I hate the freaking Jax to Tampa handoff

Salty

Salty

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Salty
My home airport is at just the right spot so that I always want to cancel radar services just before getting to the Tampa handoff. So Jax won't terminate me, and won't switch me to Tampa yet either.

I usually try to time it right and cancel with Jax soon enough, but last time, as I was just about to call them up they issued me a "cross xxx at 3000", which I knew meant I was too late, Tampa was already expecting me. The worst part is by the time they finally got around to switching me, I was so low I couldn't hear Tampa. They got my request to cancel, but I couldn't hear their response, so I had to screw around at 3000 feet waiting to get close enough to hear them.

Anyway, just bitching. I think I'm going to start filing to an airport further north inside the Jax area and then amend destination if I really need to be in IMC when I get there.
 
Salty said:
My home airport is at just the right spot so that I always want to cancel radar services just before getting to the Tampa handoff. So Jax won't terminate me, and won't switch me to Tampa yet either.

I usually try to time it right and cancel with Jax soon enough, but last time, as I was just about to call them up they issued me a "cross xxx at 3000", which I knew meant I was too late, Tampa was already expecting me. The worst part is by the time they finally got around to switching me, I was so low I couldn't hear Tampa. They got my request to cancel, but I couldn't hear their response, so I had to screw around at 3000 feet waiting to get close enough to hear them.

Anyway, just bitching. I think I'm going to start filing to an airport further north inside the Jax area and then amend destination if I really need to be in IMC when I get there.
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Jax giving you a crossing restriction does not in itself mean they have already made the handoff. It's nice you care that they may already have though. You said "...won't switch me to Tampa yet either..." I assume you don't want to talk to Tampa at all?
 
luvflyin said:
Jax giving you a crossing restriction does not in itself mean they have already made the handoff. It's nice you care that they may already have though. You said "...won't switch me to Tampa yet either..." I assume you don't want to talk to Tampa at all?
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I know just from experience. After they change my altitude to get under the Bravo, they won't let me drop until they switch me to Tampa. Generally I don't want to talk to Tampa because by the time they pay attention to me, I'm above the destination wanting to land. And if they did pay attention to me before that its to send me 10 miles out of the way, so if it's nice weather I'd prefer to just cancel.

The airport is just perfectly in the wrong spot between them.
 
Salty said:
I know just from experience. After they change my altitude to get under the Bravo, they won't let me drop until they switch me to Tampa. Generally I don't want to talk to Tampa because by the time they pay attention to me, I'm above the destination wanting to land. And if they did pay attention to me before that its to send me 10 miles out of the way, so if it's nice weather I'd prefer to just cancel.

The airport is just perfectly in the wrong spot between them.
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That's a pretty busy spot. The few times I've been through there it's always been an adventure. My impression is that going low there is less aggravation than being high. But usually when I'm there I'm on an instrument plan. Next time will be in March, I'll be doing a lot of local trips that month, so I'm sure I'll get a good taste of what it's like.
 
Salty said:
I know just from experience. After they change my altitude to get under the Bravo, they won't let me drop until they switch me to Tampa. Generally I don't want to talk to Tampa because by the time they pay attention to me, I'm above the destination wanting to land. And if they did pay attention to me before that its to send me 10 miles out of the way, so if it's nice weather I'd prefer to just cancel.

The airport is just perfectly in the wrong spot between them.
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Ok. You could tell Center awhile back your intentions. Like ‘I’m gonna terminate Flight Following before the Tampa B, but I want to stay with you until then. But that still doesn’t necessarily solve things. Tampa Approach’s airspace may be out yonder a ways before the edge of the B. Center has to get something done before entering Tampa’s airspace. Just checked. It is out yonder. The Purple line.
upload_2022-11-1_9-18-25.png
 
luvflyin said:
Ok. You could tell Center awhile back your intentions. Like ‘I’m gonna terminate Flight Following before the Tampa B, but I want to stay with you until then. But that still doesn’t necessarily solve things. Tampa Approach’s airspace may be out yonder a ways before the edge of the B. Center has to get something done before entering Tampa’s airspace. Just checked. It is out yonder. The Purple line.
View attachment 111918
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Yep, that’s the spot. I’m thinking of filing to Kcgc the next time.
 
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Interesting. I guess it’s that seam between the airspace boundaries. Since I fly a bit further to the South I’ve never had an issue with the handoff from JAX to Tampa which IIRC usually tends to happen somewhere around Inverness or NITTS depending on the direction I’m coming from.
 
I fly mostly to/from ZPH and don't experience much of that coming back from JAX area. But perhaps because most of my flying is weekends.
 
farangutan said:
I fly mostly to/from ZPH and don't experience much of that coming back from JAX area. But perhaps because most of my flying is weekends.
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ZPH is another 10 miles further south, so you're firmly in Tampa control before arrival. It's truly a goldilocks situation.
 
To be sure this is a minor annoyance. Just bellyaching and interested in different options on dealing with it, but honestly it's not that big a deal. Mostly this thread is an excuse to avoid doing year end nonsense for work.
 
Yea I can see how that can get annoying.
 
Have you tried telling JAX that you intend to cancel at whatever point is the usual transfer. I have similar issues going into my home field as the ZTL -> CLT handoff is at an inconvenient time. I just tell ZTL I'll cancel at the boundary.
 
flyingron said:
Have you tried telling JAX that you intend to cancel at whatever point is the usual transfer. I have similar issues going into my home field as the ZTL -> CLT handoff is at an inconvenient time. I just tell ZTL I'll cancel at the boundary.
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Yeah, but why not just file for a destination at that point? Easy enough to amend if I need to stay on ifr.
 
Depends what the point is. If it's another airport, they'll end up thinking you want to land short.
 
Salty said:
Yeah, but why not just file for a destination at that point? Easy enough to amend if I need to stay on ifr.
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It’s easy for you to request it. Not always for them to give it to you. Say you file, and get a Clearance to airport A. But you’re going to airport B and plan on Cancelling. Easy. But when you get close it’s all gooey and you’re gonna need a Clearance to get to B. B may be busy. The sky between A and B may be busy. ATC has lotsa planes, and plans have been made for the flow of traffic between A and B as well as ‘to’ B. Then you pop up wanting to be injected into that flow at the last minute. Now ya ain’t really a pop up because you’re already talkin’ to them, but you did just pop ‘in’ with the request.
 
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