IFR/Flight Following -- ATC Preferences?

"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote in
t:


"Bob Gardner" wrote in message
...

JFK, Jr. was not required by regulation to use flight following...but
the outcome of his flight might have been drastically different had
he done so.


How would have flight following made a difference? He didn't run into
an unseen airplane.



The NTSB report refers to a descent into the water caused by spatial
disorientation.

A simple Altitude Alert from a controller could have reminded him to look
at his altimiter and VSI and realize that he was pointed into the water
instead of into the Horizon, potentially yeilding different results.

Even if he didn't look, but just pulled or powered up, it could have been a
life saver.

From what I hear on the radio, flight following is often a lot more than
just traffic alerts...

"Judah" wrote in message
. ..

The NTSB report refers to a descent into the water caused by spatial
disorientation.

A simple Altitude Alert from a controller could have reminded him to look
at his altimiter and VSI and realize that he was pointed into the water
instead of into the Horizon, potentially yeilding different results.


Would an altitude alert end his disorientation? Why would the controller
issue an altitude alert? He was operating VFR, he wasn't required to hold
any particular altitude.



From what I hear on the radio, flight following is often a lot more than
just traffic alerts...


Like what? What do you hear on the radio?

Bob Gardner wrote:

Not the best attitude, in my opinion. As others have noted, ATC expansion
and paychecks depend on traffic counts, so by not using them you hit them in
the pocketbook. And you deprive yourself of a safety net that you pay for
every April.

JFK, Jr. was not required by regulation to use flight following...but the
outcome of his flight might have been drastically different had he done so.

How so? Could the controller fly his airplane remotely? :-)

Matt

Perhaps calm him and ask if he activated the AP? It's amazing what
brain/sensory overload can do to rational thinking.
--

Thx, {|;-)

Victor J. (Jim) Osborne, Jr.

ps: Folks: How about putting your 'include message source at the bottom of
your reply so we don't have to scroll thru it to get a the reply. TIA.

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...
Bob Gardner wrote:

Not the best attitude, in my opinion. As others have noted, ATC expansion
and paychecks depend on traffic counts, so by not using them you hit them
in the pocketbook. And you deprive yourself of a safety net that you pay
for every April.

JFK, Jr. was not required by regulation to use flight following...but the
outcome of his flight might have been drastically different had he done
so.

How so? Could the controller fly his airplane remotely? :-)

Matt

Victor J. Osborne, Jr. wrote:

Perhaps calm him and ask if he activated the AP? It's amazing what
brain/sensory overload can do to rational thinking.

Yes, it appears to cause you to top post rather than bottom post with
the rest of the civilized usenet. Civilized means prior to M$ and IE
exploder.


Matt

From what little we "know" from news reports and supermarket tabloids, he
was disoriented. There have been a number of cases in which a controller has
talked pilots/nonpilot passengers into gaining/regaining control of an
airplane that is in trouble. Neither you nor I know what the controller for
the sector he was in at the fatal moment would or could have done had he
been talking to ATC, but we know for sure that he was in a situation that he
could not handle on his own.

Bob Gardner

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...
Bob Gardner wrote:

Not the best attitude, in my opinion. As others have noted, ATC expansion
and paychecks depend on traffic counts, so by not using them you hit them
in the pocketbook. And you deprive yourself of a safety net that you pay
for every April.

JFK, Jr. was not required by regulation to use flight following...but the
outcome of his flight might have been drastically different had he done
so.

How so? Could the controller fly his airplane remotely? :-)

Matt

Bob Gardner wrote:
From what little we "know" from news reports and supermarket tabloids, he
was disoriented.

NTSB: "The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a
descent over water at night, which was a result of spatial disorientation.
Factors in the accident were haze, and the dark night "

Hilton

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...
Bob Gardner wrote:

Not the best attitude, in my opinion. As others have noted, ATC expansion
and paychecks depend on traffic counts, so by not using them you hit them
in the pocketbook. And you deprive yourself of a safety net that you pay
for every April.

JFK, Jr. was not required by regulation to use flight following...but the
outcome of his flight might have been drastically different had he done
so.

How so? Could the controller fly his airplane remotely? :-)

Matt

From what little we "know" from news reports and supermarket tabloids, he
was disoriented. There have been a number of cases in which a controller has
talked pilots/nonpilot passengers into gaining/regaining control of an
airplane that is in trouble. Neither you nor I know what the controller for
the sector he was in at the fatal moment would or could have done had he
been talking to ATC, but we know for sure that he was in a situation that he
could not handle on his own.

Bob Gardner


"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...
Bob Gardner wrote:

Not the best attitude, in my opinion. As others have noted, ATC expansion
and paychecks depend on traffic counts, so by not using them you hit them
in the pocketbook. And you deprive yourself of a safety net that you pay
for every April.

JFK, Jr. was not required by regulation to use flight following...but the
outcome of his flight might have been drastically different had he done
so.

How so? Could the controller fly his airplane remotely? :-)

Matt

John Doe wrote:

That being said, I'm all for not bothering ATC unless I'm required to by FAA
regulations.

I used to feel the same way until I got my instrument ticket. Once I
started flying IFR flight plans, I started to file for any trip over an
hour or so long, regardless of weather. I liked having the extra eyes
looking for traffic (not to mention not having to worry about
circumnavigating some large cloud event).

Now, even if I don't file, I still call up for flight following unless
the trip is really short or I'm just going up to practice stalls or T&Gs.


-m
--
## Mark T. Dame
## VP, Product Development
## MFM Software, Inc. (http://www.mfm.com/)
"A common occurrence during compile time is a syntax error."
-- C: The Complete Reference, Herbert Schildt