Flight following frequency

[Juan Vallejo]

Is there a way or a place to find the frequencies you're going to get when using flight following.

A chart with frequencies or something.

 

[cowtowner]

If you go to the low IFR charts in foreflight you can see the frequencies.

 

[texasclouds]

Chart supplement (formerly AFD), look for departure freq.

 

[RyanB]

Curious, why do you need them ahead of time?

 

[dmspilot]

Chart supplement (formerly AFD), look for departure freq.

That. If you're calling right after departure you can use the departure airport, or the frequency for the closest airport you happen to be near at the time. Worst case scenario whoever you reach will give you the correct frequency.

 

[RyanB]

Chart supplement (formerly AFD), look for departure freq.

That. If you're calling right after departure you can use the departure airport, or the frequency for the closest airport you happen to be near at the time. Worst case scenario whoever you reach will give you the correct frequency.

Ah yes, but I think he’s wanting a list of all of the frequencies he’ll get along the way - at least that’s how I understand it.

 

[Juan Vallejo]

I know I can tell ground or departure to establish flight following, I just want to be prepared when the controller handoff happens. Like when you're going to land you get ground frequency ready.

 

[flyingron]

I know I can tell ground or departure to establish flight following, I just want to be prepared when the controller handoff happens. Like when you're going to land you get ground frequency ready.

Most class D towers won't/can't get you flight following, they'll just recommend a frequency to try once airborne. At class C/B airports it's possible. Whether to call ground or clearance delivery there is local custom. In almost all cases, you will be given the first departure controller frequency (as if you were IFR). The tower will tell you "contact departure" as soon as you're clear his area of concern.

If you are en route somewhere and what to pick up flight following, just find the nearest airport with an approach. Your favorite database (the chart supplement, foreflight, your aviation GPS) will list the ATC frequency that's likely a good guess as to who can provide you radar service.

 

[Juan Vallejo]

I appreciate all the posts, but no answer to the original question yet.

 

[dmspilot]

Ah yes, but I think he’s wanting a list of all of the frequencies he’ll get along the way - at least that’s how I understand it.

Ah, guess I didn't read it closely enough. That seems like trying to learn out how to bake a cake by sending one to a lab for a molecular analysis. Hypothetically should be possible but not very practical.

 

[Terry M - 3CK (Chicago)]

If you have foreflight it’s the frequency in the postage stamps like 133.35 or 120.35 here.
You can also look on an approach plate for Approach Control.

 

[flyingpreacher]

So I used to be SUPER nerdy about planning this. I made a spreadsheet for ATIS/AWOS, Ground, Tower, Departure, and center frequencies for every cross-country flight. While that is nice and helpful, I will tell you that (like my flight tonight) your anticipated frequencies are not always the frequencies you will get. For instance, my anticipated frequencies en route KIPT-KPIT were: NY Center 124.9, NY Center 134.8, Cleveland Center 126.725, KPIT App 124.15. However, I never got Cleveland Center, but was instead handed off to Johnstown approach before being given a different frequency than anticipated for KPIT App. So, sometimes, it can be frustrating to have the wrong frequency programmed and have to redo it rather than just getting it straight from the horse's mouth. On the other hand, especially as a low time pilot, sometimes it's nice to know what numbers you can expect to hear, just in case you weren't sure what the controller said. If you look down and it matches what you planned, you can be relatively well assured of hearing it correctly.

So how do I find those frequencies? I start with my departure and destination airports. If you click on the airport in Foreflight, you'll get a display like this. You'll notice that you have your weather, Ground, and tower frequencies and then you'll be able to see the local approach/departure frequencies, which is who you will start FF with. If you DON'T see an approach or departure (like the example below), you'll see the local Center control. That's who you'll start up with if there's no app/dep.


