Does anyone ever request flight following during long cross-country flights, in order to have ATC provide separation and keep an eye out? Or is this a ridiculous idea, especially given that you'd have to keep listening all afternoon? Would controllers provide radar service, or just have a good laugh? Just curious....

On Monday, February 20, 2017 at 9:14:32 PM UTC-8, Paul Villinski wrote:
> Does anyone ever request flight following during long cross-country flights, in order to have ATC provide separation and keep an eye out? Or is this a ridiculous idea, especially given that you'd have to keep listening all afternoon? Would controllers provide radar service, or just have a good laugh? Just curious....

In some areas like near busy airspace it's certainly done--and a very good idea. But more for transiting those areas not continued full flight.

Recommended (by me) if say crossing near Travis AFB in CA because of all the GA traffic flying into the SF Bay Area and all the military traffic out of Travis. You are actually talking to Travis RAPCON. Always had good service, had RAPCON folks ask (when talking to them offline) if I was a happy customer... now thats a TRACON/RAPCON in a a very busy area they want as many folks talking to them as possible, and preferably with Transponders.

PASCO has Reno area procedures with NORCAL TRACON for being in contact with ATC, not strictly flight following and usually you don't get allocated a discrete squawk code.

I think Cindy (esp. in the past out of Cal City) and the folks who operate near Edwards built good relationships with Edwards RAPCON and SOCAL TRACON. I know folks talk to ATC there, I don't know how many pilots use flight following.

An ARTCC controller following you out in the boondocks , might be less interested in talking to you. I don't know. And you'll need SSR or ADS-B coverage and VHF radio contact... which you might not get.

Have I said enough that stuff matters depending on where you are. :-) You should call up you local ATC folks and have a chat, maybe go have a look-see at their toys.

Over here (Scotland) we are quite often given a squawk to wear and
provided (without asking) with a deconfliction service.
This is in busy corridors.
ATC will then keep commercial traffic 3000' vertically from us, usually
over.
We don't have the busiest skies in the world and half of me thinks the
controllers do it for their own interest to make it easier to keep up with

our antics on the day.

On Monday, February 20, 2017 at 9:14:32 PM UTC-8, Paul Villinski wrote:
> Does anyone ever request flight following during long cross-country flights, in order to have ATC provide separation and keep an eye out? Or is this a ridiculous idea, especially given that you'd have to keep listening all afternoon? Would controllers provide radar service, or just have a good laugh? Just curious....

Not at all ridiculous.
Many times for me, to get cleared into Restricted areas of the R-2508 Complex.
A couple of times when unable to get cleared into R-2505 and needing to circumnavigate a thunderstorm over not-so-hospitable terrain. Just wanting someone to know where I was.
You don't need flight following for ATC to provide separation. They will do that without you having a discrete TXP code or being on their frequency.
The separation issue is a slight problem if several gliders are doing the same thing. ATC gets concerned with the glider-glider proximity. Perhaps the only other formation flying they see is military traffic that they know as a group of aircraft.

Wonder if the reaction ATC can have to multiple discrete-code transponders sharing a thermal will become a real headache for them in a few years?

Darryl, it's "Joshua" that we talk to near Edwards and China Lake.
Jim

Well, I did it on a couple of repositioning flights, but those were
powered flights where I could hold a heading and altitude. I really
don't think Big Brother really wants to be watching over you while you
have a good time bouncing around the sky.

On 2/20/2017 10:14 PM, Paul Villinski wrote:
> Does anyone ever request flight following during long cross-country flights, in order to have ATC provide separation and keep an eye out? Or is this a ridiculous idea, especially given that you'd have to keep listening all afternoon? Would controllers provide radar service, or just have a good laugh? Just curious....

--
Dan, 5J

I've contacted all of Boston, Hartford, Providence and Manchester NH Approach on occasions when I am skirting their areas and worried that some oncoming power traffic might be doing the same. They are usually pretty cooperative if you sound like you know what you are doing (or as in my case are good at faking it). Occasionally they don't "get" the distinction between a motorglider and a pure glider and will give you an altitude hold instruction that you respond with a quick "unable - I'm a pure glider" and they will cheerfully move the other guy for you. (And they really do move them for you!)

