"Dennis O'Connor" wrote in message
...

Not at all ridiculous, CJ.... If it was controlled airspace, or special
VFR
conditions, etc., and he had no choice except to communicate, that's one
thing... But, if he is not in controlled airspace and was just being Mr.
Nice Guy and asking for flight following, or other wise keeping his tail
number in the controller's mind, look what it got him - grief...


It was controlled airspace, communications with ATC were not required, he
had not asked for flight following.



When I depart an airport vfr, as soon as I am clear of the B/C/whatever/
airspace, I inform the controller that I am returning to advisories and
squawking vfr...


How does one return to advisories?



Flight following, or a VFR flight plan, is not a good deal... First the
controller can't fly the airplane for you so why are you waiting on him to
tell you what to do?


VFR flight plans have nothing to do with ATC.



... Second, if some bozo busts through controlled
airspace nearby, the controller doesn't have the bozo's tail number but he
has yours, guess who comes to his mind...


If you're receiving flight following when some bozo busts some airspace the
controller knows it wasn't you.



Third, the system is impersonal and once accused (given you have
only your word as proof that it wasn't you)
it will grind you up and spit you out the other end...


The system can do that regardless what you do.



You are far, far, better off being just another anonymous blip on
his scope squawking 1200...
And, yes I advise you to change heading and altitude shortly after leaving
the controlled airspace...
I also advise you to clear the ground track on your GPS before each flight
so that YOU have a record of where you flew - and if there is controversy,
save that ground track......
And, I advise you to never tell departure your destination airport -
simply
say, "November xyz is departing vfr to the southwest at 3500", then
change
to west at 5500, etc., when clear of his airspace...
And no, I am not paranoid - I am a realist who has been watching the FAA
for
six decades... Dealing with them when you don't have to, is like dealing
with Dirty Harry - "So tell me, do you feel lucky, Mr. Pilot?"...


Whether you're paranoid or not cannot be determined from your messages in
these forums. What can be determined from them is that you don't know what
you're talking about.