Regs regarding "VFR flight following?" (also: "need to vent")

: I don't think you understand. Class C services are provided to all
: aircraft within the Class C airspace itself, and to all participating
: aircraft in the outer area associated with it. The outer area is not marked
: on the chart, it is normally the area within a twenty mile radius of the
: Class C primary airport and extends from the lower limits of radar/radio
: coverage up to the ceiling of the approach control's delegated airspace
: excluding the Class C charted area.

All right... so I'll admit that I was "participating" by calling them up and
accepting a squawk code. I was chosing NOT to participate when I requested
termination of radar services.... but he did not acknowledge that request. I would
have simply gone 1200, but in the back of my mind, I remember reading, "Transponders
should be set to 1200, unless ATC tells otherwise." I guess most pilots do what
they're told by ATC, and in most cases should do exactly that.

I remember once coming back from Florida over Charlotte, SC in a friend's
PA-24-250. We'd been slow-baking at 10,500 for about 3 hours without O2, so we were
probably both a bit hypoxic. We were going to go right over the top (top is at
10.5)... they "refused," saying we could go to 12500 if we wanted. Unable, so we were
vectored 20 miles out of our way. No I know the "correct" way to hand this would be
to terminate radar services.

-Cory


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* Cory Papenfuss, Ph.D., PPSEL-IA *
* Electrical Engineering *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
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