A question for ATC

[wrbix]

Today while on flight following ATC inquired: "how are you navigating too.....?"
I answered "direct to by GPS" but noticed another pilot on frequency replied simply "VFR" which I thought was obvious since requesting VFR flight following. ATC accepted both answers without further ado.
What is it that ATC is really asking here? Thanks

 

[coma24]

They need to know roughly which way you are going to plan for handoffs or point outs to other facilities.

 

[Velocity173]

Today while on flight following ATC inquired: "how are you navigating too.....?"
I answered "direct to by GPS" but noticed another pilot on frequency replied simply "VFR" which I thought was obvious since requesting VFR flight following. ATC accepted both answers without further ado.
What is it that ATC is really asking here? Thanks

Not sure why the other pilot said "VFR." That means nothing. VFR relates to flight plan, not navigation. Anyway, Coma is correct. They simply want to know how you're getting to your destination. Usually it's either for a handoff or if they want to put you into the computer to get an NAS code. Better phraseology would be "say route of flight to XYZ."

 

[KyleT]

In the bravo I have been asked. What they wanted to know is if i have GPS. That way they can assign a direct to. At least that is what I have run into. First time I clarified a vfr GPS (iPad with foreflight) Controller said that is fine and can I go direct. Next time just said GPS. Get direct is hit or miss though. They know you are vfr. Never been asked that with center out and away.

 

[ChrisK]

In the bravo I have been asked. What they wanted to know is if i have GPS. That way they can assign a direct to. At least that is what I have run into. First time I clarified a vfr GPS (iPad with foreflight) Controller said that is fine and can I go direct. Next time just said GPS. Get direct is hit or miss though. They know you are vfr. Never been asked that with center out and away.

I have been asked to go direct to a fix in VMC under VFR. Said I was /U and that I would "do my best". They thanked me and eventually gave me vectors

 

[MarkZ]

Exactly what others replied. I've asked before. Sometimes it's because I'm curious. Sometimes, it's because I can see the aircraft on a healthy deviation. I'm then wondering if the would like some vectoring assistance.

Just tell the controller what you are using to navigate. If the controller is giving flight following services, help him help you.

 

[wrbix]

Exactly what others replied. I've asked before. Sometimes it's because I'm curious. Sometimes, it's because I can see the aircraft on a healthy deviation. I'm then wondering if the would like some vectoring assistance.

Just tell the controller what you are using to navigate. If the controller is giving flight following services, help him help you.

Thanks......that may have been it, I was a bit off direct course in an effort to skirt an MOA - added nothing to my ETE.

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

And don't be afraid to say unable. Sometimes controllers forget that not everyone in the sky has an FMC or G1000. If all you have is a single VOR nav, say so.

 

[frfly172]

The controller ,is looking to help you out. He may have a deviation on your route. Remember your not his only traffic.

 

[Zeldman]

Thanks......that may have been it, I was a bit off direct course in an effort to skirt an MOA - added nothing to my ETE.

Why would you avoid a MOA when you are VFR?

Just curious, not condeming anything.

 

[Palmpilot]

Why would you avoid a MOA when you are VFR?

Just curious, not condeming anything.

If the MOA is in use, I have heard that it could disrupt a training exercise. In the interest of having a well trained military and not wasting tax dollars, I have started navigating under or around them if I don't know their status.

 

[roncachamp]

Today while on flight following ATC inquired: "how are you navigating too.....?"
I answered "direct to by GPS" but noticed another pilot on frequency replied simply "VFR" which I thought was obvious since requesting VFR flight following. ATC accepted both answers without further ado.
What is it that ATC is really asking here? Thanks

They're just lonely. Lookin' to chat.

 

[denverpilot]

If the MOA is in use, I have heard that it could disrupt a training exercise. In the interest of having a well trained military and not wasting tax dollars, I have started navigating under or around them if I don't know their status.

Seriously? Congress wastes more tax dollars taking a leak than you interrupting a training session ever could. Plus they're just going to use you for radar practice locking up low and slow targets.

 

[coloradobluesky]

I have had ATC wanting to "chat". He wanted to know about my plane. I think I was the only one on that frequency. So I chatted with him.

 

[roncachamp]

I have had ATC wanting to "chat". He wanted to know about my plane. I think I was the only one on that frequency. So I chatted with him.

Used to play aviation trivia in the wee hours. I'd throw out a question, aircraft would ident to "buzz in" for a shot at the answer, give a correct response and they'd get to go direct. One of my favorites was, "what is the meaning of a flashing amber light in the center of a segmented circle?" I don't recall anyone ever answering that one correctly.

