Cancel Flight Following?

CC268

CC268

Final Approach
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CC268
So if I am on Flight Following flying to an uncontrolled airport do I just request to cancel flight following once I am close? What is the proper terminology to cancel flight following?
 
I don't think there's any standard terminology for this. If I have the airport in sight, I tell them that, and they usually terminate flight following at that time. If I don't have the airport in sight but want to terminate for some reason, I just say "Nxxxx would like to terminate radar service [or flight following, however you want to word it]." I presume "Nxxxx is requesting frequency change" should work, too.
 
First and foremost...never leave FF without commutation and acknowledgment.

One of two ways...ATC will cancel you and tell you "frequency change approved". That distance can vary based on traffic. If you want to cancel before they release you terminology I use is:

"NorCal, Skylane 123XY, Field in sight, request frequency change"

or

"NorCal, Skylane 123XY would like to cancel Flight Following"

Typically I like to stay on FF as long as they will keep me and I monitor CTAF on Com 2 to get a picture of what is going on at the field.
 
Be sure to get the controller to advise you of any traffic in the area first. ;)
 
If you're looking for proper phraseology, you should ask for "radar advisories" or just "advisories", such as, NXXX, just departed KJFK through 1500, requesting advisories. Flight following was something different a program I believe in Alaska, but has come to mean advisories... FF is a bit, er, casual, to my ear...

So to cancel, just say "cancel advisories", or "field in sight". Where I fly around the northeast, the more professional you sound, the more you telegraph to atc that you're to be trusted (VFR), and therefore the more likely you get what you want - "request direct JFK direct TTN 6000, clearance into class bravo."


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Zactly what I did this weekend....12-14 miles out from uncontrolled field eman put on his finest pilot voice and sad "Knoxville approach, Lance XYZ would like to cancel flight following". "Freq change approved squawk VFR looks like 1 in the pattern, it's been a pleasure ATC'ing for you, eman". "Peace out 'TC" (that's short for ATC). It's just that easy.
 
Yep but you'll sound sharper if you don't use the slang term flight following.... It's called radar advisories, or advisories...


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gsengle said:
Yep but you'll sound sharper if you don't use the slang term flight following.... It's called radar advisories, or advisories...
Click to expand...

I usually say "VFR advisories" so they have a mental hanger to know they can safely ignore me if needed.
 
Also, don't let a controller "rush you" into cancelling earlier than you want to. The clue that this might be happening is when they ask out of the blue, "NXXXXX do you have the field in sight?"

If you respond yes, they will terminate radar services and send you to the CTAF.

But if you're not ready to terminate, it's okay to say, "Negative" even if you really do see the field from 15-20 miles away. Once you're a bit closer, and have been listening for several minutes to the CTAF for sit.aware, then you can cancel using the terminology shared in an earlier post.
 
On a side note, with ADS-B in and out, you'll know about traffic far before you're advised. Me, I still stay on with ATC anyway because in an emergency the last thing I want to have to do is find the right frequency/agency...


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AggieMike88 said:
Also, don't let a controller "rush you" into cancelling earlier than you want to. The clue that this might be happening is when they ask out of the blue, "NXXXXX do you have the field in sight?"
Click to expand...

That's when you tell em you got the field is sight on your synthetic vision, but for some reason the planes aren't showing up on it.
 
gsengle said:
Yep but you'll sound sharper if you don't use the slang term flight following.... It's called radar advisories, or advisories...


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Click to expand...

Pedantry can rise up and bite you in the butt: The term "flight following" is found in FAR 93.71 Subpart E, and in the AIM 4-1-21, 5-1-8, 5-5-11, 6-2-6, and 10-1-4.

Bob Gardner
 
93.71 has a different meaning than radar advisories and is precisely an example of a different specific use. 4-1-21 is the proper use of flight following term. As in overwater flight following specific to Cape Cod or parts of Great Lakes. That's my whole point, the generic term is VFR traffic advisories. 6-2-6 notes both, showing they are two different things. 10-1-4 is Gulf of Mexico flight following.

Ok I can search too. And all your citations just show that the words appear - never said they didn't. They just have a different meaning.

So no, professionalism and a attempt to use proper phraseology is not pedantry.

Aim 4-1-8 "In addition, the controller will provide traffic advisories on a workload permitting basis"

4-1-15 "VFR radar advisory service" read all about it.

4-2-3 contact procedures! "Miami Center, Baron Five Six Three Hotel, request V-F-R traffic advisories"

So before you get smug and call someone out, read a little more closely.

Flight following and VFR radar traffic advisories aren't the same thing... The correct term when you call up center/approach (even though the colloquial "flight following" will work) is traffic advisories.






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Last edited:
Oh and from the pilot controller glossary:

TRAFFIC ADVISORIES

Advisories issued to alert pilots to other known or observed air traffic which may be in such proximity to the position or intended route of flight of their aircraft to warrant their attention. Such advisories may be based on:

a. Visual observation.

b. Observation of radar identified and nonidentified aircraft targets on an ATC radar display, or

c. Verbal reports from pilots or other facilities.


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The Pilot/Controller Glossary indicates that the terms are interchangeable:

FLIGHT FOLLOWING−
(See TRAFFIC ADVISORIES.)​
 
also from the controller glossary:

RADAR FLIGHT FOLLOWING
−
The observation
of the progress of radar identified aircraft, whose
primary navigation is being provided by the pilot,
wherein the controller retains and correlates the
aircraft identity with the appropriate target or target
symbol displayed on the radar scope.

I'll stick with requesting flight following, as I personally have a 100% success rate with doing so. Never had a controller hesitate or question me when using the term, therefore FF it is.
 
Yes, they are pointing you to the correct term. Read the aim and you'll see what flight following was about, it had to do with reporting in for water crossings etc, which has mostly fallen out of use... So yeah if you say flight following people will know what you mean, but it's colloquial and not best phraseology.

