Maule Driver wrote:

I was trying to think through the meaning of 'radar services' and 'flight
following'. I was thinking that you are not bound to maintain a heading or
an altitude while under FF (right?). So that would mean that you can
deviate from your reported heading and altitude and enter Class D without
necessarily notifying the controller.

Sure, you can change heading and altitude without necessarily
notifying the controller, but situational awareness and common
sense do enter into it.

The radar controller will make a decision on whether or not he
needs to coordinate based on your altitude and direction of
flight. If you need to change either or both, and that
change might put you in a surface area your original altitude
and heading would keep you clear of, it may not be a regulatory
requirement to communicate your intentions but it only makes
sense IMO.

The particular situation described is problematic, because the
facility providing radar services terminated them w/out a handoff.
In that circumstance, I personally would probably contact the tower
immediately, including in my call up something like "I had
radar services from XXXX, I assume they coordinated with you".
(because that's what's supposed to happen).

Really puts the focus on situational awareness when that happens!

Well, Steve may be correct that the communication requirements
have been met, but I'd personally contact the tower in those
circs, just in case there was a need to communicate; IME it
takes several minutes to establish communication and radar
contact with a busy approach facility, and I really don't
want to be distracted from keeping a sharp look-out when I'm close
to an airport, either.

Cheers,
Sydney