Once you have your departure and destination airports planned like that (ie. Origin weather, Origin ground, Origin tower, Origin Departure/approach or Origin Center, then Destination Center, Destination Approach, Destination Weather, Destination Tower, Destination Ground) all you have to do is fill in the blanks in between. For most flights inside of 2 hours, you won't have many other frequencies, but if you do, you can find them in foreflight or on your paper charts. They are in nice little boxes for you:


You'll also notice that in the screen shot here, it denotes the crossover boundary between New York Center and Cleveland Center. Somewhere in that general region is where you'll get handed off. If a controller is busy, it might be before or after that line by a little bit, or they may hand you off to an intermediate (like they did to me tonight with Johnstown App), so it's only a point of reference, but it can be a helpful point of reference, especially in helping a lower time pilot stay ahead of the airplane. Once you do this for a while, you'll get the hang of it and won't need it as much. I don't do this anymore, but I often reference it before my flight, just to have an idea of where I'm going to be going and to whom I'll be talking.

I HOPE that answered your question, and I also hope that I was clear enough. If you have more questions than before I answered, I'm sorry! Feel free to ask and I'll try to help clarify what I can.

 

[Jim K]

It's a little bit tricky to predict. Approach boundary maps are around, but I've never seen a breakdown of sectors within the tracon. Then you never know which sectors will be combined. Same thing with centers. Often the frequency on the chart is not the one you'll get. You could probably go through your efb and make a list of all possible frequencies, but at that point it's not really helpful.

I used to write the frequency on my kneeboard when they gave it to me, as it was faster than dialing it in and I had a record of them if I screwed up. I don't find I need to do that any more, but it was helpful until I had more practice.

To answer your question directly, no there's no map that specifies "this frequency in this area". Controllers use whatever frequency fits the situation best depending on what sectors they're working, how high you are, where you are, and where you're going.

 

[luvflyin]

I appreciate all the posts, but no answer to the original question yet.

No. There, question answered. Lotsa good stuff here about why. And about how you can make some educated guesses.

 

[flyingron]

The answer is that FF or even IFR, you're not going to be able to generically determine all the ATC frequencies en route. The sectors are fluid especially when you've got approach controls involved. Oh, by and large if you're used to the same route it's more or less the same. I fly the CJR-NC26 route so much that I know when and where the handoffs usually are. 132.85(PCT) at CHO, 135.0(ROA) just north of LYH 126.9(ROA) around Smith Mountain, 124.35(GSO) just north of MTV, 125.15(ZTL) due west of INT, 134.75(CLT) just past SVH. However, if I'm at a slightly higher altitude or for some reason am flying just to the east, I'll get a ZDC handoff in the mix.

As pointed out, in my post, the best you can usually hope for is a starter frequency. I gave the hint to find a frequency when you don't have one (either you are picking up services en route or you're no longer able to communicate with your last assigned frequency). There's always 121.5, you should be monitoring that otherwise.

 

[Juan Vallejo]

So I used to be SUPER nerdy about planning this. I made a spreadsheet for ATIS/AWOS, Ground, Tower, Departure, and center frequencies for every cross-country flight. While that is nice and helpful, I will tell you that (like my flight tonight) your anticipated frequencies are not always the frequencies you will get. For instance, my anticipated frequencies en route KIPT-KPIT were: NY Center 124.9, NY Center 134.8, Cleveland Center 126.725, KPIT App 124.15. However, I never got Cleveland Center, but was instead handed off to Johnstown approach before being given a different frequency than anticipated for KPIT App. So, sometimes, it can be frustrating to have the wrong frequency programmed and have to redo it rather than just getting it straight from the horse's mouth. On the other hand, especially as a low time pilot, sometimes it's nice to know what numbers you can expect to hear, just in case you weren't sure what the controller said. If you look down and it matches what you planned, you can be relatively well assured of hearing it correctly.

