unsolicited flight following

SixPapaCharlie

SixPapaCharlie

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was flying and listening to approach this morning and the controller just said any of you VFR pilots out there want flight following?

never had it just offered like that before.
 
We all need a little human interaction ,from time to time.
 
and this is DFW. I didn't think they got bored.
 
Pilot that rents from my school got the same thing the other day coming from Ocean City back to Potomac. They asked her if she'd like Class B without her soliciting it.
 
Translation: "Which one of you A-holes just busted Class B?"
 
I had that once from a tower. Was doing some T&G's at KSNS and let the controller know we were headed back home once we were done and he gave me a squawk code and approach frequency...Looked at my CFI and said "guess we are on flight following now!"
 
He might have been very busy when several VFR pilots called in for FF, and could't accommodate them.

The he got a break and made the invitation.
 
Or maybe they had a newbie or trainee or something.
 
Maybe there was a lot of VFR traffic and figured some of you may have wanted traffic info.
 
Probably related to a training event. Once had a controller come on the CTAF while doing touch and goes with a student at an E airport just outside of their airspace inviting people to come do touch and goes there. It was slow and they needed the practice for trainees.
 
Yes, back in November. I thought I had better check in just in case the President was flying over. I would say that there has been a memo put out to keep their numbers up. I can't blame them. It is good for all of us whatever the reason.
 
The controller for Springfield, MO's Class C asked me if I wanted to continue on flight following as I was leaving his airspace.

Maybe there IS a memo that just went out to all of the controllers.

Jim
 
RV10flyer said:
Yes, back in November. I thought I had better check in just in case the President was flying over. I would say that there has been a memo put out to keep their numbers up. I can't blame them. It is good for all of us whatever the reason.
Click to expand...

That is my bet too....:yes:
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
was flying and listening to approach this morning and the controller just said any of you VFR pilots out there want flight following?

never had it just offered like that before.
Click to expand...

Wondered if they used to work for Maytag.....yeah I know my humor is bad.
 
Had a controller in Sheveport ask if I didn't mind doing a ASR into Barksdale. He even covered his bases and said that we weren't in trouble. Apparently the military needed someone to train a new guy and they didn't have any B-52s in the area.
 
Our tower is a training facility and the lead controller asked if we would request ASRs anytime we could so they could keep currency. And when doing pattern work at the uncontrolled field that I trained out of 4NM from this class D would like us to report our operations to them. They included ours in their count for funding etc. often times the would call on the frequency and ask if we would give the a count even if we hadn't talked to them.
 
kgruber said:
He might have been very busy when several VFR pilots called in for FF, and could't accommodate them.

The he got a break and made the invitation.
Click to expand...
Seems plausible. Maybe he was just calling me back from a few weeks ago when he told me to "standby" and then never got back.
 
Flight following isn't for everyone, there are a few times when I just had to hang up on them because frankly they were just pestering me too much. I think that, as pilots, we need to be a bit more assertive sometimes as to who is really in control of this flight. :yesnod:
 
It's so the NSA can use their OTA voice recognition software and track you.
 
On occasion when tooling around away from Class B/C/D, I would monitor the frequency for the sector I was in, but not call for advisories myself. If I heard a pilot check in on the frequency, I'd know his position and altitude, and occasionally I would hear the controller call out traffic on a reciprocal bearing and distance from me to the checkpoint, with "type unknown; altitude reporting [my alt]". Not to be relied upon by any means, but helps situational awareness.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Translation: "Which one of you A-holes just busted Class B?"
Click to expand...

Not necessarily.

When departing Oakland once to the northwest (along 880 like they want, at 2000), NorCal once asked my intended cruising altitude. I told them 4500 once I passed Class B. I instantly got a Class B clearance. Surprised the heck out of me.
 
MAKG1 said:
Not necessarily.

When departing Oakland once to the northwest (along 880 like they want, at 2000), NorCal once asked my intended cruising altitude. I told them 4500 once I passed Class B. I instantly got a Class B clearance. Surprised the heck out of me.
Click to expand...

