IFR/Flight Following -- ATC Preferences?

"Mitty" wrote in message
...

Departing cross country out of the Minneapolis area in severe clear, I
will usually ask for either flight following or will file. I depart from
KMIC, which is under the 4000 foot shelf of the MSP bravo airspace.

For example, Friday I am going from KMIC to KGPZ, which is a couple
hundred miles to the north.

I am curious what TRACON and Center guys think:

Do you prefer to have me on a full IFR flight plan? (I always cancel when
I have the airport in sight if the destination is non-towered.)

Just advisories so you know who I am and what I am doing, but you don't
have to provide separation services?

Or do you not wish to hear at all? (Hopefully not, because I like being
in the system both for traffic info and in case of emergency.)


I'd hear controllers complain about having to work some guy and I'd tell
them, "You make it sound like you're a longshoreman or miner or construction
worker. You do a little talking, a little writing, and a little
button-pushing. Quit your bitchin' and do your job."

What does it matter what the controller prefers? To him it's still just a
little talking, a little writing, and a little button-pushing. If it's
flight following, the controller just has to advise you of other traffic,
and the other traffic of you if he happens to be talking to it. If you're
both IFR he may have to move one of you. But if he does, there's no
additional burden on him over providing flight following, it's still just a
little talking, a little writing, and a little button-pushing. His trip
isn't lengthened, he doesn't burn any more gas, there's no additional cost
to the controller.