So how do I find those frequencies? I start with my departure and destination airports. If you click on the airport in Foreflight, you'll get a display like this. You'll notice that you have your weather, Ground, and tower frequencies and then you'll be able to see the local approach/departure frequencies, which is who you will start FF with. If you DON'T see an approach or departure (like the example below), you'll see the local Center control. That's who you'll start up with if there's no app/dep.
View attachment 102735

Once you have your departure and destination airports planned like that (ie. Origin weather, Origin ground, Origin tower, Origin Departure/approach or Origin Center, then Destination Center, Destination Approach, Destination Weather, Destination Tower, Destination Ground) all you have to do is fill in the blanks in between. For most flights inside of 2 hours, you won't have many other frequencies, but if you do, you can find them in foreflight or on your paper charts. They are in nice little boxes for you:
View attachment 102737

You'll also notice that in the screen shot here, it denotes the crossover boundary between New York Center and Cleveland Center. Somewhere in that general region is where you'll get handed off. If a controller is busy, it might be before or after that line by a little bit, or they may hand you off to an intermediate (like they did to me tonight with Johnstown App), so it's only a point of reference, but it can be a helpful point of reference, especially in helping a lower time pilot stay ahead of the airplane. Once you do this for a while, you'll get the hang of it and won't need it as much. I don't do this anymore, but I often reference it before my flight, just to have an idea of where I'm going to be going and to whom I'll be talking.

I HOPE that answered your question, and I also hope that I was clear enough. If you have more questions than before I answered, I'm sorry! Feel free to ask and I'll try to help clarify what I can.

Thank you very much, that's exactly what was asking, indeed low time pilot, and yes just trying to be a safer pilot staying ahead of the airplane.

 

[Salty]

Controllers use whatever frequency fits the situation best depending on what sectors they're working, how high you are, where you are, and where you're going.

This. To add more information, if your flight path is close enough to a busy airport you might get switched to approach for that airport, if it's not busy, you might not.
If you're high enough to be out of the way, you might not.
If you're not high enough to get a signal from transmitter x, they might switch you to y.
If you're too far away from transmitter x, they might switch you to y.
If transmitter x is not working well, they might switch you to y.
If they are really busy they might move you to a different frequency to lower bandwidth.
You might fly through an area that has multiple frequencies for busy times, but one controller can handle it when it's not busy.

There's a million combinations. You'd never be able to guess them all.

 

[eman1200]

Thank you very much, that's exactly what was asking, indeed low time pilot, and yes just trying to be a safer pilot staying ahead of the airplane.

I tried the same thing back in the day, trying to be all prepared and whatnot but you’ll get over that hopefully pretty quick once you realize that they simply give you the freq and you pop it in, it’s just that simple. It’s super easy….whatever freq they give u, that’s the one you use. The first flight you take where you spent a whole bunch of time getting frequencies and they give u something u didn’t write down you’re gonna be like ‘meh, eff this’. Everyone understands what you’re trying to do but sounds like most agree it’s def not worth the effort and will almost always end up with different freq’s than what you have.

 

[texasclouds]

If you miss a frequency handoff, made a call on 121.5 requesting correct frequency

 

[Hang 4]

I used to fly Atlanta area to Florida fairly regularly. I had a tough time recalling frequency numbers early on and wrote them on a knee pad. I thought I'd hang on to that knee pad and use it to pre-program frequencies. Found that they were never the same, even though I followed almost identical route each time.
What you'll find is that eventually, you'll be able to easily repeat and recall the frequencies and program them almost the same time you are reading them back. It's repetition that will train you for that.

 

[RussR]

If you miss a frequency handoff, made a call on 121.5 requesting correct frequency

Going back to your previous frequency and asking again is a better idea. If you have an older radio without a standby frequency/flip-flop capability, I'd highly recommend writing them down. With flip-flop, no need.

 

[jordane93]

You can have an idea of which frequency to use but it’s pretty much impossible to determine each frequency for an entire flight. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

 

[Mahneuvers]

I used to stress about this too. East of Charlotte there's a dead zone between Charlotte and Florence if you're alt is in the 3-4K range. I've noticed recently controllers giving me a new frequency but then telling me to wait 10 minutes before switching. Another time they asked a higher flying plane to relay my new frequency to me. On one of my first flights after returning from a long break from flying, I actually turned around and went back home once I lost contact with the controllers. I know...complete overreaction...but I was just getting back into flying. Now that I have my hoity-toity instrument rating I don't worry about it so much as I'm much more comfortable looking stuff up in the air. As others have mentioned, just lookup the approach frequency of nearby airport. I wouldn't have thought of 121.5 for VFR flight following but it's good to know that works well.

