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.