Flight Following question

"Jim Carter" wrote in
news:000801c71c01$25c5bf10$4b01a8c0@omnibook6100:

So far, every time I come out of ROG and request flight following to
it doesn't matter where, I get a discrete squawk that allows
departure to hand me off to Memphis Center, or Dallas, or Kansas City.
Coming out of LIT however I've never been given anything except a
local code and then about 15 miles out the familiar "radar advisories
terminated, squawk VFR, have a nice day".

VFR flight following is on a workload permitted basis.

If approach doesn't give you a hand off, just call center servicing the
area and pick up flight following through them.

If you know you have been given a local code, you may want to contact LIT
approach and ask if VFR flight following is available outside their
airspace.

They can answer accordingly or advise you what frequency to contact for
continuation of VFR flight following.

Allen

-----Original Message-----
From: A Lieberma ]
Posted At: Saturday, December 09, 2006 8:48 PM
Posted To: rec.aviation.ifr
Conversation: Flight Following question
Subject: Flight Following question

"Jim Carter" wrote in
news:000801c71c01$25c5bf10$4b01a8c0@omnibook6100:

So far, every time I come out of ROG and request flight following to
it doesn't matter where, I get a discrete squawk that allows
departure to hand me off to Memphis Center, or Dallas, or Kansas
City.
Coming out of LIT however I've never been given anything except a
local code and then about 15 miles out the familiar "radar
advisories
terminated, squawk VFR, have a nice day".

VFR flight following is on a workload permitted basis.


Yep, I'm aware of that which is why I expected maybe that was the issue.
Last Friday however, when I decided to "test" that theory I got handed
off to Memphis and the sector controller seemed very chatty - with
almost nothing else going on.

Little Rock (Adams Field) has instituted a non-IFR pre-taxi clearance
delivery frequency. First you pick up ATIS, then call non-IFR clearance,
then finally you get to talk to ground control for a VFR departure. It's
almost like they are trying to justify some positions rather than
improve safety or efficiency on the ground.

I would think that encouraging flight following would help their
numbers, but since they tend to work as an isolated little unit with VFR
traffic very few of the guys I fly with use them for that purpose. That
can't help their numbers.

"Jim Carter" wrote in news:000401c71c0e$aadf0190
$4b01a8c0@omnibook6100:

Little Rock (Adams Field) has instituted a non-IFR pre-taxi clearance
delivery frequency. First you pick up ATIS, then call non-IFR
clearance,
then finally you get to talk to ground control for a VFR departure.
It's
almost like they are trying to justify some positions rather than
improve safety or efficiency on the ground.

Is there a NOTAM on that somewhere for a non IFR pretaxi clearance
frequency? Just checked DUATS, and they only have the following
frequencies:

UNICOM 122.950
JONESBORO FSS (JBR) 1-800-WX-BRIEF NOTAM FILE LIT
APCH/P DEP/P CLASS C 119.5(222-041)
APCH/P DEP/P CLASS C IC 135.4(042-221)
ATIS 125.65(501-324-2618)
CD/P PTC 118.95
EMERG 121.5
GND/P 121.9
IC 135.4
LCL/P 118.7

What you describe above *almost* sounds normal for me as I would do the
following for departing Little Rock based on my DUATS briefing:

Get ATIS 125.65
Contact Clearance and Delivery for my VFR intentions (or IFR) 118.95
Contact ground for taxiing 121.9
Contact Tower 118.7 for departure
Contact departure frequency 119.5 or 135.4

Allen

-----Original Message-----
From: A Lieberma ]
Posted At: Saturday, December 09, 2006 10:16 PM
Posted To: rec.aviation.ifr
Conversation: Flight Following question
Subject: Flight Following question

....
Is there a NOTAM on that somewhere for a non IFR pretaxi clearance
frequency? Just checked DUATS, and they only have the following
frequencies:


Nope, it's on the ATIS announcement.

UNICOM 122.950
JONESBORO FSS (JBR) 1-800-WX-BRIEF NOTAM FILE LIT
APCH/P DEP/P CLASS C 119.5(222-041)
APCH/P DEP/P CLASS C IC 135.4(042-221)
ATIS 125.65(501-324-2618)
CD/P PTC 118.95
EMERG 121.5
GND/P 121.9
IC 135.4
LCL/P 118.7

What you describe above *almost* sounds normal for me as I would do
the
following for departing Little Rock based on my DUATS briefing:

Get ATIS 125.65
Contact Clearance and Delivery for my VFR intentions (or IFR) 118.95
Contact ground for taxiing 121.9
Contact Tower 118.7 for departure
Contact departure frequency 119.5 or 135.4

Allen

I'm typically used to calling CD only for special VFR or IFR clearances.
I found it unusual for a VFR CD requirement, especially when the same
voice seems to answer both CD and GND.

Jim Carter wrote:



I'm typically used to calling CD only for special VFR or IFR clearances.
I found it unusual for a VFR CD requirement, especially when the same
voice seems to answer both CD and GND.

If it's the same guy it doesn't matter what frequncy you use.

-----Original Message-----
From: Newps ]
Posted At: Sunday, December 10, 2006 10:02 AM
Posted To: rec.aviation.ifr
Conversation: Flight Following question
Subject: Flight Following question



Jim Carter wrote:



I'm typically used to calling CD only for special VFR or IFR
clearances.
I found it unusual for a VFR CD requirement, especially when the
same
voice seems to answer both CD and GND.

If it's the same guy it doesn't matter what frequncy you use.

I'd agree with you if I hadn't been admonished for not using CD first. I
switched to CD and the voice sounded familiar so I even asked: "didn't I
just talk to you over on GND?"

The answer: "yes, but we needed to get you on this tape". Now whether
that is true or not, it doesn't seem to me to be in the best interest of
everyone involved. It seems to me to be essentially doubling the number
of radio calls that GND / CD have to handle -- i.e. inflating their
numbers.

Jim Carter wrote:


The answer: "yes, but we needed to get you on this tape".


There's one tape. There's a number of different channels but only one
tape. He was bull****ting you.





Now whether
that is true or not, it doesn't seem to me to be in the best interest of
everyone involved. It seems to me to be essentially doubling the number
of radio calls that GND / CD have to handle -- i.e. inflating their
numbers.

What happens on CD/GC has no affect whatsoever on their traffic count.