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3 Answers

VFR Flight Following

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Airspace, General Aviation, Student Pilot

Hello. I am looking to fly from KPTK to KOSC. I want to fly with flight following, but am not sure who to contact. I am flying out a class D airport and the opposite direction of Detroit (class B). Once I takeoff, I'll be about 30nm away from Detroit and will be flying towards Flint (class C), which is about 20nm. Should I contact the ground at KPTK prior to takeoff, departure at Detroit, or approach at Flint? Also, while I'm in the air, I will not be very close to any controlled airports. Will I still be in contact with someone? Thank you.

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3 Answers



  1. Jeff Greiner on Jan 14, 2017

    I’m not an instructor. But since you’re flying from a towered airport, after take off and before the tower clears you to change frequency just simply ask the question “what’s the frequency for flight following?”. The tower will be more than happy to tell you. At bigger airports especially ones with a clearance delivery, they’ll set you up for vfr flight following on the ground before taxi, i.e. Squak, departure frequency etc. Hope this helps.

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  2. raajtram on Jan 14, 2017

    The nearest Class C airport will be able to give you flight following. In your case, it’s Bishop Intl (KFNT). Once you leave their radar coverage, they’ll hand you off to the next controlling agency.

    Upon initial call, say “Bishop Tower, N123AB with request”. Once they ask what you need, give your location, altitude, aircraft type, and your intention to get flight following to KOSC.

    They’ll give you a squawk code, and that should be it.

    Remember – youre still under VFR.

    Enjoy!

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  3. John Scarry on Jan 15, 2017

    I do all of my flying in California, so the procedure might be different back east, but any time I am going to leave the traffic pattern, I get flight following. As mentioned above, at Class C airports they will give you a squawk and frequency when you call ground or clearance delivery. At every Class C I have flown out of, they will give you headings and altitude restrictions. Very shortly after takeoff they will switch you over to departure control.

    At almost every Class D, ground control will give you the flight following squawk and frequency. They generally hand you off to departure control when you are nearing the edge of their airspace. I usually ask for flight following after being given my taxi instructions. The call goes something like this, “Cherokee 7290J is a PA28/U requesting flight following to Salinas at 7,500” or if I am going to just do maneuvers or sigt-seeing I’ll ask for ‘Local Flight Following’. They’ll call up departure and in a few minutes come back to me with a squawk and frequency. The only airport that I fly out of that won’t give you flight following on the ground is Oxnard.

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