The Whys and Hows of VFR Flight Following

Radar traffic information service — commonly known as VFR flightfollowing — is a service provided by air traffic control (ATC) and available to all VFRpilots which can enhance your flying safety. While receiving flight following, you'll bein radio contact with a radar controller at a Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) orAir Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). This article provides information about theservice, describes how you can benefit from it, and what your responsibilities are underflight following.

The purpose of the service is for controllers to issue trafficinformation to pilots, based on radar-displayed targets, concerning other aircraft intheir proximity or that will intersect their flight path. Once a pilot is alerted to thelocation of other air traffic, he's in a better position to take appropriate action if theneed arises. By talking to air traffic control, you will get a better mental picture ofthe overall air traffic situation you are flying through.

In addition to traffic advisories, you can take advantage of other services whilereceiving flight following. Controllers provide "safety alerts" if theyjudge that an aircraft is at an altitude that places it in unsafe proximity to terrain,obstructions, or other aircraft. They will use the phraseology "traffic alert"or "low altitude alert" followed by a description of the hazard and a suggestionfor avoiding it.

You may also request radar vectors for navigational assistance, or for separation fromother air traffic. It's important to note that you must request radar vectors; in mostcases, controllers can't initiate radar vectors for VFR aircraft.

While using flight following, chances are you'll be able to fly a more direct course toyour destination because you won't have to deviate around some types of airspace. You canfly through class B or C airspace once you receive proper clearance or authorization fromATC, and controllers can clear you through restricted areas in real-time if they know theyare not being used.

Perhaps the most reassuring benefit of flight following is theknowledge that you'll receive immediate assistance if you experience an emergencysituation. Since you're already on-frequency with an ATC facility, you can request vectorsto the nearest airport or you can alert ATC to your position if it's necessary for you tomake an off-airport emergency landing. In either case, ATC can get emergency responseservices in motion immediately.

Contrast this with what happens if you simply file a VFR flight plan. No help will beon the way until a search is initiated 30 minutes after the estimated time of arrival atyour destination airport, and even then it may take many hours or even days beforesearch-and-rescue finds you.

In addition to the added safety of using flight following, you'll get excellentexperience using the radio and interacting with ATC. Listen to the phraseology thecontrollers and professional pilots use, and incorporate it into your own radiovocabulary. You'll build good radio techniques you'll need later when you progress toadvanced flying ratings or a professional pilot career.

It's important to understand that while under flight following, you do not delegate anyof you responsibilities as pilot in command to ATC. You are still responsible for seeingand avoiding other aircraft, remaining in visual flight conditions, and complying with theFARs. The controllers are not going to fly the airplane for you. But they can offer agreat deal of assistance, especially if you get lost or run into adverse weather orencounter some unanticipated problem.

You will need at least a radio and a transponder to obtain flightfollowing. The requirement for a radio is self-evident. The transponder isn't an absolute,cast-in-stone requirement, but in most cases ATC will not give you flight following if youdon't have a transponder. Transponders allow the ATC flight data computer to positivelyidentify your aircraft by displaying a data block next to its radar target on thecontroller's screen. The data block displays your tail number, aircraft type, groundspeed,controller-entered remarks (such as your route of flight), and your altitude if youraircraft is equipped with a Mode C transponder. Mode C is required if you're operating inclass C airspace or within 30 nm of a primary airport surrounded by class B airspace.

The Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) is your bible for radio communicationwith ATC. Make certain to use the standardized phraseology in the AIM's Pilot-ControllerGlossary whenever you communicate with controllers. After a while, you'll begin to seethat you say the same thing in the same sequence, in response to what the controllers aresaying. Think before you key the microphone, and know what you're going to say before yousay it.

To request flight following services, you first need to know the appropriate ATCfrequency. If you're departing from an airport with an operating control tower, you canask the tower for the correct frequency to use. At a non-towered airport, you cansometimes contact Flight Service and ask them for the frequency. Alternatively, you canlook up your departure airport in the Airport Facility Directory (AFD) or other airportdirectory, look in the communications section, and find the frequency of theapproach-departure control or ARTCC serving that airport. ARTCC sector frequencies alsoappear on IFR enroute charts. In any case, you should have the appropriate ATC frequencyavailable before you take off.

