I'm going to start my CX flight soon. Just wondering, what's called a VFR flight following. I was taking to one of my pilots, and he said I can call XXX FSS and say "San Angelo FSS, Cessna 65E, requesting VFR flight following to AQO". I think he said basically this is used to let you get aircraft separation. Thank you.

 

You request it from ATC not FSS. You need to be in radar contact and ATC will give you a squawk and traffic advisory(workload permitting). VFR rules and altitudes apply unless they tell you otherwise and traffic separation is not guaranteed. It's usually a good thing to do, epecially if you are not on a filed VFR flight plan.

 

Then what's the role of a FSS?

 

I should probably let slice have this one but FSS provides weather briefings, notams, TFRs and files IFR/VFR flightplans (among other things). When you file an IFR flight plan with FSS, they will punch it into the system and ATC will receive it. When you call clearance and say "N123 would like to pick up an IFR clearance to LGB" they will have your plan on file and read you your clearance. With a VFR plan, you have to call an FSS radio and activate the flight plan. Sometimes the FSS will transmit through a VOR but out here in SoCal, they usually have a direct radio. Also, I have activated VFR fp's over the phone and sometimes SoCal approach will do it for you if they're not overloaded. But like slice said, VFR will not guarantee traffic separation on ATCs behalf. VFR flight plan also doesn't guarantee that you'll be able to talk to anyone either. Most of the time they're too busy. But a VFR FP is a good safety net; in case you go down somewhere, search and rescue will try to find you on your filed VFR route if you don't call FSS and close the FP after you land. My PPL instructor had that happen to student on a CC solo.

 

FSS stands for Flight Service Station. The FSS' primary role is to provide weather briefing and flight planning services to pilots. When you call 800-WX-BRIEF, you talk to a briefer at a Flight Service Station.

Airborne, you can call on the radio to FSS to get updated weather, file a PIREP, open/close VFR flight plans, and in some locations get direction finding assistance if you are lost (This is called a DF Steer).

If you're on the ground at an uncontrolled airport and unable to reach ATC on the ground when departing IFR, you can also call FSS to get your IFR Clearance relayed. The FSS won't give you a clearance, however they can pass one on from the ATC facility that is controlling.

 

None in the question you posed above. You can file a VFR flight plan with FSS and if you don't show up at your destination or forget to close it when you arrive they will begin the process of starting to look for you via phone call to you or the airport, local sheriff, etc. You would OPEN your flight plan via radio when airborne. Your CFI really should have covered all this if your preparing to start your X/C phase.

 

OK, let's see if I got it. Let's say I'm flying from Lano(AQO) to Austin(AUS). So If I wan, I can contact a FSS, and request/file a VFR flight plan to Austin, so that Austin have me on file even before I contact Austin Approach. I still need to do my solo since I had to change my flight school. I've already soloed on a C150, but since this is a different flight school, I have to solo again on the C172. Let's say that I'm lost on my CX flight, can I contact a FSS to help me out? Thanks for the help.

 

You could contact FSS to help you and get the nearest freq for an approach control or ARTCC but if you have flight following you shouldn't get lost. That's one of the nice things about it. Having a set of eyes watching you in the event that you aren't going in the right direction. They know where you are, know where you're going, and can show you the right direction.

BTW, Your instructor should cover both of these services in detail with you before you're cut loose on a solo x-c. I require my students to file a flight plan AND get VFR Flight Following.

 

Longbow64,

Everyone has given you excellent info on the many aspects and services provided by ATC and FSS. Just one point of clarification... VFR Flight Following is NOT the same as a VFR FLIGHT PLAN. VFR Flight Following is a service that is provided by Air Traffic Control. When you file, open or close a VFR Flight Plan, this is generally accomplished with FSS. As another reader noted, sometimes Towers or Approach Controls will help you out with "activating" or "closing" a VFR Flight Plan, but you are taking your chances. You don't want the County Sheriff knocking on your door at 3:00 a.m. asking why you didn't cancel with SJT Flight Service Station. I would advise you to contact FSS directly for all aspects relating to your VFR Flight PLAN.



Take care,

MEM_ATC

 

Filing a VFR flight plan has nothing to do with contacting Austin Approach control. You don't need a flight plan to contact any approach or even fly VFR anywhere. You only need to contact the proper agency before entering their airspace. Flight following and a VFR flight plan are two totally separate ways of protecting you in case something goes wrong enroute. Flight following is 'active' protection and flight plan is 'passive'.
IMHO, you should sit down with a CFI and go over this and other aspects of cross country flight planning and enroute procedures before you take your next trip. You need to know what to do if you get lost, wx goes bad, etc.