FF question

Topper

Topper

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Topper
When requesting ff, do the controllers really want to know the airport identifier for close common airports? One trip I make to the downtown Kansas city.

The typical exchange is:

Wichita approach , Skylane xx9dc.

Nxx9dc. Wichita Approach.

Wichita approach we are approximately 4 miles east of xyz climbing through 4,000 would like flight following to Kansas City Downtown, Mike Kilo Charlie.

(I typically omit my call sign on this call since it is a back and forth conversation with approach and it is a long transmission)

Nxx9dc squawk 4365

4365 Nxx9dc.

They call radar contact and off I go.

If I were going to a very small airport or one far away, it is possible the controller will not be familiar with it. I am quite sure that Wichita Approach is very familiar with Kansas city Downtown, Johnson County Executive, New Century, etc and the same for all of the busy airports around the surrounding large cities.

I figure I can't go wrong including the identifier, butI am guessing it is unnecessary most of the time. Just wondering if the controllers prefer I omit when going to a busy airport.

Jim
 
I usually give the identifier unless I know the airport is in his sector. Plenty of times I give the name and they come back with "what's the identifier again for that airport?" If they've been working the position for a few years, generally you get to know identifiers within 100 miles pretty well. You gotta a lot of new guys that just don't have the experience though, so for them I'm usually giving the identifier.
 
I usually say "... to Bay Bridge, W29..." unless I'm picking up flight following to Bay Bridge in the sector same sector that controls it, which is rare. Most of the time if I leave the identifier off away from that sector, they ask anyway.
 
Yeah, back when I was based at VKX (and before the procedures got really goofy to get in there), I always told the controller I was going to Andrews. By the time Baltimore Approach handed me off to ADW, they would just come on and say "Potomac or Hyde?"

My private strip is 5 miles south of Statesville, NC. If I'm getting VFR FF from outside the area, I just tell them I'm going to Statesville. When handed off to ZTL, I let them know where I'm really going.

On the otherhand, coming IFR I always file my actual destination. Of course, that doesn't guarantee they have any clue where I'm going either. After I overshot my field by a couple of miles I had to wake CLT approach up about my destination
 
Velocity173 said:
I usually give the identifier unless I know the airport is in his sector. Plenty of times I give the name and they come back with "what's the identifier again for that airport?" If they've been working the position for a few years, generally you get to know identifiers within 100 miles pretty well. You gotta a lot of new guys that just don't have the experience though, so for them I'm usually giving the identifier.
Click to expand...


+1....:thumbsup:
 
For radar ID? Sure, if one is near by. I think the OP was asking about destination though???
 
I generally don't use the identifier unless I think it's unusual or I am asked to.

It may be geographic. I don't recall in 20 years being asked for an identifier in Colorado, even when it was out-of-state. But maybe I was just spoiled. The very first time I used FF in North Carolina giving only the airport name, the controller asked be for an identifier.

So I may have to reconsider, in which case I'd use combo method James described.
 
Leaving Hooks in Houston, asked for flight following, and I said "destination Baytown Airport" (figured it was local and common). Ground controller came back with verify the "happy airport". The identifier is HPY...the approach controller asked the same thing, "verify direct 'happy'". So I guess, I'll stick with identifiers.
 
I dont use the identifier. However there are only a few airports in the immediate area that I would get flight following for.
 
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