Flight Following question

Jim Carter wrote:
Of course that prompts another question:
if its that easy to get FF then why bother with the IFR / VFR finagle to
start with? Why not just do as you suggest and file IFR with the
intention of cancelling over to FF after departure?



You have to be an instrument pilot to start out IFR.




It can't be that we've got non-instrument rated pilots filing IFR plans
can it?

It's OK to file, not OK to accept an IFR flight plan.

Oops! You are correct, of course.

Stan


"Newps" wrote in message
...


Stan Prevost wrote:

As Milen says, check IFR (it is not an IFR flight plan, that is just a
routing flag for ATC vs FSS), put VFR or VFR/120 for 12,000 feet or
whatever your filed altitude is.


Use a VFR altitude. Such as VFR/125, VFR/075, etc.

"A Lieberma" wrote in message
. 18...

It's either VFR ir IFR.


It is a plan for a flight to be conducted under VFR, using ATC services to
VFR aircraft. There will be no IFR clearance involved. The IFR box only
serves to route the plan to ATC rather than FSS.

But if you are worried that it is an IFR flight plan, so what? There is no
rule against filing an IFR flight plan, only acting as PIC under IFR.

"Newps" wrote in message
. ..


Jim Carter wrote:



That's pretty cool. So if I understand correctly now, I can file an IFR
flight plan, but specify the enroute altitude as VFR/065 (6500') and
that will generate a strip. Can I then call CD and pick up an IFR
clearance to VFR enroute with flight following?


Just file a regular IFR and pick it up how you normally do. When you get
to the point you want to be VFR tell the controller you want to cancel and
receive FF.

When I make my initial call to the departure facility, they usually just ask
me to confirm that I want VFR flight following, and then just say something
like "maintain VFR at all times, proceed on course, climb to requested VFR
altitude". They have all the other information already. At most, I have to
tell them that I want VFR flight following to destination, and that there
should be a proposal strip on me. Never any IFR clearance involved.

Stan Prevost wrote:




When I make my initial call to the departure facility, they usually just ask
me to confirm that I want VFR flight following, and then just say something
like "maintain VFR at all times, proceed on course, climb to requested VFR
altitude".



That's a little overboard. A simple "maintain VFR" is all that's needed.

I just ask for FF to my destination. No IFR or VFR flight plan is
used.

Ron Lee

wrote:

I've got a VFR friend who always files (but doesn't open) an IFR flight plan for longer cross-countries. That way, the
flight is in the system for the whole route, so it's (at least alegedly) easier for the controller to find. Not sure how much
truth there is to that, but it does make some sense.


If it's never opened it will remain a proposed flight plan at the
departure point until it times out two hours after the proposed
departure time. Controllers along the route will not have it.

John T wrote:

Besides the obvious workload issue, I have read about different ATC
facilities unable to handoff VFR traffic. Luckily, I haven't had that
happen, but I don't think you'll find a "magic phrase" to make it work
seamlessly in your situation (based on the history you mentioned).


Automatic transmission of VFR flight plans to terminal facilities
hosted Chicago Center is inhibited.

A Lieberma wrote:
"Stan Prevost" wrote in
:

Or you can just file an ATC flight plan
for VFR flight following. That automatically puts you into the
system.


Filing VFR flight plan DOES NOT put you in the system. It's only for
search and rescue, nothing more.

You don't activate the flight plan with ATC, but with FSS on a VFR flight
plan.

Stan said "ATC flight plan", so I think he means a flight plan that
*does* go to ATC. Check IFR on the flight planning form, then in the
altitude block put "VFR045" (for 4500 ft, for example).

DB

A Lieberma wrote:

Call it what you want, but the form on top says FAA Flight plan.

1.Type is either VFR or IFR.

If you select IFR, you are filing a IFR flight plan. No grey zone about
it, all you are doing is fudging the system to get a plan routed to ATC.

Suppose what you say is true. So what?

That box on the form should read: "Send flight plan to ATC? YES/NO".


VFR flight plans are not routed to ATC period.


But that's not the kind of flight plan under discussion.