On 12/9/2006 8:16 PM, Jim Carter wrote the following:

My question for the group is: is there a special terminology that should
be used when requesting full-enroute flight following? Or, why do some
controllers provide that service automatically and others seemingly only
under duress? (I don’t think it is a controller issue, however it might
be a facility policy issue).


Normally here in Minneapolis I say something like "... requesting traffic
advisories to KXXX, six thousand, five hundred." And I get a through code in
the 4xxx block.

To do this, I think my local ground control guy (KMIC) has to telephone the KMSP
TRACON for the code. Maybe the call goes to a desk rather than to a
possibly-busy controller where there could be a workload issue?

One time out of Ames, IA talking to the Des Moines TRACON I got a local code
(0xxx). When I was leveled out I asked the TRACON controller "Can you give me a
code that will get me to Minneapolis?" Got a "stand by" and in a couple of
minutes he called back and gave me the code. At the appropriate time he then
handed me off to Center, no problem.