Really helpful
What a facile remark. I could of course ask for FIS then 3 minutes later "I'll be IMC in a minute, could I have a RIS" then "back out of cloud now, OK with FIS".. yes that sounds a really good idea to keep asking the controller like that.
The services are there to be used; if I happen not to be in IMC for some of the time that is my good luck.
Feel free to cover up for:
The reason is that (assuming there is radar coverage) I find that giving "IFR" as flight rules instead of "VFR" gets me RAS or in most cases at least RIS when all the VFR aircraft around are getting FIS.
Or:
May not help a lot in avoidance, but having a RIS/RAS seems to me that I am likely to get a bit better attention on the screen than the FIS folks (and does seem to work this way, comparing when I have a FIS with RIS/RAS)
Facile? Really?
There is no excuse for asking for a RIS/RAS when flying VFR as you are just stretching a controller and most likely denying others a service as you become a priority.
When genuinely IFR in IMC then fair enough. You are either VFR which one would assume the conditions are as everyone around you is getting a FIS or you are IMC and IFR in which case why is everyone around you asking for a FIS?
Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf?