Flight Following question..

[MuseChaser]

Was returning to KN03 (Cortland, NY) from KIUA (Canandaigua, NY) yesterday.. absolutely gorgeous flying day.. and wanted to pick up flight following from Syracuse Approach as I usually do. I waited until I could hear their ATIS nice and clear, picked up Information Victor, and made the radio call 15 miles ESE of IUA, enroute direct to N03. When I requested advisories, they said I was out of their airspace and suggested I contact Rochester. No problem, but I was curious.. I've had SYR approach stay with me all the way out to KIUA and not transfer me to ROC. I would only have been with ROC for a matter of minutes on the way home, so I figured just picking up with SYR when reception allowed was more efficient. Communications can carry further than radar, so maybe they couldn't see me yet, but I'm not sure why they've stayed with me on the way TO IUA in the past. Maybe I'm misremembering.. who knows.

 

[Justin M]

It might be a staffing issue, that on the way out they had the staff for that sector and on the way back they didn't. Just a thought.

 

[Shawn]

ATC sectors are not always a fixed boundary that one controller may be handling. Those can expand and contract based on controller workload and whose responsibility it is at that given time.

 

[Rob777]

It could have been that they were overloaded whereas the other was not.

 

[Velocity173]

If SYR stayed with you all the way to IUA, you’re probably not far into ROC airspace and a handoff isn’t worth the extra minutes of flight time. SYR approach is getting approval (point out) for you to enter without a communications transfer.

“Rochester approach, Syracuse point out.”
“Rochester go ahead.”
“20 miles southeast IUA, 4530 code is a VFR Cessna 150 at 3,000 inbound IUA.”
“Point out approved (initials).”
“(Initials).”

Or if in a LOA all that could be done automated with just a data block entry if they typed you into the NAS computer.

 

[MuseChaser]

Thanks, all! Always interested in what goes on behind the scenes...and learning how to be as helpful as possible to the ATC folks.

 

[Unit74]

“Rochester approach, Syracuse point out.”
“Rochester go ahead.”
“20 miles southeast IUA, 4530 code is a VFR Cessna 150 at 3,000 inbound IUA.”
“Point out approved (initials).”
“(Initials).”

I've never heard this transmission. What does it mean?

 

[MuseChaser]

I've never heard this transmission. What does it mean?

As pilots, we wouldn't hear it.. it's not over our com frequency. Takes place between the related ATC folks.

 

[chemgeek]

It could have been that they were overloaded whereas the other was not.

Hard to imagine Syracuse overloaded. We are not that busy anymore. The Syracuse folks are great.

 

[MuseChaser]

... The Syracuse folks are great.

Yes, indeed, they are. I've heard radio calls so awful that even I knew they were awful, and the ATC responses are always kind, helpful, friendly, and clear. Love those folks.

 

[Velocity173]

I've never heard this transmission. What does it mean?

Landline communications between controllers. Anytime a radar controller has an aircraft under their control and it might penetrate another controller’s airspace, they’re required to get a “point out.” Can be done automation if facility LOAs allow or most likely, verbal.

 

[chemgeek]

There have been some comical moments with Griffis (Syracuse) approach trainees over the years when we were busier. Back when I was training for the IR, a trainee issued a vector to a nearby balloon pilot, whereupon a mike opened up with "phoooo, phoooo, phoooo, we can't blow any harder." We were laughing so hard I couldn't fly the approach. One of the former controllers is now a member of our local curling club...and we realized we had probably talked over approach frequency for many years. He recognized my tail number.