Challenging lesson!

[RalphInCA]

Had a very challenging lesson with my CFI today.

We were going to go from my home airport (CCB ) to John Wayne (SNA), but SNA was below marginal VFR, so at the last minute Rick (my CFI) told me to replan for VanNuys (VNY).

This threw me off balance because I had been planning all week to go to SNA.

So, quickly replanned and then preflighted the airplane.

Got into the air and contacted SoCal approach for flight following (a first for me). On the way had to talk with several controllers, climb and and descend for traffic and cloud clearance, but eventually got to VNY and landed. All things I have never done before.

Trip back was the same thing.

Learned a TON. Need to keep doing the challenging flights. Getting out of my comfort zone is definitely the way to learn fast.

 

[eman1200]

Fun stuff!

 

[evapilotaz]

Flight following. Never did that during my PPL Training. This was back in 1998. Good learning experience for you.

 

[MAKG1]

Flight following is almost -- but not quite -- mandatory in Southern California airspace if you want to get anywhere near the Basin.

It's helpful in a lot of other cases, though.

I've two stories related to that. (1) Climbing out of Lake Tahoe in a 172 at 9000 -- which at that altitude in that airplane means Vy, period -- I got a traffic call for a Skylane at 6 o'clock at my altitude. While it's not impossible to see traffic on your six in a 172, the Skylane is some 40+ knots faster at that altitude and I really doubt I would have seen it. One would hope he would have seen me, but a 172 flying straight is not terribly easy to see from behind.

(2) Just about to descend into Sacramento on a heading of 002 at 3500, in a 177RG blasting along at 125 knots, I came across a Mooney blasting along at 178 also at 3500. The traffic call came before the sighting, and it was "climb 500 feet NOW." V-speeds in a 177RG are almost the same as a 172, so I zoom climbed 300 feet in an instant down to Vy, then configured for a maximum performance climb the remaining 200. I saw the Mooney BLAST by a few seconds after initiating the climb. It would have been very close without that climb. Opposite direction aircraft like that close at over 300 knots, and they are not easy to spot far enough out to make normal evasions.

It also makes Class C transitions non issues. If you're on Flight Following, you're already talking to who you need to to make the transition. Class B is only a little more. You need to be in a "good" place for that, and they are charted for KLAX (you just gotta know for KSFO -- but you can guess if you know 28L/R are in use for landing, as they usually are). And of course you need explicit clearance into Class B.

So, I don't understand why people don't use flight following for every cross-country flight for which it's possible.

 

[Shawn]

So, I don't understand why people don't use flight following for every cross-country flight for which it's possible.

Agreed...especially in So Cal. The controllers down there are great as long as you have your crap together. Just last week I got delayed on a take off outta Nor Cal. Marine layer was pushing into So Cal quickly with a 1700' ceiling. I had a diversion option, I had an option to go inland and duck under the layer but while transitioning over LAX in the Bravo, ATC let me do a rapid decent through a hole to 1100' while still in Bravo on a restricted 5500' transition then buzz Long Beach at 1100' to get direct into Fullerton and still maintain VFR. It was one of those days that everyone was getting along to get us where we needed, although I heard quite a few VFR diversion throughout the LA basin. Normally it is very strict 5500' restriction all the way through Bravo and at or above 3000' over LGB. I was a bit shocked to hear "approved as requested"!

I also recently just flew outta Reid Hillview for a quick hop to South County. Literally 18 miles straight shot. Ground asks if I would like FF and one thing I have learned, when ATC offers...ACCEPT! Normally would not get FF for that trip but glad I did as it was targets galore for a 10 min trip!

 

[Mistake Not...]

So, I don't understand why people don't use flight following for every cross-country flight for which it's possible.

This. I'm not instrument rated yet, but I can see where this must be what it's like. Airspace nearly disappears. Especially where it's complicated. I haven't been to California, but I did fly into Orlando Executive (KORL) and for me, that's complicated. Flight Following made it almost trivial.

 

[MAKG1]

I also recently just flew outta Reid Hillview for a quick hop to South County. Literally 18 miles straight shot. Ground asks if I would like FF and one thing I have learned, when ATC offers...ACCEPT! Normally would not get FF for that trip but glad I did as it was targets galore for a 10 min trip!

I won't fly that route direct without flight following. Too many purple 737s around there, and it's real close to Class C.

 

[Shawn]

I won't fly that route direct without flight following. Too many purple 737s around there, and it's real close to Class C.

Just always stay east/south of 101 south of SJC and under 3000'...if there are 737's there something has gone horribly wrong! They usually intersect GILRO at 5000' then straight into SJC...but yeah, it can be busy airspace.

West of 101 heading southbound prepare to kiss a SW jet!