 

[Llewtrah381]

Most class D towers won't/can't get you flight following, they'll just recommend a frequency to try once airborne.

To be honest, that hasn’t been my experience so far. In fact, I can’t think of a Class D where, if I asked for FF when checking in on Ground and ready to taxi, they didn’t set me up with a squawk and departure frequency sometime between the check-in and departure. That has been mostly here in TX but I’ve had the same experience elsewhere as well.

I think the key to success may be to ask for it when first checking in for taxi.

 

[Jim_R]

Thank you very much, that's exactly what was asking, indeed low time pilot, and yes just trying to be a safer pilot staying ahead of the airplane.

While I won't discourage this approach as necessarily a bad thing, I will ask a question: How much will it bother you in the air if you do all this prep, then get a freq you didn't expect? Will that fluster you?

If the answer is "no", then I suppose the only thing that's cost you is some wasted time and disappointment that it didn't all go as planned.

If the answer is "yes", then I would suggest the better way to make yourself a safer pilot is not to do more prep on the ground to account for all possibilities, but rather to practice your radio work and become more confident in your ability to take whatever freqs they give you without getting flustered.

As you progress in your path to becoming a proficient pilot, I would suggest that as part of your self-evaluation that you consider whether you are building general knowledge, techniques, and skills that are applicable for a wide variety of scenarios, or whether you are "studying for the test" and building techniques and skills that are sharply honed for very specific scenarios. Some flights go exactly as planned, and having a perfect plan that you fly perfectly can feel very good. But some flights don't go as planned, and you will need to be prepared and capable to "roll with the punches" and adapt on the fly. Make sure the techniques and skills you are building will serve you well when the plans need to change en route.

That's not at all to say "don't plan for your flight, just wing it". Your goal should be that you are able to spend the appropriate amount of time planning for your flight, focused on the important things, and have the skills to manage those details that don't need to be pre-planned. You should also have the skills to understand how to modify your plan en route while staying safely within the capabilities of you, your airplane, and the current conditions.

 

[Jim K]

To be honest, that hasn’t been my experience so far. In fact, I can’t think of a Class D where, if I asked for FF when checking in on Ground and ready to taxi, they didn’t set me up with a squawk and departure frequency sometime between the check-in and departure. That has been mostly here in TX but I’ve had the same experience elsewhere as well.

I think the key to success may be to ask for it when first checking in for taxi.

Same here. I used to think they couldn't until the BMI tower asked me when I checked in if I wanted FF. Since then I always ask and 90% of the time they can. Again, this is the midwest where they don't have anything better to do.

 

[flyingron]

To be honest, that hasn’t been my experience so far. In fact, I can’t think of a Class D where, if I asked for FF when checking in on Ground and ready to taxi, they didn’t set me up with a squawk and departure frequency sometime between the check-in and departure. That has been mostly here in TX but I’ve had the same experience elsewhere as well.

I think the key to success may be to ask for it when first checking in for taxi.

May be a regional thing. Around here it doesn't happen.

 

[flyingron]

I wouldn't have thought of 121.5 for VFR flight following but it's good to know that works well.

Well, I wouldn't use it for new calls, but if you were talking to ATC and you can't reach them anymore, generally, I'll find they'll try 121.5 blind calls or asking others to repeat for them. I can't tell you the number of times I've heard airliners that missed handoffs being hunted down on guard.

 

[eman1200]

May be a regional thing. Around here it doesn't happen.

both hky and jqf will set you up with FF on the ground. can't speak for VUJ cause I haven't tried it there. CRE will do it. not sure what you're talking about, quite honestly.

 

[flyingron]

You are right, in fact HKY even offers it on the rare tiems I don't depart IFR from there. I was thinking more of the Virginia airports. It might be dependent on which center/tracon they're having to deal with. I guess it never hurts to ask.

 

[Daleandee]

Sometimes you can correctly anticipate the next handoff frequency by listening to other traffic in the area that's headed in the same direction. Did this going to SnF.

 

[Juan Vallejo]

At KTMB I get it on the ground unless the controller is overloaded, but 99% of the time is sqawk code is given before take off, when I announce my run-up is complete.