That's happened to me in the DC SFRA. Out of Leesburg, headed Northeast, the controller asked what my intended cruise altitude was and cleared me right into the Bravo. They're usually very accommodating when I ask, but I think that was the only time it was offered unsolicited.
 
DJTorrente said:
On occasion when tooling around away from Class B/C/D, I would monitor the frequency for the sector I was in, but not call for advisories myself. If I heard a pilot check in on the frequency, I'd know his position and altitude, and occasionally I would hear the controller call out traffic on a reciprocal bearing and distance from me to the checkpoint, with "type unknown; altitude reporting [my alt]". Not to be relied upon by any means, but helps situational awareness.
Click to expand...

Whenever I'm in that situation, I just can't hold my tongue. I check in for flight following and report that I'm the traffic for that guy.

"Marco ...."
 
DJTorrente said:
On occasion when tooling around away from Class B/C/D, I would monitor the frequency for the sector I was in, but not call for advisories myself. If I heard a pilot check in on the frequency, I'd know his position and altitude, and occasionally I would hear the controller call out traffic on a reciprocal bearing and distance from me to the checkpoint, with "type unknown; altitude reporting [my alt]". Not to be relied upon by any means, but helps situational awareness.
Click to expand...
Whenever I'm in that situation, I just can't hold my tongue. I check in for flight following and report that I'm the traffic for that guy.
Click to expand...
Why would you hold your tongue? I occasionally monitor Approach when I'm on a very local flight and if I hear myself called as traffic I hit IDENT, check in on the frequency, confirm the altitude, and tell the controller where I'm headed. They always seem pleased to get the info.
 
airdale said:
Why would you hold your tongue? I occasionally monitor Approach when I'm on a very local flight and if I hear myself called as traffic I hit IDENT, check in on the frequency, confirm the altitude, and tell the controller where I'm headed. They always seem pleased to get the info.
Click to expand...

I do almost the exact thing.. But... I don't hit ident till they say so...:no:
 
jpower said:
That's happened to me in the DC SFRA. Out of Leesburg, headed Northeast, the controller asked what my intended cruise altitude was and cleared me right into the Bravo. They're usually very accommodating when I ask, but I think that was the only time it was offered unsolicited.
Click to expand...

Oh, it happens with Potomac if things are a bit quiet. Several times launching off of KHEF I've been offered Dulles East transition without asking. Usually IFR, at least once VFR. Helps to file a flight plan /G.
 
Silvaire said:
Flight following isn't for everyone, there are a few times when I just had to hang up on them because frankly they were just pestering me too much. I think that, as pilots, we need to be a bit more assertive sometimes as to who is really in control of this flight. :yesnod:
Click to expand...

There is one guy at CHA who loves keeping the GA guys high and wanting them to chop and drop into FGU. If I hear him working and it's VFR, my call upon handoff: "cancel IFR, request termination of radar services".
 
wsuffa said:
Oh, it happens with Potomac if things are a bit quiet. Several times launching off of KHEF I've been offered Dulles East transition without asking. Usually IFR, at least once VFR. Helps to file a flight plan /G.
Click to expand...

Slightly off topic, but what's the rundown on the Dulles East transition? I know generally how it works, but I'm not sure on the specifics. Do you file an SFRA plan (say JYO RAYEE STAYO GRUBBY) with REQ DULLES EAST TRANSITION in the comments, and when you call Clearance on the ground at JYO they'll let you know if it's approved?
 
airdale said:
Why would you hold your tongue? I occasionally monitor Approach when I'm on a very local flight and if I hear myself called as traffic I hit IDENT, check in on the frequency, confirm the altitude, and tell the controller where I'm headed. They always seem pleased to get the info.
Click to expand...

'Cause I'm a grumpy damn curmudgeon in the morning - I just want to go fly and not talk to anybody... :D
 
I once had an ABQ approach controller ask me if I minded doing a practice ASR one night so he could stay current on those.
 
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