentions of the unknown target on their scopes. Also, their pay depends on traffic count, so by not participating you may be delaying someone's upgrade.

Bob Gardner
 
Got TFRs? No then go. Do you ask permission to drive to the store? Sad to see everyone on FF all the time. Bet you guys never leave the seat up either.
 
Local buzzing around? Get a briefing and go.

Over 100 miles from KOLM or over the Cascades? Club requires a flight plan. Typically I'll file IFR, so no biggie.

Going somewhere specific in the Puget Sound area? Briefing and FF (unless I need IFR).
 
ClimbnSink said:
Got TFRs? No then go. Do you ask permission to drive to the store? Sad to see everyone on FF all the time. Bet you guys never leave the seat up either.
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On that basis why worry about TFRs? Transponder off and hope they won't get a primary target.
 
MachFly said:
On that basis why worry about TFRs? Transponder off and hope they won't get a primary target.
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What is a transponder? And take the battery out of your cell phone when TFR busting. I don't expect you guys to be outlaw hero pilots like me, but you could at least aspire to fly to the maximum freedom allowed by law. Is that too much to ask for?
 
Here is what I do...

For a 100+ mile XC I file IFR even in VMC. Anything in between I'll pickup FF if I'm around a busy airspace.
 
ClimbnSink said:
at least aspire to fly to the maximum freedom allowed by law.
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That's the same argument that motorcyclists make, when they ride without a helmet. For freedom.

I'm willing to wear a helmet when I ride. For safety.

Talking to ATC isn't as crucial for safety as wearing a motorcycle helmet, but it helps, so I do it.
 
Risk Management.

What else do you have to reduce the risk? Survival kit? Up to date ELT? SPOT? Ballistic parachute? This is one of the great things about flying. You can decide how much risk you are willing to accept and how you will deal with it. Personally, I use FF any time I'm near high traffic areas. I know they appreciate being in contact with that blob on their radar screen. When I'm off on my own, I enjoy the solitude that few can experience of being at 8,000 feet all by myself. You have to make your own decision on this.
 
I always use FF when I go outside the pattern of my local airport. I guess some people don't like radio work. I enjoy it. I enjoy having a second set of eyes. It is also great practice listening to that traffic. It really isn't hard and makes you better at it the longer you do it. It really pains me every time I hear people coming into busy class D's like Centennial in south Denver, where I learned to fly, who just can't speak on a radio. FF makes you that much better all around on the radio.

Carl
 
Like most others have said, I get flight following on most every vfr cross country unless there is a compelling reason not to (perhaps too low for radio in that area, etc). If I'm just going up to "mess around" then I never get flight following. No real reason not to, but I just enjoy myself better and I don't mind keeping an eye out for traffic myself. I usually listen to the nearest airport tower/ctaf and guard, though.

I think you'll find that the vast majority (virtually all) pilots never file or use VFR flight plans once they're done training. I try to fly IFR for most of my cross countries now anyway.
 
I print out my route and give it to my wife or daughter (if my wife is flying with me) and text her cell phone as I make progress, so no flight following and no ATC unless transition or in high usage locations such as southern California.

I do enjoy flying low and usually slow (how fast can you go in a Cessna 150 or Ercoupe) and often below Flight Following coverage.

Weather brief comes from computer DUAT, and three days of watching weather fronts on weather channel prior to trip.

I've flown this way from St. Louis to Death Valley, First Flight, Key West, Canada border, Corpus Christi, etc. Very enjoyable way to fly. I did use Flight Following when I entered the high usage airspace in southern California on a trip to Oceanside. "Sorry," ATC said, "I didn't notice those helicopters." (I'd seen and avoided them.)
 
I only fly to go somewhere, and I file IFR 99.9% of the time.
 
Getting traffic advisories is A Good Thing, but I also want to be found quickly if something happens and the airplane ends up on the ground and I cannot communicate with anyone for any of many reasons. Low probability, high impact in risk management lingo.