So instead of being stubborn, read up, learn something, and improve!


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eman1200 said:
also from the controller glossary:

RADAR FLIGHT FOLLOWING
−
The observation
of the progress of radar identified aircraft, whose
primary navigation is being provided by the pilot,
wherein the controller retains and correlates the
aircraft identity with the appropriate target or target
symbol displayed on the radar scope.

I'll stick with requesting flight following, as I personally have a 100% success rate with doing so. Never had a controller hesitate or question me when using the term, therefore FF it is.
Click to expand...

Or try using the right term, the even shorter "advisories" and you'll still have 100% success, use less air time and sound a little more professional. I never get why people aren't open minded and cling to habits like its religion or something.

I honestly don't care what you use, was just trying to educate. Go read the AIM yourself!

After all the original post was asking explicitly for the proper phraseology...
 
1) you can't count. 2) the original post asked for proper phraseology. 3) I backed it up, and tried to be helpful.

For some reason that bothers you. But I bet I get what I want from ATC more often for caring how things are said. Might not matter in NC, but matters around NYC, BOS, ORD...


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You're a pilot, someone takes the time to write a thoughtful educational response, and instead of showing respect for your fellow pilot, you resort to calling names, and I'm the dbag?

Yeah, I'll sleep well tonight. Yeesh grow up.


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CC268 said:
So if I am on Flight Following flying to an uncontrolled airport do I just request to cancel flight following once I am close? What is the proper terminology to cancel flight following?
Click to expand...
There's no standard phraseology for it, and no need to request it, just tell 'em you're doing it.
 
Because somewhere I saw when looking in the aim, they may decide to declare an emergency for ya....


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gsengle said:
Yes, they are pointing you to the correct term...
Click to expand...
I've never seen the P/CG list a term without defining it. If it had a meaning other than the term they were cross-referencing it to, they would have spelled out what that meaning was.
 
gsengle said:
Yep but you'll sound sharper if you don't use the slang term flight following.... It's called radar advisories, or advisories...
Click to expand...

"Flight Following" appears in the Pilot/Controller Glossary.
 
It's a defunct term, look at all the aim references... Yeah it's not totally consistent, but it's clear what the preferred term is.


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roncachamp said:
"Flight Following" appears in the Pilot/Controller Glossary.
Click to expand...
Yeah and it just refers you to the term "traffic advisories" and everywhere in the aim, including when giving phrasing examples, that's what they use. Go look.
 
gsengle said:
93.71 has a different meaning than radar advisories and is precisely an example of a different specific use. 4-1-21 is the proper use of flight following term. As in overwater flight following specific to Cape Cod or parts of Great Lakes. That's my whole point, the generic term is VFR traffic advisories. 6-2-6 notes both, showing they are two different things. 10-1-4 is Gulf of Mexico flight following.

Ok I can search too. And all your citations just show that the words appear - never said they didn't. They just have a different meaning.

So no, professionalism and a attempt to use proper phraseology is not pedantry.

Aim 4-1-8 "In addition, the controller will provide traffic advisories on a workload permitting basis"

4-1-15 "VFR radar advisory service" read all about it.

4-2-3 contact procedures! "Miami Center, Baron Five Six Three Hotel, request V-F-R traffic advisories"

So before you get smug and call someone out, read a little more closely.

Flight following and VFR radar traffic advisories aren't the same thing... The correct term when you call up center/approach (even though the colloquial "flight following" will work) is traffic advisories.
Click to expand...

Flight Following and Traffic Advisories are the same thing.
 
Yeah except when they aren't. Originally flight following referred to aim 4-1-21 Hazardous Area Reporting Service. It's come to mean the same thing, but it's not the term the aim uses when referring to the traffic service you get from center/approach.

You use it if you want, and it's understood, but the original post explicitly asked for correct phraseology - I'm just going by the aim.


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gsengle said:
Or try using the right term, the even shorter "advisories" and you'll still have 100% success, use less air time and sound a little more professional. I never get why people aren't open minded and cling to habits like its religion or something.

I honestly don't care what you use, was just trying to educate. Go read the AIM yourself!

After all the original post was asking explicitly for the proper phraseology...
Click to expand...

You are not in a position to educate anyone on this matter. If you contact a radar controller and request "Flight Following" you will get exactly the same service you would by requesting "Traffic Advisories".
 
roncachamp said:
You are not in a position to educate anyone on this matter. If you contact a radar controller and request "Flight Following" you will get exactly the same service you would by requesting "Traffic Advisories".
Click to expand...
Ok so why have forums. I'm quoting the aim. You go ahead and believe what you want. And you'll be understood, but the original poster asked for correct phraseology. You go read the aim.
 
gsengle said:
Because somewhere I saw when looking in the aim, they may decide to declare an emergency for ya....
Click to expand...

A radar controller is required to initiate a search whenever there's an unexpected loss of radar contact and radio communications. Switching to CTAF when approaching the destination is not an unexpected loss of radio communications.
 
Oh and you're in a position to educate people on this matter? Just kidding lol


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There are several places where both the AIM and the P/CG use the term "flight following" without saying that the term only applies to over-water operations.
 
It's clear what the service is called (aim 4-1-15), but if it makes you feel better... And yes you'll be understood...


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gsengle said:
Yeah and it just refers you to the term "traffic advisories" and everywhere in the aim, including when giving phrasing examples, that's what they use. Go look.
Click to expand...
Let me see if I can simplify this enough for you to understand. You said "flight following" is a slang term. "Flight Following" is in the Pilot/Controller Glossary. That indicates it is not a slang term.
 
You guys sure are touchy about this! I better not catch you "taking the active" at an uncontrolled field lol


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