After takeoff, and after you have changed from tower or advisory frequency, change tothe departure or center frequency and listen. Wait for a few moments to make sureyou're not going to interrupt someone else's transmission. When you're ready to transmit,state the name of the facility you're calling, your aircraft type, and full callsign:

Center will acknowledge by saying:

Respond with your callsign, aircraft type and equipment suffix, position and altitude,where you're going, and that you're requesting flight following; for example:

ATC will then issue you a transponder code, radar identify you, and give you thenearest current altimeter setting. From that point onward you're receiving trafficadvisories and you'll be handed off to other ATC sectors as you pass through them duringyour flight. If you take off from an airport served by a control tower within class B or Cairspace, you will be issued a departure control radio frequency and transponder codebefore you take off. After you're airborne and have established radio contact withdeparture control, you can request flight following from them in the same manner statedabove.

While receiving flight following, it's your responsibility to remain on the frequencyyou were issued unless you tell the controller you want to cancel flight following or thecontroller terminates your service. If you change frequencies without notifying thecontroller, he may assume you've lost your radio or that you're experiencing difficulty.

Flight following is an additional service provided above andbeyond what controllers are required to provide. ATC's first priority is separating andsequencing of IFR traffic, and VFR flight following is provided on a "workloadpermitting" basis. So don't expect a very busy controller to take you on. If you calla number of times and are not acknowledged when a controller is busy, yes, he may beignoring you (or your transmitter is dead). Use some judgment to decide when not to call.If the controller sounds as busy as a one-armed paperhanger, asking for VFR flightfollowing is probably a waste of time. Consider waiting five or ten minutes until thefrequency is less congested or you fly into another controller's radar sector.

Controllers may terminate flight following services to you if they become too busy orif they can't hand you off to the next ATC sector. If this is the case, you may receive atransmission like this:

You're now no longer receiving flight following and you've got to dial in the newfrequency and request services all over again. The next sector may take you, or they maynot, depending on how busy they are.

When you receive instructions to change to a new frequency, read back the new frequencyto the controller before you change the frequency selector. This will allow him to correctyou if you didn't hear the new frequency correctly. It's a good idea to keep a"frequency log." Simply write down the frequency every time you're issued a newone. If you switch frequencies and are unable to make contact with anyone, you can useyour frequency log to find the last known channel on which you were talking to ATC. If youdon't have flip-flop radios, or if the flip-flop display dies on you, your frequency logcould save the day.

When checking in on the new frequency, make sure to state your altitude so that thecontroller can verify your aircraft's mode C readout on his screen. For example:

If you do not do this, the controller will have to ask you to verify your altitude,resulting in extra radio transmissions. If it's not too busy, no big deal, but if you'rein a busy terminal area, you're tying up valuable radio time.

As stated before, using proper radio phraseology is very important. Standard languagehas been developed over the years so that key phrases have unambiguous meaning. You shouldknow the key phrases and terms in the Pilot-Controller Glossary section of the AIM. Somecommonly used terms:

Note that roger is not synonymous with affirmative or wilco. Ifyou answer with roger as the response to a question or direction from ATC, a sharpcontroller will query you to find out what you really mean, because you have not answeredhis question or responded to his directions. For example, the proper response to:

would be:

Also, don't think you sound cool by using CB or "good ole' boy" phraseology.It's not correct for aviation usage and it's not professional.

It's also important to use standard phraseology when responding to traffic advisories.If you receive a traffic call and see the traffic, state:

If not, say:

These two phrases are meant to sound different so that they are not confused with eachother. Don't use phrases such as "tally-ho" or "no joy." It's not theBattle of Britain and you're probably not a Spitfire pilot.

Remember to communicate your intentions and requests to the controllers. If you have arequest, don't be afraid to ask. If you can't seem to locate an unfamiliar airfield, don'twait until you've flown over it, hoping that maybe the controller will guess that youcould use a vector. In this case, don't be bashful to make a clear language transmissionlike:

Almost as important as what the controllers are saying, listen to the other pilots onthe frequency. You can pick up information on what the weather is like along your route offlight, what the density of the traffic is like, and where other aircraft are in relationto you. You'll also learn a lot by listening to their phraseology. If you plan to go on toan instrument rating or other advanced ratings, you can learn to sound like a pro byemulating the way other pilots speak on the radio. You may also hear some good examples ofwhat you don't want to sound like. Regardless of whether or not you plan on progressingpast VFR private pilot, if you sound like a professional pilot on the radio, chances areyou'll get better service out of ATC and operate more efficiently in the system.

To summarize, here are some important things to remember to successfully use flightfollowing:

Have a good flight!