Best is to be on a discrete squawk and be flying high enough to be on radar. Hence, FF or file IFR. With FF you get the same missing airplane procedures that an IFR flight gets.

Minimum is someone on the ground knows my planned route and I fly that route. But then no one knows where along the route I have gone down. That's a much tougher SAR problem.

If you really want to fly locally without talking to ATC, at least listen on the sector frequency. Any experienced local pilot can give them to you or call the local TRACON or ARTCC. Then if you have a problem you can quickly call for help and hit IDENT to identify your track on the radar recording.

re ATC, every single time I have discussed FF with a controller I have been encouraged to use it even for short local flights. Like Ron said, they like to know who is in their sector and what they are doing.
 
I almost never use flight following, or file a flight plan unless I'm going a LONG ways. First, out here in much of the West, you've got to get to 9K+ (maybe 10 or 11) before they can keep you on radar. Around Phoenix, they ATC often don't want to play with VFR, and will tell you to call Albuquerque.
I have a SPOT and use it on almost all flights. My family and friends know I have it. If I'm taking a trip, they all get an email link to my tracking page. After each flight, I check the log... yep, it works.
 
i file IFR most of the time. if im doing VFR i rarely file, but usually ill get FF on
 
My home airport is right on the edge of a Terminal Radar Service Area (TRSA) surrounding a class 'D' airport. Just as soon as I get out of the traffic pattern I call Approach Control and get a squawk code even if I'm just going sight seeing in the local area. As others have already pointed out, it is good for ATC to know who I am and where I am for traffic advisories and etc. If I'm just sight seeing, I will give them a brief summary of my intentions like; 6966W will be flying at 2,500 up to the lake, following the river back toward town and landing at Kxxx for fuel. That way they know what to expect and what altitude I will be flying. I've never had them turn me down for flight following and they seem to appreciate it. I don't think they like calling out 'unknown aircraft unknown altitude' for traffic advisories.
 
When I was active, I used FF for 95% of my flights. I was based under the class B shelf and there was lots of traffic. I had met some of the ATC guys and some were of the opinion that they'd rather know who you are and where you are going, rather than being a simple 1200/unknown.. Very rare to not be accommodated in my class B area.

I have never filed a VFR flight plan.

What I do think is that the communication skills I honed during flight following during my early flying hours were VERY beneficial when it was time to do the IFR training, and for simply getting a feel for the ATC system.
 
It's always a good idea just to check in with approach just to let them know you are there. Our class Charlie TRACON sure appreciates being able to talk with folks. You can hear their frustration when they see someone doing something stupid and are not talking to them.
 
I carry a SPOT tracker if I go out of the local area, so if I go down my remains can be found easily.
 
Either file a flight plan or get flight following if you are flying a cross country. At the least, a flight plan will initiate S&R missions should you go down.

I want to know who is in my airspace. 99.99999% I'll find a way to work you thru. As long as you keep me updated what you are up to.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
MarkZ said:
Either file a flight plan or get flight following if you are flying a cross country. At the least, a flight plan will initiate S&R missions should you go down.

I want to know who is in my airspace. 99.99999% I'll find a way to work you thru. As long as you keep me updated what you are up to.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...

Take off of southwest Michigan and head west.

"Chicago Approach, Comanche 727DS."

(no reply until I get to Des Moines)
 
EdFred said:
Take off of southwest Michigan and head west.

"Chicago Approach, Comanche 727DS."

(no reply until I get to Des Moines)
Click to expand...

Ok, now I'm being serious.

What frequency (frequencies) do you usually try? If you call up on a primary ORD arrival frequency I can see this happening. On other frequencies...not so much.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
It's been a while since I've even bothered. South Bend or Milwaukee would say "you can try them on xxx.xx" but I never got through. The only time I got FF from Chicago was leaving RFD at midnightish and they gave me FF and "let me" go over the top at 11.5
 
Note that flight following is not available everywhere, and some of the omitted territory is where it is needed the most. When crossing high mountain ranges in winter, a flight plan is a must.
 
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