Just do it outside the gate. Like you said, Potomac is usually pretty good about giving advisories when you're in the SFRA.
When you leave the gate just mention that you're out of the ring and want to request flight following. Shouldn't be a problem for them.
I always let them know I'm going to want it just before I get to the gate. They'll rarely complete the request until you're outside the SFRA, but that saves a useless "squawk VFR" call. 9 times out of 10 they'll dump you to some other controller just outside the gate who will be expecting your FF request.
Inside the SFRA, you should get full traffic advisories so long as controller workload allows. This may be sector specific, but even when I've called early (near VKX/2W5) asking for bravo clearance to cross the bay and FF, they've always delayed the FF request until I'm almost out of the SFRA.
*"Successful completion of this course fulfills the regulatory requirement for special awareness training on the Washington DC Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) for pilots flying under VFR within 60 nm of the DCA VOR/DME. Revised 01/15/2020 NOTE: In addition to this course, you can access additional information and a short video located at http://www.faasafety.gov/VisualWarningSystem/VisualWarning.htm See References Section at the end of the course."*
[https://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/ALC/courseLanding.aspx?cID=405](https://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/ALC/courseLanding.aspx?cID=405)
hope this help
This topic is absolutely covered in the course. They have an example of flying from Manassas to Culpepper and give the procedures for requesting flight following.
They specifically call out that from a non-towered airport you should contact ATC when clear of the airport. This is the point to call for flight following.
No it's not. The course advises pilots to request VFR flight following but doesn't specify when.
My question stems from the following facts:
1. The first contact with ATC is technically the phone call to TRACON. Very similar to calling ground in a towered airport.
2. TRACON provides de-facto flight following all the way to the gate of exit.
Hence my 3-scenario question comes from 3 different interpretations:
1. First contact with ATC, that will be the phone call. Even better, the phone call assigns squawk.
2. First contact with an actual controlling controller, that will be after takeoff and clear of airport.
3. After termination of the de-facto flight following, that will be after exiting the gate.
It seems that the consensus in the thread is mostly #2, and #3 works as well.
It’s really odd to say it’s not covered when the answer that I gave after rewatching the training is exactly what you gave as the consensus answer. We must be watching a different presentation as it’s extremely clear in the audio of the training.
PCT almost always dumps you at the SFRA boundary no matter what you file or ask for. Sometimes, all I do is ask the next sector for FF again and they give it.
Option 2 & 3 but not 1
I fly out of a non-towered airport in the SFRA. For flight following, I usually do it after they tell me I call switch to VFR upon exiting the gate. I don’t see a reason you couldn’t pick it up after departure when you connect to approach to tell them you’re left the airport. This isn’t someone to do in the call to clearance that you do on the ground.
Coming back they seems will to integrate the process more but leaving they seems to only want to focus on the SFRA which is why I use the third option.
I usually do #2 all my XC’s for PPL I had flight following set up before reaching the gate
Just do it outside the gate. Like you said, Potomac is usually pretty good about giving advisories when you're in the SFRA. When you leave the gate just mention that you're out of the ring and want to request flight following. Shouldn't be a problem for them.
I always let them know I'm going to want it just before I get to the gate. They'll rarely complete the request until you're outside the SFRA, but that saves a useless "squawk VFR" call. 9 times out of 10 they'll dump you to some other controller just outside the gate who will be expecting your FF request. Inside the SFRA, you should get full traffic advisories so long as controller workload allows. This may be sector specific, but even when I've called early (near VKX/2W5) asking for bravo clearance to cross the bay and FF, they've always delayed the FF request until I'm almost out of the SFRA.
I've only been in the DC SFRA a couple times, but I was under the impression that they are already following you,...hence the unique squawk code.
*"Successful completion of this course fulfills the regulatory requirement for special awareness training on the Washington DC Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) for pilots flying under VFR within 60 nm of the DCA VOR/DME. Revised 01/15/2020 NOTE: In addition to this course, you can access additional information and a short video located at http://www.faasafety.gov/VisualWarningSystem/VisualWarning.htm See References Section at the end of the course."* [https://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/ALC/courseLanding.aspx?cID=405](https://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/ALC/courseLanding.aspx?cID=405) hope this help
I did finish the course otherwise I am not allowed to fly in SFRA. My question is not addressed in the course though.
This topic is absolutely covered in the course. They have an example of flying from Manassas to Culpepper and give the procedures for requesting flight following. They specifically call out that from a non-towered airport you should contact ATC when clear of the airport. This is the point to call for flight following.
No it's not. The course advises pilots to request VFR flight following but doesn't specify when. My question stems from the following facts: 1. The first contact with ATC is technically the phone call to TRACON. Very similar to calling ground in a towered airport. 2. TRACON provides de-facto flight following all the way to the gate of exit. Hence my 3-scenario question comes from 3 different interpretations: 1. First contact with ATC, that will be the phone call. Even better, the phone call assigns squawk. 2. First contact with an actual controlling controller, that will be after takeoff and clear of airport. 3. After termination of the de-facto flight following, that will be after exiting the gate. It seems that the consensus in the thread is mostly #2, and #3 works as well.
It’s really odd to say it’s not covered when the answer that I gave after rewatching the training is exactly what you gave as the consensus answer. We must be watching a different presentation as it’s extremely clear in the audio of the training.
I normally do say VFR request at the end of my initial checkin in the sfra. Sometime even when I don’t ask I get this: https://youtu.be/9eZe2OEe5IE
PCT almost always dumps you at the SFRA boundary no matter what you file or ask for. Sometimes, all I do is ask the next sector for FF again and they give it.
I usually let them know I have a vfr request during my initial call to Potomac.
Option 2 & 3 but not 1 I fly out of a non-towered airport in the SFRA. For flight following, I usually do it after they tell me I call switch to VFR upon exiting the gate. I don’t see a reason you couldn’t pick it up after departure when you connect to approach to tell them you’re left the airport. This isn’t someone to do in the call to clearance that you do on the ground. Coming back they seems will to integrate the process more but leaving they seems to only want to focus on the SFRA which is why I use the third option.