Who to call for Flight Following?

Yep, used to be that IAD wouldn't give HEF VFR FF squawks. I never understood why. HEF tower just told you to contact departure as soon as you were off the ground.

It used to be I could get IFR clearances from ZTL on the ground at my airport. Then CLT gobbled up our airspace and I can't reach CLT on the ground and even with a simple head straight out of your airspace, they won't relay that clearance through ZTL to me (which is the next place I'm going). More often than not I have to scud run the two miles or so until I'm in ZTL's airspace.
 
flyingron said:
Yep, used to be that IAD wouldn't give HEF VFR FF squawks. I never understood why. HEF tower just told you to contact departure as soon as you were off the ground.

It used to be I could get IFR clearances from ZTL on the ground at my airport. Then CLT gobbled up our airspace and I can't reach CLT on the ground and even with a simple head straight out of your airspace, they won't relay that clearance through ZTL to me (which is the next place I'm going). More often than not I have to scud run the two miles or so until I'm in ZTL's airspace.
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You should be able to call
 
Velocity173 said:
Despite the SAV approach freq in the approach plate for IAPs to rwy 21, those are worked by NBC approach. Not sure if NBC still gets a “point out” with SAV for penetration or if they just coordinate the inbound with tower now. Everything coming into rwy 3 is handled by SAV approach.
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Interesting. I recently flew into O22 and was worked into the approach by ZOA, but the chart lists both NCT and ZOA, with NCT basically being the northwest and ZOA being the southeast

WDD said:
I've never called for FF on the ground because it's never been an option for me. I'll give it a try at HXD.
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It is supposed to be encouraged throughout the system, but some facilities don't.
 
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Look at an approach plate for the airport in question. There is an overlying radar facility frequency on the plate. Those frequencies are *supposed* to always be monitored, even when sectors are combined.

Combined tower/approach facilities generally will put in flight following to your destination on the ground. Stand-alone towers will generally tell you to call the overlying approach control/ARTCC after you’re in the air. It depends on the LOA/SOPs in effect.
 
WDD said:
I like that system. I took a "dinosaur" approach. I have an A 5 sized notebook 3 ring binder. I've made a page for each airport I'll be flying to / close by. Each page has a diagram of the airport, frequencies, pattern altitudes, and any RH patterns. I just move the pages around into the order that I'll be flying. I also have a page for each type of aircraft with the V Speeds, pattern speeds, etc. Nice to have handy to reference if needed. (Notebook also has my medical and license - might as well have it all in one).
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So I use Flightplan go which is free and I can actually pull up airport diagrams on if I want to. However, I typically leave it in the map mode when flying for SA and don't want to have to mess with searching on my phone to get the airport info on my phone. So now before I go on a trip I download a current copy of the airport diagram/info from AOPA's site and print it out in landscape form so I can fold the paper in half and its fits on my kneeboard. I clip it in upside down and backwards so I have to flip it up to see the diagram. This gives me a clean sheet of paper to write notes on at my departure airport and anytime in flight like transponder codes, or and frequencies ATC tells me to switch to. This is for local-ish flights. Longer flights will still get a full nav log completed but I'll still do the above for any airports I plan to land at.
 
I’m getting away from knee board. Maybe I’m doing something wrong. In the tiger or 172 it interferes with the yoke.
 
Heck, you know I'm a low time guy but I say do what works for you. If you have the no kneeboard thing figured out have at it.
 
flybill said:
Hiltonhead tower will usually be more than happy to help work up the flight following request. Just call them when you get started up and let them know your intentions and need flight following. They will call Savannah and get the squawk code for you. Once you depart Hilton head they will kick you over to Savannah departure/approach and you won’t have to go through the motions in the air.
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Second this. KHXD ground / tower has always done this for me. Very courteous and professional bunch.
 
Lots of good anwers. But if you ever find yourself flying along, and wish to get flight following but have no idea of who to call, dial up there nearest tower freq. and ask them for the center or tracon facility freq.
 
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