whats your threshold on using flight following?

How far must you go to bother using flight following?

  • any distance

    Votes: 26 46.4%

  • 10nm

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 20nm

    Votes: 6 10.7%

  • 30nm

    Votes: 24 42.9%
  • Total voters
    56
J

jconway2002

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Jan 13, 2012
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Encinitas, CA
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jconway2002
I am just curious, how far does the trip have to be for you to go ahead and ask for flight following? As a soon to be new pilot, many of my trips will be relatively close, and I am wondering when the rest of you use flight following.
 
jconway2002 said:
I am just curious, how far does the trip have to be for you to go ahead and ask for flight following? As a soon to be new pilot, many of my trips will be relatively close, and I am wondering when the rest of you use flight following.
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30 miles for me..

Edit......

But then I fly an experimental with a Ford in it that could blow up anytime... I want to get a MAYDAY off before the crash..:yes::):D
 
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You will find it increases with your personal VFR minimums.

My first 100 hrs probably used FF on all flights more than 100 miles from the home drone.

Now I have a 175 knot plane, so If I am going 1 hr or less I usually do not bother but above 1 hr and I do.

I do tune into the frequency of my local area so I can hear if the AF tankers are practicing out east or not.
 
Depends on the situation. If it's a VFR night flight, always if I can get it. Daytime if I have airspace issues to deal with. No real minimums or maximums.
 
I fly within 10 miles of two Class C airports. FF keeps me out of trouble and is not a big deal to get. Also LHM is in the flight path for SMF and the Southwest jets come over the field, sometimes as low as 3,000 feet, but usually around 5,000. So even on an maintenance flight, I will call up Norcal, if I am going to orbit the field at 3,000.
 
I get lonely if ATC isn't talking to me so I'll request it anytime I'm venturing out of the local area.
 
sacbluesman said:
I get lonely if ATC isn't talking to me so I'll request it anytime I'm venturing out of the local area.
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Pretty much me too. If I'm going somewhere, I'm on ff. If my departure and destination are the same and I'm not really leaving the local area, no ff.
 
I carry a PLB and rarely use flight following. I'm just wasting their time unless the weather is bad, or flying at night.
 
Geico266 said:
I carry a PLB and rarely use flight following. I'm just wasting their time unless the weather is bad, or flying at night.
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I find it interesting that you have that perspective. I always thought ATC would rather know about me and be able to talk to me than otherwise, but I see what you are saying.
 
I didn't vote because my answer is "It depends." In a lot of parts of the country, you won't be able to get flight following for flights under 20 nm because you just won't get high enough altitude wise to be in radar contact. Even then, it depends. You aren't wasting ATC's time by talking to them, and most facilities appreciate having you talking to them rather than just bombing around. On the other hand, if I'm going on a short flight, it's good VFR and I'm looking out the window, I might not care.

I'll typically get flight following for a maintenance flight, because I'm looking at gauges and that way I have another pair of eyes watching out.

When I'm on a XC, I'll typically get flight following for 50 nm or more, or if I'm going into a Class C or B. Sometimes I don't feel like it, and so I don't.

It's never a bad idea to get. Just remember to focus on flying the plane first. I know some people who avoid getting flight following ever because they're afraid of radios. Not smart.
 
I flew 4200 miles one trip and never got flight following. The only time I talked to ATC was going through their airspace. I did pick up Forth Worth Center prior to landing in OKC because I needed to get through an undercast, and I picked up an IFR clearance. Other than that, I just listened to tunes on the intercom. I get it if I am feeling lonely.
 
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"It depends" is the correct answer for me. If I'm flying up to a nearby airport for a $100 hamburger run, I don't bother. If I'm flying across the Cascades and not IFR, I'll pick up FF. Laterly those flights have been IFR (generally VMC, but good practice).
 
It depends on which area I'll be flying though. If it's around Arizona then ~100nm, if I'm flying though LA or NY then ASAP regardless of where I'm going.
 
Given what the Bay Area airspace is like, flight following is always a good idea, whenever leaving Class D.

