Flight Following question

Newps writes:
What he meant was to file an IFR flight plan except to put VFR as the
altitude. That would generate a strip just like an IFR aircraft but
when you put that transponder code in the data block on the radar
scope shows you as a VFR aircraft.

I don't remember exactly what I did, but I have succesfully done this
trick (back in the 1980s). I also recall something about putting a
"Z" somewhere, but that might have been for something else like a
composite flight plan. (I need to go re-read some of these things.)
I know this stuff was actually documented somewhere, because I figured
it out by myself and have done it, getting the ATC responses that have
been described here. I used to fly from Boston into the NY area or
into DCA a lot back in those days, and I would normally get flight
following all the way.

The airports I fly out of are under the BOS (uh, I almost said "TCA"!)
class B airspace, and I would ask (pre-taxi, which was CD if they had it)
for "flight following to airport" to make sure they knew I was hoping
for service all the way. This was also with normal VFR flight plans.
If they had some idea where you were going (or that you were going
anywhere at all, probably) they would tend to hand you off to the next
facility rather than abandoning you.

Speaking of DCA, I was also asked ("do you know" / "are you able")
to do the River Visual approach while VFR, in reference to someone
else's question about being assigned that kind of approach clearance
while not IFR. (And since I had the chart and was familiar, I did.)

This was all very long ago and I haven't been flying much in years,
but I can confirm that these things all used to work just fine, so they
probably work fine now. (Except for the "DCA" part, god damnit.)
I haven't flown any trips in many years; just local goofing around.

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

Stan Prevost wrote:
: Flight Following questionJim, as others have indicated, it can be variable.
: I have had most luck with "Request flight following to destination" or
: "Request to be put into the system for flight following to destination". Or
: you can just file an ATC flight plan for VFR flight following. That
: automatically puts you into the system.

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.

-Cory


--

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

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.

Doesn't do a damn thing. When an aircraft takes off VFR with an IFR on
file the ground controller throws away the IFR strip. He was the only
guy with that strip. No facility would ever generate that strip unless
he actually takes off IFR or he calls to activate the IFR flight plan,
then every succeeding facility would generate one. Two hours after the
P time an unopened IFR flight plan is automatically erased from the system.

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.

Steven P. McNicoll wrote:
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.

But if the VFR friend requested FF, it would be "opened" and the
controllers would have the strip all along the route, right?

John Clonts wrote:

But if the VFR friend requested FF, it would be "opened" and the
controllers would have the strip all along the route, right?


Right.

Okay, here's my question. When I get FF on a long trip, often I get handed
off from centers, approaches, etc. to my destination. I have been put "in
the system" along the way. How do controllers do that so the handoff
happens? Does the original entry into the system generate P strips along
the route like an IFR flight? If so, how do they do it so that the flight
is not IFR? Do they "force" the VFR aspect like this thread has been
discussing? Is the handoff automatic, or does it get coordinated by land
line, or both?

But if the VFR friend requested FF, it would be "opened" and the
controllers would have the strip all along the route, right?

"Jim Carter" wrote in message
news:000801c71c01$25c5bf10$4b01a8c0@omnibook6100

My question for the group is: is there a special terminology that
should be used when requesting full-enroute flight following? Or, why
do some controllers provide that service automatically and others
seemingly only under duress? (I don't think it is a controller issue,
however it might be a facility policy issue).

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).

--
John T
http://sage1solutions.com/blogs/TknoFlyer
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____________________

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.