George Patterson wrote:
G. Sylvester wrote:
I don't know why he finds that amazing. I've made the trip from New
Jersey to Knoxville, TN several times without speaking to any
controllers except those at Knoxville. That's over 600 miles each way.
The only other radio calls I made were the usual ones ("three miles
out", "entering downwind", etc.) at my untowered fuel stop. When I flew
down to Fort Myers, I talked to Orlando on the way down. On the way
back, I didn't bother -- just went under it. Many other trips -- same
procedure.

I said amazing. I did not say 'surprising.' Of course he knows it's
not abnormal. Just that after talking to ATC for a thousand or whatever
number of hours per year, he finds it amazing that he can go up flying
and never talk to anyone. He's so used to it, it is just amazing that
he is not required to. It's not like he was blown away.

So interesting that people are saying "I can fly 600nm and never talk to
anyone." Many people said that how can there be people who don't know
how to talk to ATC. Well there's your answer. You don't have to and
some choose not to so they lose their skills.

Gerald