There are two Class Cs and a Class B very close by. Sometimes NorCal offers shortcuts through Class B (BTDT), and there is always a ton of jet traffic, particularly south and east.

I get kinda nervous flying around the Sierra foothills, where there isn't much traffic to speak of, and I don't hear anything from NorCal or Oakland Center for quite a long time.
 
It depends on the type of conditions rather than the length of the flight. For example, if I'm flying near, say, an Air Force Base where fast planes might be in the area I'll get FF. For night flights I'll usually get it. For a day flight from Tampa North X39 to Ocala OCF or Leesburg LEE or Wachula CHN I don't get FF.
 
Almost every flight, in the NY metro area.
 
Not much opportunity for flight following by radar along the Al-Can hiway.

Also in the desert southwest, there are a lot of areas below radar coverage for flight following. Unless you like to fly above 12K MSL most of the times.
 
Flying out of OAK (a Class C airport underlying the SFO Class B ), I'm always asked for a destination before takeoff and I get FF until I drop it (or I fly out of coverage over the Sierras). So I usually keep it unless I get bored of the nattering and want to listen to music.
 
I'm in the "it depends" camp. I've gotten FF for doing maneuvers in the local practice area, and I've gone without on flights into the Thumb. Many times coming back from 3DA I'll not call DTW Approach after Flint cuts me loose, unless I want to fly an approach for fun and giggles (and buttonology practice). But for destinations more than 50 nm away, I'll almost always get it, and of course always when there's airspace to deal with.
 
Geico266 said:
I carry a PLB and rarely use flight following. I'm just wasting their time unless the weather is bad, or flying at night.
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Wasting their time? Whether or not you call for flight following will not likely alter their time on position and while on position they're not supposed to be doing non-ATC tasks.
 
I'm in the "it depends" camp also. I fly a lot of XC without flight following, but sometimes I check in and use it. I guess it depends more on my mood than how far I'm going. Sometimes, I like the peace and quiet. I don't get much of that :).
 
another "it depends." I'm based at KBED. If I fly to the north I'll talk to MHT approrach (I know, it's BOS now) just so I don't have to deviate too much. But if I fly west or south, I won't bother.
 
As others have noted, with me it is more a traffic density issue than a distance one. I always use it here in our wintering hideaway when we travel between islands.
 
roncachamp said:
Is there any opportunity there for flight following other than by radar?
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I would think so... I can't even hear ATC until I get above 10Kft. So, my flights need to justify a length to climb that high or higher before I ask for FF. And, when I do, there is typically a leg in which radar contact is lost and I just provide position reports every so often.
 
azure said:
I'm in the "it depends" camp. I've gotten FF for doing maneuvers in the local practice area, and I've gone without on flights into the Thumb.
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No one outside of Michigan knows what the Thumb is =)

(I'm a Croswell native)
 
Oh, yes we do. At least those of us who didn't fail geography in grade school. :thumbsup:
 
Another one of "it depends" - north or south from the home 'drome and flight following is a really good idea. East, maybe not so much of a factor.

I fly from an airport that is about six miles from DEN so traffic is almost always a consideration.
 
Very seldom... Usually on cross country of 300+. Out here in the West, the mountains mess with radar coverage, so forget it unless you're 6,000+, and even at that you'll be told they've lost you. 'Usually flying with a buddy, and fly with a SPOT. Even flying at 9.5+, they lose us... I'll keep the radio tuned.
 
I usually do. I don't really see a reason not to, especially because I flirt with the DC SFRA every time I fly. Mostly though I just like to have another set of eyes watching out for me. They're not usually extremely busy. I think I've only been denied once and that was by...Philly maybe? Or maybe it was Potomac. Don't remember.
 
ChrisK said:
No one outside of Michigan knows what the Thumb is =)

(I'm a Croswell native)
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Well, ya see, it's shaped like a mitten... ;)

You want obscure, where is the Elephant's Butt? (Hint: it's in Ontario.)
 
I never use it. I am either flying very locally VFR, or if I am going somewhere further than 50 miles, I am IFR.

Too much airspace and FRZ crap to deal with around here.
 
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