Flight following is no substitute for "see and avoid" anyway.


I'll second that and third that. I see =so= many new pilots unable to function
without the kind of reassurance that flight following, GPS, handheld navcomms,
and autopilots provide. They are afraid to fly without it, and are unable to
fly with just a chart, a window, and CAVU. As a result, they are also no
longer PILOT IN COMMAND, but PASSENGER IN LEFT SEAT.

It's nice to have traffic pointed out, and it's (sometimes) nice to get vectors
around a problem, but the more you do that, the more you rely on the guy on the
ground to fly the plane. It becomes an attitude, and is a Bad Thing.

If you can't fly CAVU with a chart and a compass, you should not be in the air.
If you don't think you can or should fly without the geegaws and the radios,
find an instructor who will teach you how - because when you KNOW you can do
it, flight following is no longer a crutch or substitute, but an aid.

Jose


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