Two VFR ATC questions-

AU_James said:
Make sure to verify what they told you.

ATC: "N1234, radar contact 13 miles southwest of airport, 2,500 feet, cleared through Bravo, maintain VFR 3,500......
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Even in Bravo clearances the words VFR are not a part of the Controllers “Phraseology.” Yeah, some of them say it. Maybe most. But whether they do or not changes nothing.

7−9−2. VFR AIRCRAFT IN CLASS B AIRSPACE
a. VFR aircraft must obtain an ATC clearance to operate in Class B airspace.
REFERENCE−
FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 2−1−18, Operational Requests. FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 2−4−22, Airspace Classes.
PHRASEOLOGY−
CLEARED THROUGH/TO ENTER/OUT OF BRAVO AIRSPACE,
and as appropriate,
VIA (route). MAINTAIN (altitude) WHILE IN BRAVO AIRSPACE.
or
CLEARED AS REQUESTED.
(Additional instructions, as necessary.)
REMAIN OUTSIDE BRAVO AIRSPACE. (When necessary, reason and/or additional instructions.)
NOTE−
1. Assignment of radar headings, routes, or altitudes is based on the provision that a pilot operating in accordance with VFR is expected to advise ATC if compliance will cause violation of any part of the CFR.
2. Separation and sequencing for VFR aircraft is dependent upon radar. Efforts should be made to segregate
VFR traffic from IFR traffic flows when a radar outage occurs.
b. Approve/deny requests from VFR aircraft to operate in Class B airspace based on workload, operational limitations and traffic conditions.
c. Inform the pilot when to expect further clearance when VFR aircraft are held either inside or outside Class B airspace.
d. Inform VFR aircraft when leaving Class B airspace.
PHRASEOLOGY−
LEAVING (name) BRAVO AIRSPACE, and as appropriate,
RESUME OWN NAVIGATION, REMAIN THIS FREQUENCY FOR TRAFFIC ADVISORIES, RADAR SERVICE TERMINATED, SQUAWK ONE TWO ZERO ZERO.
 
Zeldman in post #18: "when flying VFR in an easterly direction above 3000AGL to fly at even altitudes minus 500 feet....westerly heading odd altitudes minus 500 feet."

I guess I've been doing it wrong for 10 years! I use even+5 going west and odd+5 going east.

edit: Ooops! I see he said MINUS. Okay.
 
eb87f said:
Zeldman in post #18: "when flying VFR in an easterly direction above 3000AGL to fly at even altitudes minus 500 feet....westerly heading odd altitudes minus 500 feet."

I guess I've been doing it wrong for 10 years! I use even+5 going west and odd+5 going east.

edit: Ooops! I see he said MINUS. Okay.
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Just remember the East is odd... my PPL training began shortly after my first trip from California to Boston... so that was easy for me to remember! ;-)
 
I think that some, maybe many, pilots think that as long as they are on flight following in controlled airspace they can fly close to clouds as long as they don't actually penetrate the cloud and that the controller is providing separation. "Remain VFR" is a reminder that you have to comply with all of the VFR rules and that you are responsible for separation even though the controller will help out to the extent he can, workload permitting. On practice approaches, the remain VFR verbiage should remind you that you are not on an IFR clearance and must comply with VFR visibility and cloud clearance requirements.
 
Let's make this a little more fun. Let's say I'm flying IFR, and call up ATC for flight following and they tell me to remain VFR. What now?

Multiple choice:
  1. I should castigate the controller for trying to cancel my IFR flight plan, or...
  2. I'm in trouble and the FAA will revoke my instrument rating (if I even have one).
:eek:
 
Turbo-Arrow-Driver said:
Let's make this a little more fun. Let's say I'm flying IFR, and call up ATC for flight following and they tell me to remain VFR. What now?

Multiple choice:
  1. I should castigate the controller for trying to cancel my IFR flight plan, or...
  2. I'm in trouble and the FAA will revoke my instrument rating (if I even have one).
:eek:
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3. ATC chastises you for calling for a service that’s automatically provided to IFR aircraft under radar surveillance.
 
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IIRC, I usually hear "maintain VFR" when flying practice approaches with a safety pilot/CFII or acting as a safety pilot. It makes sense in that context in that the controller's clearances along the approach are not permission to deviate from VFR.
 
alfadog said:
IIRC, I usually hear "maintain VFR" when flying practice approaches with a safety pilot/CFII or acting as a safety pilot. It makes sense in that context in that the controller's clearances along the approach are not permission to deviate from VFR.
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And in your situation the statement is required for conducting practice approaches while VFR in airspace that doesn’t require separation services. In the OP’s case, there is no phraseology for “remain VFR” in calling up for FF. Extraneous verbiage.
 
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Lindberg said:
Only in controlled airspace.
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There isn’t anything preventing ATC from offering flight following or traffic advisories in Class G airspace. It’s about radar / frequency coverage. Even in rare cases (surveillance approaches), ATC has control authority over IFR aircraft while in Class G as well.

D83C2906-BEAC-49FD-8C4D-6C323DF623C6.png
 
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Velocity173 said:
There isn’t anything preventing ATC from offering flight following or traffic advisories in Class G airspace. It’s about radar / frequency coverage. Even in rare cases (surveillance approaches), ATC has control authority over IFR aircraft while in Class G as well.

View attachment 78942
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Yes but it is not automatically provided to IFR aircraft in Class G.
 
Lindberg said:
Yes but it is not automatically provided to IFR aircraft in Class G.
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Yes it is. Traffic advisories don't change with Class G or whether you’re IFR or VFR. It’s an additional service based on workload, freq congestion, radar limits, etc., but still a required service that has nothing to do with Class G vs E.
 
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