dropped in D

Maule Driver wrote:
Interesting question. Without trying to look it up, I would say that it is
your responsibility to remain clear or make contact with Mc Entire Tower
when VFR.

Maule Driver,

This was the subject of a long thread some time ago.

The bottom line is:

It is NOT the responsibility of a pilot receiving radar services
to coordinate with each surface area he flies through. (if he
is landing in that surface area, ordinarily radar services would
be terminated prior to entering it)

The facility providing the radar services is supposed to coordinate,
and maintaining contact with them counts under the communication
requirement of the FARS.

I have heard before that there are some areas where this does
not happen, but it is spelled out quite clearly in the controller's
regulations (7110.65) it is supposed to.

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).

Cheers,
sydney

"Sydney Hoeltzli" wrote in message
...
Maule Driver wrote:
Interesting question. Without trying to look it up, I would say that it
is
your responsibility to remain clear or make contact with Mc Entire Tower
when VFR.

The bottom line is:

It is NOT the responsibility of a pilot receiving radar services
to coordinate with each surface area he flies through. (if he
is landing in that surface area, ordinarily radar services would
be terminated prior to entering it)

The facility providing the radar services is supposed to coordinate,
and maintaining contact with them counts under the communication
requirement of the FARS.

Makes sense and I stand corrected. Thanks.

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. Or am I way off base here and need to
do some reading?

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!

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