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VFR Flight Following For Multiple Stops/Waypoints/Airports?

Asked by: 2710 views , , , ,
General Aviation, Student Pilot

I have done 2 dual cross-country flights now and believe I am comfortable with requesting VFR flight following. However, I've always request FF directly to my destination airport (ex. "...request FF to SAV").

So, my question is: when you are planning to land and airport (for a touch-and-go or a quick stop) or intercepting a VOR in the middle of your route before you reach your final destination, how would you properly say that in ATC phraseology? Also, is it wise to say this during the initial request, or would it be too much congestion and more appropriate to say when you are nearing your en-route airport/waypoints/ect?

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1 Answers



  1. Mark Kolber on Jan 20, 2019

    There\’s no reason to use \”proper phraseology\” other than simple English.

    The timing depends. With flight following, ATC often assumes a direct route, so common courtesy says we let them know if we are going to do something different. If our destination is 230 degrees but we plan to fly 180 degrees to overfly a VOR or an airport, after they acknowledged me and gave me the squawk, I\’d tell them, \”we\’re proceeding direct AABBC for now.\”

    For termination for a takeoff and landing, I\’d wait. Chances are you will be talking to someone else at that point, so the usefulness of the information to ATC just isn\’t there earlier.

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