Flight following is excellent. You request FF and you're provided hand-offs to the next facility en-route. You are also cleared through any Class C airspace enroute. If they wan't you to remain clear they'll vector you around it / hand you off to the controlling facility. In the LAX region you'd normally request FF from Socal approach, which handle all the approach control in the LA basin. Its very easy to use, look at the VFR chart, pick the Socal frequency nearest to where you are and give them a call. An example call from LGB to PSP [Palm Springs] would be similar to:
"Socal approach, NXXXXX request"
They'll answer when not busy with something like "NXXXXX go ahead"
Now you pass your message in the good old UK style, ie:
"Socal approach, NXXXXX is a P28A slant Golf two miles to the south of the Queen Mary at 5500, request VFR flight following to Palm Springs at 5500"
The slant Golf bit is the equipment suffix of your aircraft, in this case it signifies IFR approaved GPS. Other designators include:
/U = No DME Txpdr Mode C,
/A=DME txpdr Mode C etc. You can find these on the Nav log forms. Most rental A/C in the LA Basin will be /A.
Socal will respond with something along the lines of "NXXXX sqwark 4212 ident"
Now you read back the sqwark and wait for "NXXXXX Radar contact, 2 miles to the south of the Queen Mary" Once you get the "Radar contact" bit you're being provided a Flight Following radar service. When you come to the edge of the controllers airspace he or she'll hand you off to the next controller, ie:
"NXXXXX contact socal approach on 127.2" which you do. Your next message would be along the lines of
"Socal approach, NXXXXX with you at 5500"
And thats it. In this above example you may get a hand off to a non Socal facility, like March Airforce Base. The procedure is exactly the same, and they'll probably hand you off back to Socal..If they don't and give you the "Radar services terminated, freq change approved" you would look on your chart for the nearest Socal facility and start the procedure over again. Also in the above example, when approaching Palm Springs you'll loose radio contact with Socal due to the mountains. They may give you an instruction along the lines of "If you don't hear from me by Banning, contact Palm Springs Approach on XXXXX" or they may terminate radar services and "recomend yo contact PSP approach at Banning" If you get the first message, PSP approach are expecting you and you'd give the "with you at" message. Otherwise you'd start from scratch again.
Outside the LA basin, VFR flight following is provided by the appropriate approach control facility, for example Phoenix Approach, LA Centre etc. You can get all this info from the VFR flight guides. I use the Jepp ones which list the facility in the radio freq section. Example Big Bear lists LA Centre on 126.35, Long Beach lists Socal departure at 127.2 so these are the freq I'd call for FF.
On thing though, if you're given a message like "NXXXXX traffic 12 o'clock, 3 miles, altitude XXXX" you would respond with something like "looking for traffic". If you do have traffic in sight tell them "NXXXX traffic in sight". Now its your responsibility to avoid the traffic. Never tell them you have traffic if you don't....
I wouldn't bother doing a VFR flight plan in the US. Never have and there's not really a need to, especially if you're using a radar service, which everyone does. The radar coverage is excellent so long as you're high enough. Even out in the desert, >8500' LA centre should be able to see you.
Hope this helps a bit,
Rgds
EA
