Question about flight following

[Colin Payette]

I'd like to simulate my cross country flights as close as possible to my real life lessons. So far, whenever I request a taxi to a runway the controller has asked my direction of flight and if I wanted flight following. Speaking with my instructor, he said we will take off and then contact Socal for a VFR Request while in the air, where we'll then ask for flight following.

Can I do this in PE, or does flight following need to be obtained on ground frequencies? I'm mostly talking about smaller airports like KSEE, KIPL, KTRM & KHMT.

[Keith Smith]

It's a bit of a long story, but the upshot is that most sim pilots expect that they're going to get flight following when they leave a Class D field. To make the point that it's NOT provided by default, many controllers here explicitly ask the pilot if they'd like the service.

For now, simply say, "negative, we might request it enroute ourselves" if the ground controller asks if you want the service.

Ultimately, this question from ground needs to go away.

[jdzurisin]

You mean "traffic advisories"? ;0)

That one and "line up and wait" still play double-duty with their predecessors.

Cheers,

~Jason

[JN_]

I too am a little confused about the correct procedure (both in PE and in real life). In the real world, I've unfortunately only flown out of a few airports, and usually it's a class B. When flying cross country and requesting flight following, my instructor had me make the request to departure, once in the air. In the real world, is this what is normally done, regardless of the departure airport's class?

Today I flew the towered focus fields - KWHP to KPSP. When calling up GND at KWHP, I was asked for direction of flight. Eventually the controller told me that if I wanted flight following, I should make the request to him. Is this something that would happen in the real world, or just a simplified procedure for PE? To be honest, it was very convenient and made a lot of sense for this particular route, since I'd run into Burbank class C in just a few minutes. But I do wonder if that's a procedure that would be followed in real life.

Along the same lines, the reverse trip (KPSP to KWHP) doesn't immediately run into a neighboring airspace, so I can see requesting flight following from the departure controller as more practical.

To echo the original poster's comment, I too would obviously like to know and follow real-world procedures for training purposes.

[JN_]

I just flew the reverse trip (KPSP to KWHP), and had another point of confusion. When I contacted clearance delivery at KPSP, I was given a discrete squawk code. I did not ask for, nor did the controller tell me that I was on flight following. After takeoff, when I switched to departure frequency, I made a request for flight following and was told "umm.. err.. you see, you already have a discrete transponder code, so essentially you already have flight following", to which I sheepishly replied "ok". But normally (in real life) when I fly out of my class B, I have a discrete transponder code when I ask departure for flight following, which seems like the same situation to me. Could somebody please explain to me the difference in these two situations?

[Alex Stjepanovic]

I was the approach controller. You'd have to check with the tower controller as to went on on the ground, but I received you as a flight following aircraft, hence why I wasn't sure as to why you were requesting flight following all over.

[scottcame]

In the real world, I believe it varies quite a lot depending on what the local controllers arrange with the neighboring TRACON or ARTCC.

At KOLM where I fly (a class D field, within the Seattle TRACON), for awhile we could ask ground control for a squawk when calling up for taxi...they'd take a minute and negotiate it with approach, and give the squawk and frequency. Then all of a sudden one day I did this, and ground told me to request it in the air.

I have heard that other class D fields in the area will give VFR beacon codes on the ground, and I've heard from the TRACON controllers that they welcome it and to ask ground locally.

So who knows...but it does seem to vary based on local controller preference or workload. At least in these parts around here!

In any case, I would hope that no radar controller...real world or PE...would mind receiving the request in the air, and should grant it, workload permitting. Doing it with ground does require a bit of extra communication and coordination with radar, which may be a hassle depending on workload, etc.

Controllers, please correct me if I've gotten any of this wrong.

[Simon Ambrose]

I have heard that other class D fields in the area will give VFR beacon codes on the ground, and I've heard from the TRACON controllers that they welcome it and to ask ground locally.

Don't try taking off, even VFR, without first obtaining, and using your assigned discreet Squawk Code, when in the Baltimore Washington Airspace !! (Unless you are looking for a Fighter Escort )

Simon

[TomATL]

My class D never offers it on the ground, I alway pick it up from departure at the first frequency change. However, some class c's will have VFR aircraft contact clearance before taxi, and I've been explicitly asked in those sitiations if I want FF. I would assume the same would apply to Bravo airports, but I've never ventured into any of those yet.