"Arnold Sten" wrote in message
...

In addition to the above, using Flight Following means that you are in
direct contact with ATC should you develop some sort of in-flight
emergency. You can therefore communicate that difficulty immediately
without having to search for the available and appropriate controlling
agency.
A follow-up question, however: How do request flight following when you
are not actually doing a cross-country? Let's say that my flight
intentions are to fly 50 NM away from my home base in order do
sight-seeing and photo shooting, turn around (not land), and go back home.
Do I simply tell ATC of those intentions of doing nothing more than a
round robin flight? Whenever I have ask for FF, the controller always asks
for a destination. What are you supposed to say?


Just tell them you'll be taking photos or doing airwork or whatever.