VFR/IFR Flight Plan:
1. Call 1-800-WX-BRIEF
2. Get current and forcasted weather.
3. File VFR flight plan if you wish to do so.
4. Call the number above to activate your flight plan before departure, or contact FSS over correct Freq. Located on the VFR Sectional as RCO. Usually 122.2
5. Close the flight plan either by phone after you land by calling the number above, or over the radio with FSS before you land. Most of the time you will not get them on the radio once your on the ground.

VFR Flight Following:
1. Request this with departure control after departure from a non-controlled airport, or from approach control if you are wanting traffic advisories when entering busy airspace. You can also request this before you taxi from clearance delivery if the airport is big enough. Sometimes this is combined with ground/tower during slower traffic times.
2. ATC/clearence delivery will give you a squawk that will be good for the remainder of the trip. "most of the time"
3. You can cancel Flight Following at any time unless you are instructed to stay on with them due to high traffic. Class B usually.
4. Before you arrive at your destination, the controller will tell you that "radar services are terminated, squawk 1200". This usually occurs when the control tower is not in operation, or doesn't have one.

Hope this helps.

 

It's always a good idea to get VFR Flight Following. Even if you are soloing in the practice area or anytime flying in Class Echo airspace. Especially if you are flying over your local city.
Look what happened outside Cincinnati yesterday Just be ready to get give your accurate location and ready to enter the squawk code as they give it to you.

I fly around Denver, and if their approach controllers are willing to help you, just about anywhere would be willing to help you in my opinion just because Denver is a very busy Class Bravo with Center Controllers and Class Echo area under the shelf over a good part of the Denver area. They are also always very helpful in giving us vectors for practice Instrument Approaches into our Class Delta airport (BJC) on the outskirts of Denver.

 

Excellent thread! Hey aren't they going to start charging us for flight following and other ATC services? BOLLOCKS!

 

Yesterday when I went out flying we used flight following. I asked my CFI what's a flight following. He said it's just there to keep an eye on us, for traffic advisories. We used Flight Following when we went out to the practice area.

 

That was 5 miles from my house... scary indeed.