VFR Flight Following

But, if you are going VFR, deciding if you want flight following should definitely be on your list. If youre going to pass through Class Bravo airspace you might as well; its virtually a requirement. Otherwise, if the weather is clear and a million, youre not going through any airspace requiring you to talk to ATC, and youve decided to go VFR, should you consider flight following? Long story short, and after all factors are considered, the answer is Yes.

Elim Hawkins

Saturday, October 20, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

VFR flight following is strongly recommended for all VFR flights to significantly enhance safety by providing traffic and obstacle advisories.
It offers critical benefits such as rapid assistance during emergencies, alerts for pop-up TFRs or fast-moving weather, and improved coordination for practice approaches.
While service is workload-permitting and may involve vectors, these measures are always in place to ensure pilot safety and overall air traffic control efficiency.

See a mistake? Contact us.

When you start your flight planning, one of the first things you may think of is the mission, how far you are going, and the minimums. Within those parameters, you determine if you need to go IFR or if VFR is sufficient. Obviously, if conditions or your own preferences lead you to an IFR flight, VFR flight following isn’t your concern.

But, if you are going VFR, deciding if you want flight following should definitely be on your list. If you’re going to pass through Class Bravo airspace you might as well; it’s virtually a requirement. Otherwise, if the weather is “clear and a million,” you’re not going through any airspace requiring you to talk to ATC, and you’ve decided to go VFR, should you consider flight following? Long story short, and after all factors are considered, the answer is “Yes.”