21/4/05 Flight following to be introduced
...It is interesting to note that someone in Airservices has managed to solve these two problems and has supported the important NAS initiative. For the first time we will be using the TAAATS radar system in the way in which it was designed.
There is, however, one serious problem. With the proven US flight following system, the air traffic controller allocates a discrete transponder code to any VFR aircraft receiving flight following. This is important as it ensures that there is a clear understanding of which aircraft is receiving flight following and who is responsible for what.
For some strange reason - possibly ignorance - Airservices is going it alone with a unique "invented" flight following system. Aircraft will not be allocated a discrete transponder code but will simply remain on the VFR code of 1200. This means that the correct terminology which is used in the USA in relation to termination of flight following - that is, "(Aircraft callsign) radar service terminated, squawk 1200, frequency change approved" - will not be used here.
With the US flight following system, the very fact that you are told to move on to the general VFR code of 1200 makes it quite clear that the flight following service, and air traffic controller responsibility, has been removed.
The reason this FAA/US terminology is so important is that it makes it quite clear to all involved that once the service is terminated, the air traffic controller is no longer responsible for providing a service to that VFR aircraft.
Dick; a pat on the back and a slap in the face... Nice work; you are of course mostly wrong...
If ATC provide the service with a RADTAG, a valid TAAATS tool you may or maynot be changed code. But you may be... If your code was changed off 1200, on termination you'll be placed back on code 1200...
If you get the service via a FDR (Flight Data Record), a flight plan in TAAATS (this will be transparent to you th pilot), this will include code management to get the record and your radar paint to "couple" or become one...
The service commences when the ATC says "
Identified" the service ends when the ATC says "
Radar Service Terminated"... If you heard that statement; forgeting code management; surely it is clear that the service has ended, is it not?
We don't need to add 'frequency change approved', as their is no need to change frequency as of last November... Unless it's concurrent with a frequency boundary; then we will say, verbatim the USA phraseology, see section 4 on page 3...
As a point of interest, where did you get that very bad gen? Nothing like jumping on a half baked rumour to stir the pot hey?
Good luck to you 'claiming' the FF introduction...