flight following

[gotyacovered]

i am a new pilot, technically not a pilot at all  but in the process. on the way to drake i used flight following for the first time, and i thought it was awesome getting the traffic advisories. do you guys use it regularly? or do you just file a flight plan and forget it? or both? (or neither?)

[bvillepig]

gotyacovered

I always file IFR and get a clearance either on the ground or in the air almost every time I fly. I enjoy the interaction with atc and I find it keeps me on my game and ready for the system when I have real IFR conditions .

I have a good friend who never files but uses flight following some.  It is a personal preference.   

As a young or new pilot I would encourage flight following. Basically it gives you the same advantages as someone in the IFR system with more freedom. I think its fun and also prepares you for the next step.

Keep up the good work and keep the questions coming.     

The experience will be everything you think it is and then more. I had no idea going in that I would meet so many great people who share a like passion.

[theFlyingHog]

I always get flight following on x-country. Ever since some A-10s gave me a fly-by in Hog MOA. I used to know every center freq between lit and pensacola. Those were the good days...

[gotyacovered]

gotyacovered

I always file IFR and get a clearance either on the ground or in the air almost every time I fly. I enjoy the interaction with atc and I find it keeps me on my game and ready for the system when I have real IFR conditions .

I have a good friend who never files but uses flight following some.  It is a personal preference.   

As a young or new pilot I would encourage flight following. Basically it gives you the same advantages as someone in the IFR system with more freedom. I think its fun and also prepares you for the next step.

Keep up the good work and keep the questions coming.     

The experience will be everything you think it is and then more. I had no idea going in that I would meet so many great people who share a like passion.

thanks. on the way to and from drake it was awesome, especially at night, when a there was a bunch a traffic all departing in a small time frame.

appreciate it.

[gotyacovered]

I always get flight following on x-country. Ever since some A-10s gave me a fly-by in Hog MOA. I used to know every center freq between lit and pensacola. Those were the good days...

i bet that was cool, after it was over.

i got buzzed sitting in a deer stand on a side of a mtn in the ouachita WMA... muddy creek (?) something like that. there were two of them, one was almost eye level with me and i could see him perfectly, almost see his eyes. then my ear drums almost exploded and it wasnt as fun. scared me to death.

my dad flys under some faa waivers and when 9/11 happened he was about 40 miles south of barksdale patrolling and had a f-16 intercept and escort him down. he has pics of it, you would not beleeeeeb how close they got to him. even when they were in slow flight escorting him... he was in a 206. i'll try to scan a a few of them next time i am home...

he didnt get in any trouble by the way...

[Flying Razorback]

We're required to use flight following to the max extent practical while operating VFR.  I enjoy it quite a bit and it has definitely helped me out.  Sometimes it can get annoying as you get near busy airspace but don't want to listen to everything going on.

[gotyacovered]

We're required to use flight following to the max extent practical while operating VFR.  I enjoy it quite a bit and it has definitely helped me out.  Sometimes it can get annoying as you get near busy airspace but don't want to listen to everything going on.

in my realitivly short experience, the radio "clutter" was nice to break up the silence that i am board with. but i could see how it would get annoying... fasho

[Ragnar Hogbrok]

We always use flight following.  It takes a lot of the workload off the primary navigator if the controlling agency clears you on a route versus having to zig and zag around restricted areas and/or calling the controlling agency of those R areas.

It's required on single-ship x-country flights, but we still use it as the service is invaluable.  Also, look up Flight Watch.  They give you great weather updates along with recommended routes to vector around bad weather.

[theFlyingHog]

Kinda off topic, but me and a buddy used to switch to local CTAFs on long x-country flights and yell something in German at them.