Hopefully I have answered you questions, if you have more questions you can email me directly at
[email protected] or post them here.
Mike R
NATCA FWA
1.
What does "Flight Following" really mean, Ive read about it in RT books but they persume you know what it is and how it works... but I dont!
>Flight Following is where ATC provides radar flight following, we will issue known traffic (time permitting). Basically we watch you on radar as you fly through our airspace, and if you request we will try to provide radar service to your destination, via radar handoffs to subsequent facilities.
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2.
When ATC says to you "radar service terminated... freq change approved"... are you supposed to know what freq to change to or why do ATC not say contact xxx on frex xxx.xx?
>When we terminate radar service and say freq change approved, you can either ask for the freq for the next facility, or you can switch over to the common VFR in-flight freq.
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3.
As in the UK&EIRE all distance measurments on maps are given in NM and call outs by pilots ..say "8 miles out on the ILS" they mean 8NM in the UK but in the USA when do they use NM and when do they use SM?
We use SM.
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4.
Why is there so many frequencies for Center. Example.. I was looking through my brand shiney new US VFR flight guide and there is nearly 20 frequencies for Las Angelas Center?.. how do you know which one to choose, and more to the point when should you be in contact with LAX center?
>Each Radar facility has multiple sectors, and each sector will have its own VHF and UHF frequencies. As for knowing which freq to call on, you need to look at your sectional chart, it should list the frequency for the area that you are flying through. IFR sectionals are a great source for the correct frequencies.
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5.
When filing a flight plan, is there any differences to it than in Europe? also can I persume when landing at a controlled airport they will close your FPL for you? and is it the same that your FPL is automauticlly activated if you depart from a towered airport?
>I'm not sure what the European format is for flight plans so I can't answer that one. You should be able to view a sample form on the FAA web site.
>If you are on a VFR flight plan "YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CLOSING AND OPENING YOUR VFR FLIGHTPLAN"! You can ask ATC to do this and "IF" we have the time we will.
>If you are on an IFR Flight Plan and are landing at a tower controlled airport ATC will close out your IFR flight plan. If you land at a NON-Towered Airport you are responsible for cancelling your IFR Flight Plan. You can do this by cancelling in the air with ATC, through AFSS (Automated Flight Service Station), or if the airport has one via the remote radio frequency.
>Departing on an IFR flight plan at a towered airport your flight plan will be activated as soon as you depart. At a non-towered airport you need to obtain your clearance, and IFR release either via the remote radio frequency (if the airport has one) or via the local flight service. If it is VFR you can depart VFR and pick up your IFR clearance in the air with ATC.
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I hope that you throughly enjoy your flying vacation, if you have questions don't hesitate to ask either the local pilots or the controllers that you talk to.
Mike