My experience has been mixed. At RDU where they work a lot of traffic
(for a Class C) I've found them to be flexible, accommodating, and
realistic. Home base is 10miles north and I'm often trying to direct-to
in or out of my base. Often as not, I'm sent directly over RDU with
departures and arrivals operating underneath. Other vectors I'm given
seem to always reflect the direction, density and altitudes of arrivals
and departures. No bull**** but I only get what I want if they can do
it and if I ask for it.

GSO where there is less traffic is a different matter. I'm almost
always sent around. Even when landing there, I've had them ignore my
radio calls until they were ready, causing more than 1 circling
maneuver to get my Class C acknowledgment. It's bull**** but that's the
way they do it. Less traffic, less experienced controllers perhaps.

If I'm flying underneath the ring, I generally squawk 1200. I know they
aren't sending traffic down there and I mainly need to watch out for
others 'below' the radar. They call me out to others so that helps too.

Interestingly, when passing GSO in 1200 mode, I've had a couple of a/c
that were clearly operating into or out of GSO come very close to me. I
can't remember that happening at RDU. Go figure.

wrote:
I had an interesting experience the other day. To some degree I was testing
the theory that a local Class-C facility would invariably vector VFR aircraft outside
the lateral boundaries of their airspace. I've seen this at a few different airports
where I transition through with flight following, but underneath (or overtop) the
vertical limits.

Basically, about 15 miles east I called up approach at 2500' westbound. I was
going to fly underneath the class-C which extends 5-miles from the airport SFC to
5000', and 10-miles out from 3400-5000'. My on-course track would put me about 6
miles from the airport. Sure enough, they issued vectors and told me to stay outside
10 miles from the airport. I replied that I would stay outside the Class-C. They
*again* issued me vectors and said to stay outside 10 miles. I reponded, "NXXXX would
like to terminate radar services." I never received the "radar service terminated,
squawk 1200," so I inquired as to whether or not they acknowledged my request to
terminate. The controller replied, "I want you to stay with ME until west of the
airport, continue on present heading." To which, I replied, "NXXXX outside the
Charlie, 2500, on-course, as I was planning."

I thought this particularly aggressive and unnecessary, so I was going to try
to find the official regs as far as flight following goes. I'm convinced that's the
reason why a lot of VFR pilots never want to talk to ATC unless absolutely necessary.
I pretty much use flight following on any cross-country when I'm not IFR, but it
aggravates me when they vector VFR traffic when outside (especially above/below) their
airspace anyway.

-Cory