 

[422Phil]

To be honest, that hasn’t been my experience so far. In fact, I can’t think of a Class D where, if I asked for FF when checking in on Ground and ready to taxi, they didn’t set me up with a squawk and departure frequency sometime between the check-in and departure. That has been mostly here in TX but I’ve had the same experience elsewhere as well.

I think the key to success may be to ask for it when first checking in for taxi.

There were a couple of instances in the summer of 2020 due to staff shortages that tower at my Class D wasn't able to provide FF. Otherwise, they've always been more than glad to help. I'm located in Jacksonville, FL.

 

[Llewtrah381]

The original question is very reasonable and I commend you for trying to stay as far ahead of the plane as possible. As has been noted, the direct answer to your question is no, there is no list or even a map. In fact, even IFR, it's tough to predict what frequency you'll get. For example, I fly between Austin and the midwest a good bit and am typically handed off by Austin Approach to Gray Approach (Ft Hood), who then hands me off to Waco Approach. Neither Gray nor Waco even show on the maps as radar service areas, let alone what frequencies they use. So, especially low (less than 10K, typically), there's that reality.

When talking to Center, very often I've found the frequency they give me isn't one shown on the low-level IFR chart - I'd actually say maybe 40% of the time it's a frequency I don't see on there.

But I have better luck if I pull up an approach plate for an airport nearby and see what the controller frequency would be for an arrival there. For example, if you looked at one for KGVT you'd see the Ft Worth Center frequency for that area. Incidentally, if you look up KTPL you'd get the frequency for Gray Approach, KLXY, you'd get Waco, etc. In fact, if you really wanted to do what you were asking about on the ground, go onto Skyvector, etc., map your route, and pull up approach plates along your way.

If I lost comm with a controller (IFR or FF), I wouldn't use 121.5 - who would I call? Instead I monitor that on my #2 radio (it's not uncommon to hear a controller trying to reach someone in this situation - and it could be me. If so, it could be another plane they're handling who was asked to relay the new frequency to me).

Instead I'd either use the approach plate trick, call in on the frequency, and let them know I got dropped by the last controller. Most times (especially using the approach plate trick), they'll keep me and we move on. Sometimes they hand me off to the "proper" frequency. If I didn't do that, I'd look for the nearest Center frequency on the IFR Low chart and try there. They may keep me, pass me to another Center freq, or pass me to an approach controller but it at least gets you back in.

If I'm hearing both the controller and the other plane they're talking to, I generally assume I'm still able to communicate with the controller. But if I only start hearing other planes and no response by the controller, I'll ask for a radio check after a bit. If no answer, I'll keep my ears perked to 121.5 and start looking for the next frequency as above. Of note is just because I don't hear them doesn't mean I've flown out of their range; Centers covering open areas out west in particular have several transmitters for the same frequency and they may just be using one not close to me but are still able to hear me and call back on another one. Again, having the other tools available as noted above takes away the anxiety about losing connection.

HTH

 

[Larry in TN]

I just want to be prepared when the controller handoff happens.

It's not worth the effort. Sectors change during the day so it won't always be the same, even if you can find frequencies. Focus instead on becoming comfortable with the frequency changes.

Going back to your previous frequency and asking again is a better idea.

Also can use the local FSS frequency. They can find the ATC frequency based on your position and altitude.

 

[luvflyin]

It's not worth the effort. Sectors change during the day so it won't always be the same, even if you can find frequencies. Focus instead on becoming comfortable with the frequency changes.


Also can use the local FSS frequency. They can find the ATC frequency based on your position and altitude.

Or if you cant find that, 122.2. I think they all still guard 122.2.

 

[Juan Vallejo]

Thank you all for your answers.

 

[eman1200]

BTW, I have a cousin that lives on Vallejo Street.

 

[Ed Haywood]

BTW, I have a cousin that lives on Vallejo Street.

Threadjack of the week!

 

[Larry in TN]

Or if you cant find that, 122.2.

Well, more often than not, 122.2 is the local FSS frequency.