Request flight following

[TLAW]

How many out there regularly request VFR flight following? I've never done it, nor do I recall hearing anyone request it.

If you have - is it useful? Have you had it knocked back? What are the furthest limits for it? (Seem to remember a map of Australia superimposed with a Rorschach test?)

[pakeha-boy]

VFR flight following is always useful...it is a service provided ,so that you may see, what you cant see...if you havent tried it.....try it...see what happens....unless they are very busy....most ATC,,s will give you the time of day...it,s in their best interests as aviation professionals ......

[SM4 Pirate]

How many out there regularly request VFR flight following? I've never done it, nor do I recall hearing anyone request it.
If you have - is it useful? Have you had it knocked back? What are the furthest limits for it? (Seem to remember a map of Australia superimposed with a Rorschach test?) As an ATC I see it almost every day, but only a few times a day max; I can't remember saying not available ever, but I have terminated a few cause I was getting too busy or the aircraft was leaving my chunk and I was to busy to transfer the a/c to the next chunk.

[Ferrett]

Flying out of Jandakot the other day I heard a helicopter request flight following.
I have to confess I am unclear about what service is provided, who can request it etc. I had a flick through the AIP, however didn't locate anything.
Any advice would be appreciated also.
Thanks

[tobzalp]

I am very surprised that more VFR aircraft do not use it. There are a few that use it without fail every flight. it is a great free service that enhances the safety for all airspace users (under radar coverage of course).

For the poster above unsure as to what they will get, you get kind of the same as an IFR aircraft. You get traffic on everything ATC knows about and can see on Radar(as you are on radar to be getting it) as well as a full SAR following service and MET info as required. the only very slight difference is that once you change to your arrival CTAF frequency, the service ends so you still need to run with a Censar SAR or flight note or whatever you see fit for arrival. If you don't report changing, as soon as you drop off radar, the service is cancelled. If you are unsure if you will be able to be seen on Radar, don't be afraid to ask on the ATC frequency for the area what sort of levels you need to be at to be seen. Everyone will be very helpful to you as ATC benefit greatly from VFR using it.

[J430]

Its a great service particularly when flying coastal where there are say regional RPT like -8's etc into various uncontrolled places but in radar coverage.

Also found it useful for general Met updates.

ATC's (all I have delt with) are really great people, I can never recall a bad experience, so unless its a local scenic flight or one in Non Radar and in a busy corridor, its worth using, keeps everyones awareness up. But DO NOT overuse and abuse it...or it will become a charged service.

Cheers
J:ok:

[Pass-A-Frozo]

Thanks Tobzalp. I haven't ever looked it up yet plan on using it in the future!

[SM4 Pirate]

AIP Gen 3.3 2.16 Radar Information Service (RIS) to VFR Flights in Class E and Class G Airspace or here http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/pilotcentre/training/nas/nasfaq.asp would be good places to start the education process for those who missed the NAS briefing stuff...

[TLAW]

Thanks for that info - very useful. I'd like to use it more often and hear it used more often. In the US I've read it's pretty much standard practice to request it at the first opportunity.

Cheers

[vh_ajm]

I have used the service once. ATC was very helpful but then again, the sky was empty and so didn't point out any traffic along the way.

Was flying YPPF - YBLT and faded from radar coverage just on the PF side of Bordertown VOR while cruising at A055 (from memory).

Question for tobzalp - If you don't report changing to CTAF and disappear off radar, will ATC declare a SAR phase. The info. pack that was sent out, from memory, stated that it may trigger a SAR response but ATC would not hold full SAR. Again, working from memory so don't hold me to anything.

[Pass-A-Frozo]

Hmm.. playing devils advocate.. so what stops a VFR pilot flying / changing to IFR to get the higher level of service?

