I'm sure that Steve or Newps will straighten me out, but I don't think
"putting it in the system" goes any farther than calling the radar facility
on the landline and telling them that you want flight following. I don't
think anything is "filed" per se. The "right answer" is that your
destination is the biggest, busiest airport in the vicinity of your real
destination (airports requiring reservations do not fit here). Then, when
you get close enough so that the controllers recognize the names of small
towns and airports, tell them you are changing your destination. Having
found Starks on my sectional, I think I would have waited until Seattle
Center handed me off to Portland Approach.

Bob Gardner

"Ben Jackson" wrote in message
news:PZfjc.26174$YP5.2043444@attbi_s02...
In article ,
Judah wrote:
That might have been why the first guy got snippy with you - he's
watching a sector in CA

The first guy was a ground controller. I was surprised that he put it
in the system in such a way that other controllers had to ask.

Anyway, the whole point of my query was: What IS the right answer?
When he came back with the snippy "Oregon" I thought that was it. So
I tried the local FSS, the state, the nearest airport and the nearest
VOR.

I should have seen this coming when Oakland FSS's computers told them
that Scappoose was the closest airport.

--
Ben Jackson

http://www.ben.com/