It's gotten easier since the dedicated 1202 code as they usually don't give me a new code. It's helpful to monitor the frequency for a while before you call up to get a sense of the workload and give and take. If it's really busy and tense I don't bother them. Once they establish radar contact I usually tell them I will advise before leaving the frequency and when I need to leave, a crisp "request to terminate service" is all that's needed.
ROY

Since becoming transponder equipped in the Cherokee and Cirrus I have gotten flight following on multiple occasions with no issues. Twice I have circumnavigate the Wichita Class C which makes for a nice 200km triangle. I have also received radar service from Longview Approach on the big downwind flight, Nashville Approach on a flight out of Tullahoma to the north, and from Fort Worth Center on the Diamond Climb.

I do talk to ATC multiple times a day during my day job of being a CFI so i'm pretty comfortable taking advantage of the services available. It is sometimes very nice to be able to use the airspace available to us.

On Tuesday, February 21, 2017 at 7:57:20 AM UTC-8, JS wrote:

>
> Darryl, it's "Joshua" that we talk to near Edwards and China Lake.
> Jim

Jim

Right, which is Edwards RAPCON, I was spacing and should have said "Joshua Approach" which is what say on the radio, not the organization.

Same difference near the SF Bay Area, "Travis Approach" is Travis RAPCON.

Later


Darryl

On Monday, February 20, 2017 at 9:14:32 PM UTC-8, Paul Villinski wrote:
> Does anyone ever request flight following during long cross-country flights, in order to have ATC provide separation and keep an eye out? Or is this a ridiculous idea, especially given that you'd have to keep listening all afternoon? Would controllers provide radar service, or just have a good laugh? Just curious....

I requested it once above Las Vegas class Bravo. Than they started giving me "turn to a heading so and so, maintain altitude, etc." every which way but where I wanted to go. I tried explaining that I am a glider and if we keep this up I may have to descent into the class Bravo, they did not care to listen.
After managing to stay clear, I cancelled it and in as much as it may seem like a good idea, I will never do it again.
6PK

I highly recommend being transponder equipped, especially if near busy airspace. I talk to Knoxville approach (TYS) quite regular with my ASW20c, and often am cleared direct thru their Class C to get to back home towards the end of the day. Several times have flown directly over the TYS airport getting home. They are very cooperative. Think it gives the controllers a bit of a changeup from dealing with the repetitious power traffic. Had the same experience with Nashville and Chattanooga. Often they just give a discrete squawk and leave me alone, while pointing the glider out to the other aircraft. And the transponder keeps the heavy iron away...with or without ATC... Adding ADS-B out soon to the T22.

On Tuesday, February 21, 2017 at 7:14:50 PM UTC-8, 6PK wrote:
> On Monday, February 20, 2017 at 9:14:32 PM UTC-8, Paul Villinski wrote:
> > Does anyone ever request flight following during long cross-country flights, in order to have ATC provide separation and keep an eye out? Or is this a ridiculous idea, especially given that you'd have to keep listening all afternoon? Would controllers provide radar service, or just have a good laugh? Just curious....
>
> I requested it once above Las Vegas class Bravo. Than they started giving me "turn to a heading so and so, maintain altitude, etc." every which way but where I wanted to go. I tried explaining that I am a glider and if we keep this up I may have to descent into the class Bravo, they did not care to listen.
> After managing to stay clear, I cancelled it and in as much as it may seem like a good idea, I will never do it again.
> 6PK

Maybe the civilian controllers realized you are ex-USAF and were just messing with you. :-)

Same experience for me with KABE. Especially on weekdays, I think the controllers are bored and any sort of diversion from the routine keeps it interesting. I've been offered (and accepted) flight following several times on ridge missions that run just underneath the outer layer of their Class C. Actually providing a meaningful conflict avoidance for a Medevac chopper that was shooting the Slatington Gap below ridgecrest.

P3

On Tuesday, February 21, 2017 at 11:58:02 PM UTC-5, Linwood Stevenson wrote:
> I highly recommend being transponder equipped, especially if near busy airspace. I talk to Knoxville approach (TYS) quite regular with my ASW20c, and often am cleared direct thru their Class C to get to back home towards the end of the day. Several times have flown directly over the TYS airport getting home. They are very cooperative. Think it gives the controllers a bit of a changeup from dealing with the repetitious power traffic. Had the same experience with Nashville and Chattanooga. Often they just give a discrete squawk and leave me alone, while pointing the glider out to the other aircraft. And the transponder keeps the heavy iron away...with or without ATC... Adding ADS-B out soon to the T22.