PilotEdge Forums

gsuoumu wrote:

Keith Smith wrote:I usually don't give my equipment suffix when I'm VFR, but have been asked a couple of times by ground controllers for it while coordinating flight following on the ground before departure.

I feel like I had a controller ask in this situation while doing one of my early CAT ratings. Ever since then I've been providing it just to be helpful, but I guess I shouldn't be. I'll omit until asked now.

Just out of curiosity's sake, why would the controller ask in some situations but not others?

Same here and from then on I've just automatically provided that info, needed or not. BTW, I have yet to be told directly to stop saying it - hopefully I haven't annoyed the controllers too much with that

"Slant G" doesn't use up too much radio time and seems an innocuous error compared to something like not giving altitude to inbound tower when on FF - like I did the other day

I'm not qualified to answer but will guess that it might be useful in certain airspace or if weather and direction of flight suggests running into IMC at some point.

Nothing seems "wrong" with giving it... as Keith said- he has been asked RW for it, so it would seem that there are some systems that use it. I have seen TRACONs that don't even have the ability to put your equipment suffix into the system. As you say- it doesn't take up much radio time, if you are use to giving it, it doesn't hurt to.