VFR position reporting

Flight Watch is intended for weather and PIREPS, although in
an emergency, they will talk to you about the impending
crash or the other condition. But they are setup as weather
specialists.

For the real student pilots out there, position reports are
often a life saver. In areas of mountains, swamps, oceans
and deserts, even your slow trainer can get you many miles
away from your last known position in just a few minutes. A
flight plan files with a 90 minute ETE will often require a
search over several hundred square miles unless you have
either made accurate position reports, or received radar
service/flight following from ATC. Although VFR position
reports are usually given directly to FSS Radio on one of
the frequencies publish on the sectional chart or in the
AFD, you can give a VFR position report to ATC even if you
are not in radar contact, just call Center [call sign] VFR
position report. They will be able to record the report and
are happy to do so, particularly in remote areas.

Learn the format for a position report and don't waste their
time stammering. When you start IFR training, you'll be
ahead of the class.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

"Bob Gardner" wrote in message
...
| They all work in the same building and get paid from the
same pool of money,
| but the last time I visited the Seattle AFSS there was one
person at the
| Flight Watch position whose sole responsibility it was to
answer queries
| about the weather on 122.0...s/he worked no other
frequency. And his scope
| did not have a flight plan screen, as did the other scopes
in the room.
|
| Bob Gardner
|
| "Andrew Gideon" wrote in message
| news | On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 08:33:20 -0800, Bob Gardner wrote:
|
| Uh... Andrew, you do realize that Flight Watch is a
purely weather
| position with no other responsibilities, right? Call
FSS, yes, call
| Flight
| Watch, no.
|
| I've often wondered: why the distinction? Isn't Flight
Watch the same set
| of people?
|
| - Andrew (a different Andrew)
|
|
|

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:17:20 -0800, Bob Gardner wrote:

the last time I visited the Seattle AFSS

How does one locate a local FSS? I'd like to visit one.

--
Dallas

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:17:20 -0800, Bob Gardner wrote:

They all work in the same building and get paid from the same pool of
money, but the last time I visited the Seattle AFSS there was one person
at the Flight Watch position whose sole responsibility it was to answer
queries about the weather on 122.0...s/he worked no other frequency. And
his scope did not have a flight plan screen, as did the other scopes in
the room.


That's informative to me (ie. I didn't know this {8^), but I still don't
know why the separation of the two services?

Thanks...
- Andrew

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 11:08:01 +0100, Mxsmanic wrote:

I'm still not clear on the exact procedure for position reports if you
are flying VFR over long distances without flight following. To whom
do you report your position, and what information should it include?
Which positions do you report and how often?


Flying in southern British Columbia (outside the radar environment
around Vancouver-Victoria), I will use flight following if I am high
enough. This is not always practical (there are areas where 10500 feet
is too low) so I will call FSS whenever I come near another FSS or RCO
with a position report. I always file a flight plan. There is a lot of
remote territory around here.



randall g =%^) PPASEL+Night 1974 Cardinal RG
http://www.telemark.net/randallg
Lots of aerial photographs of British Columbia at:
http://www.telemark.net/randallg/photos.htm
Vancouver's famous Kat Kam: http://www.katkam.ca

Mxsmanic wrote:
I'm still not clear on the exact procedure for position reports if you
are flying VFR over long distances without flight following. To whom
do you report your position, and what information should it include?
Which positions do you report and how often?

1) No one.
2) None.
3) Not ever.

Unless you are on flight following or in airspace that requires
radio contact, there is no obligation to talk to anyone.

"Blanche" wrote in message
...
Mxsmanic wrote:
I'm still not clear on the exact procedure for position reports if you
are flying VFR over long distances without flight following. To whom
do you report your position, and what information should it include?
Which positions do you report and how often?

1) No one.
2) None.
3) Not ever.

Unless you are on flight following or in airspace that requires
radio contact, there is no obligation to talk to anyone.


Even Flight Following is not going to ask you for position reports, as they
already know where you're at, except on initial call up, you should provide
your approximate position. I know some people will include position when
they check-in with a controller they have been handed off to, but isn't
necessary.

"Wade Hasbrouck" wrote in
news:RfOdnVwDSesXqf_YnZ2dnUVZ_oCdnZ2d@cablespeedwa .com:

I know some people will
include position when they check-in with a controller they have been
handed off to, but isn't necessary.

Interesting as I have never heard anybody give their position when handed
off? What do they say for their position.

Only thing I report on hand offs is my altitude and read back the altimeter
if center acknowleges me with a altimeter setting.

I.E.
Memphis Center Sundowner one niner four three lima 7000

I have never heard anything any different other then an initial callup
where they give location, altitude and request VFR flight following or an
IFR picking up their clearance.

Allen

"A Lieberma" wrote in message
. 18...
"Wade Hasbrouck" wrote in
news:RfOdnVwDSesXqf_YnZ2dnUVZ_oCdnZ2d@cablespeedwa .com:

I know some people will
include position when they check-in with a controller they have been
handed off to, but isn't necessary.

Interesting as I have never heard anybody give their position when handed
off? What do they say for their position.

Only thing I report on hand offs is my altitude and read back the
altimeter
if center acknowleges me with a altimeter setting.

I.E.
Memphis Center Sundowner one niner four three lima 7000

I have never heard anything any different other then an initial callup
where they give location, altitude and request VFR flight following or an
IFR picking up their clearance.


I don't include position in a handoff, but there was discussion on the
pilots alias at work about a month ago and some did say they included their
position...

Blanche writes:

1) No one.
2) None.
3) Not ever.

Unless you are on flight following or in airspace that requires
radio contact, there is no obligation to talk to anyone.

I wasn't asking about obligations, I was asking about safe practices
and the procedures in place that allow them.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

if you are making position reports
do you not then have flight following?
BT

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
I'm still not clear on the exact procedure for position reports if you
are flying VFR over long distances without flight following. To whom
do you report your position, and what information should it include?
Which positions do you report and how often?

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.