 

[Larry in TN]

One of my favorites was, "what is the meaning of a flashing amber light in the center of a segmented circle?" I don't recall anyone ever answering that one correctly.

Right hand traffic pattern?

If that's correct, where's the reference? I've been trying to find that for years.

 

[MAKG1]

I have had ATC wanting to "chat". He wanted to know about my plane. I think I was the only one on that frequency. So I chatted with him.

I've had Approach ask for traffic reports.

 

[roncachamp]

Right hand traffic pattern?

Yup.

If that's correct, where's the reference? I've been trying to find that for years.

From Airman's Information Manual, November 1966:

"A flashing amber light in the center of the segmented circle or on top of the control tower or adjoining building indicates clockwise flow of traffic is in effect at that time and that right turns shall be made unless otherwise authorized by Air Traffic Control."

There hasn't been anything like that in the AIM for a long time, but FAR 91.126 still contains this:

(b) Direction of turns. When approaching to land at an airport without an operating control tower in Class G airspace—

(1) Each pilot of an airplane must make all turns of that airplane to the left unless the airport displays approved light signals or visual markings indicating that turns should be made to the right, in which case the pilot must make all turns to the right; and

(2) Each pilot of a helicopter or a powered parachute must avoid the flow of fixed-wing aircraft.

 

[ARFlyer]

If the MOA is in use, I have heard that it could disrupt a training exercise. In the interest of having a well trained military and not wasting tax dollars, I have started navigating under or around them if I don't know their status.

Well, here in AR if you planning a flight to the northern half and you try to avoid the Shirley MOA, you'll ended up in Western TN or Eastern OK.

The areas I will avoid like the plague are the two C130 drop zones. Both are outside the MOA and not charted. However, the locals know the locations.

Don't really feel like having a Jeep dropped on my head!

 

[HighFlyingA380]

Used to play aviation trivia in the wee hours. I'd throw out a question, aircraft would ident to "buzz in" for a shot at the answer, give a correct response and they'd get to go direct. One of my favorites was, "what is the meaning of a flashing amber light in the center of a segmented circle?" I don't recall anyone ever answering that one correctly.

That's awesome! I wish more were like this, especially for my 0500 flights in the UP and Wisconsin. One guy up there was snippy. I asked what Minneapolis Center's Z-code identifier was (don't know the actual term...), and he snipped at me for clogging the frequency for "non-flight critical communications." I was the only aircraft on frequency for an hour and a half...

 

[Larry in TN]

From Airman's Information Manual, November 1966:

Ah, that explains it. I didn't spend much time reading the AIM when I was one-year old!

I was aware of the FAR reference to "approved light signals" and have been trying to find out what they were since the late 1980s. It's strange that it has remained in the FARs, even after major rewrites, but there is apparently no surviving reference to what the approached light signals are.

Thanks.

 

[Palmpilot]

Seriously? Congress wastes more tax dollars taking a leak than you interrupting a training session ever could.

I'm not saying that I would consider saving tax dollars to be the decisive factor in every situation, but it adds to the fact that I have decided that it's my patriotic duty to avoid disrupting military training if I can reasonably do so. If you don't consider it important, you're free to operate as you see fit.

Plus they're just going to use you for radar practice locking up low and slow targets.

I used to assume that it was trivial for them to avoid me, but I have since heard otherwise.

 

[weirdjim]

Used to play aviation trivia in the wee hours. I'd throw out a question, aircraft would ident to "buzz in" for a shot at the answer, give a correct response and they'd get to go direct. One of my favorites was, "what is the meaning of a flashing amber light in the center of a segmented circle?" I don't recall anyone ever answering that one correctly.

Go back to the '50s (when I was a junior birdman) and the rule was that the flashing orange light had to be on top of the ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, not the segmented circle or the tower.

Jim

 

[Lindberg]

I have had ATC wanting to "chat". He wanted to know about my plane. I think I was the only one on that frequency. So I chatted with him.

Back in the day, when a certain large vanity airport around here had even less traffic than it has now, we had a tower controller actually invite us to stop and come up for a tour while we were transiting the area. Once we extracted ourselves, he invited us to stop back by on our return trip.

 

[CharlieTango]

I was once asked "Are you navigating?" Considering I was crossing the Sierra Nevada in darkness at 11,500' where the MEA is 13,500'.

I guess he was asking if I was familiar with the terrain before he lost me on radar. I thought it was obvious by the way I was missing the mountains that I was navigating.