[Aerodynamisist]

TLAW I have used flight following a couple of times now, great if your in a fast VFR approaching capital city airspace - it helps to have a plan in the system though. (I remember seeing that map of Australia too, I thought it looked like people having sex)

Pass-A-Frozo asks " what stops a VFR pilot flying / changing to IFR to get the higher level of service ? " many VFR pilots are not IFR qualified or they maybe flying an aircraft which is not in the IFR category, I get your point though if you can go IFR and you want service why not just go IFR (or as i like to call it "business class" ).

[SM4 Pirate]

If you don't report changing to CTAF and disappear off radar, will ATC declare a SAR phase. The info. pack that was sent out, from memory, stated that it may trigger a SAR response but ATC would not hold full SAR. Again, working from memory so don't hold me to anything. Jumping in before Plazbot, when you disappear from radar it is a requirement to terminate the radar service, if you have changed frequencies, for what ever reason, be it CTAF, Company, numbers etc., we are required to assume radio failure at least, but until we have anything else, we must assume that you have a problem and need assistance; in the same way that we would follow up an IFR that we couldn't raise.

This isn't a "full on" SAR event, but we at least raise an 'uncertainty phase' and try and locate you, be it through the aerodrome owner/contact point or through other traffic in the area, mobile phones etc. In the event that we are unable to get through after 15 minutes or so it is likely that AUSSAR get involved and they may intitate a full SAR event to find you.

It's just too easy to call before you switch to a CTAF to say 'cancel flight following'.

[Knackers]

ATC was very helpful but then again, the sky was empty and so didn't point out any traffic along the way.
Pilots should note that traffic information is "passed when in the judgement of the controller, the situation warrants such action." There may be plenty of other aircraft around but controllers will only pass traffic on aircraft which they consider to be a hazard. If you see other aircraft but haven't received traffic info, that aircraft may not have been on radar, or the controller assessed it as not being traffic because it would pass safely based on observed track and speed.

[bfisk]

I request flight following whenever i fly VFR, for several reasons:

1. In case of an emergency, I am already on a squawk code and a frequency with whom contact can easily be made.
2. I don't have to worry about penetrating class C or D airspaces (there are quite a few along the east coast of the USA) without having radio contact - more time spent looking for traffic rather than trying to sort out frequencies.
3. I find it calming to have a "big brother" keeping an eye on you in case I screw up. Admit it guys, people screw up every once in a while.
4. Listening to other transmissions helps build a mental picture of the traffic situation.
5. I especially remember during my phase 3 JAR training solo cross countries - 50 hours of which most was night... It's nice to have some chatter in the background to prevent day(?)dreaming.

My two cents. It's free, so why not?

[Shitsu_Tonka]

I might regret saying this (!), but you guys should all be using it more.

Today for example, in my area of responsibility there were around 30 VFR 1200 Squawks for a few hours (within an area 60nm x 80nm), and mostly all in proximity to each other in various clusters along the normal routes.

While providing a RAS service to a Military IFR aircraft we pointed out to him 5 VFR aircraft within the space of 2 minutes - 3 on converging tracks. Didn't hear a peep on the RAS frequency from any of the VFR's. Admittedly, the NAS frequencies are part of the problem - especially if only one VHF COM on board. There are around 20-30 (known) landing areas in this bit of airspace, and who knows what frequency anyone is listening to these days.

Give it a go next time you are flying around a busy area - you dont need a flight plan - and if you do have an Emergency you are already identified and known to the system, so help either from ATC or if you have a forced landing from AUSSAR is immediate. You paid for the transponder - use it to your advantage. If we can provide the service (workload) you will get it everytime, and it's without cost.

As an aside, I have noticed more pilots using the RAS frequency for FIS functions, but not many for RIS. Since it was introduced, I have personally only provided 2 RIS for VFR pop-ups. In that time I would have seen (did a rough calculation earlier) at least 20,000 eligible individual aircraft tracks - thats just on my shifts. (Which makes me wonder why somebody deemed it so urgent and important at the time - after all, it is no different to RAS which existed for about 10 years before)

[Ferrett]

Thanks very much for the information provided in these posts. Have every intention of using flight following as much as possible from this point on.