Readback: April 2020

Frank Bowlin

Friday, March 27, 2020 at 08:24 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Pilots are primarily responsible for canceling VFR flight following unless ATC explicitly terminates the service, and can insist on cancellation if needed.
ATC may issue outdated or discontinuous clearances, which some pilots accept to resolve with subsequent facilities to avoid lengthy ground delays.
When flying outbound on a localizer's front course, pilots should correct away from the needle, though an HSI simplifies this by always allowing correction toward the needle if the inbound course is set (autopilots require BC mode).

See a mistake? Contact us.

Who Cancels Flight Following?

When receiving VFR flight following who has the authority to cancel? I haven’t found any clear guidance for situations where ATC, providing a “voluntary, as time available” service, can instruct an aircraft remain on a transponder code and frequency when the pilot wants to cancel due to frequency congestion or terrain issues.

Who has the authority to cancel?