In article ,
Roy Smith wrote:

In article ,
B A R R Y wrote:

My local Delta base (HFD) will contact nearby BDL TRACON and obtain a
squawk code for VFR flight following or traffic advisories. This
service is "advertised" on the ATIS and is requested from ground
control on initial call up by departures. Ground calls you back with
a code and the proper departure frequency, similar to an IFR
clearance.

Last week, I was at a Charlie airport (PVD) during a very quiet
period. Upon calling ground with the usual VFR information, I also
requested a VFR flight following to my destination. This was the
first time I'd tried this outside of HFD. The controller mumbled
something unintellible, along with "since it's slow", and to stand by.
He honored my request and returned with my code and the current
departure frequency. My flight following commenced automatically as I
was handed off to that area's TRACON from the tower.

Should I have asked for this service via the clearance delivery
frequency as in IFR, or was I asking for a service not normally
available? I can't find the answer in the 2007 Jeppesen FAR-AIM.

In hindsight, I'm guessing I should have been on clearance delivery.

The general rule is that anything that involves generating a flight strip
(IFR clearance or VFR flight following) should go through CD. Only if an
airport has no published CD freq (or if the ATIS says you should) that you
should ask the ground controller for this.

It's a good general rule, but it's broken in places, like (one of my)
home bases, Oakland (KOAK), which is a busy Class C under SFO's Class B,
and where you typically bypass clearance for ground if it's a VFR
departure. You just call ground with what's effectively a combined
clearance and ground taxi call, and any special requests (like a class B
clearance). Unfortunately even though there's a separate (and often very
busy) clearance frequency, the call-ground-first thing isn't typically
mentioned in the relevant ATIS, so not everyone knows, but calling
clearance is harmless -- you'll just be told to switch to ground, if you
can get a word in edgeways between Southwest calls for IFR clearances
from the south field.

At Monterey (KMRY) just down the coast, you call clearance first, unless
it specifically says not to on ATIS. At my other home base, Hayward
(KHWD), which is a busy class D under Oakland's class C (under ...), you
call ground for VFR flight following, but clearance for IFR clearances
(which are usually given on ground frequency while taxiing, but never
mind...). This isn't usually mentioned on ATIS anywhere either.

I've learned to simply call clearance if it's listed and ask them who to
call if I'm at a place I don't know; otherwise I call ground and ask
them. But then I'm guessing my way-out-of-town Australian accent
probably helps smooth things over in ways not always available to
everyone :-).

Hamish