midlifeflyer

You'd prefer a CFI's than the FAA Chief Counsel's formal written perspective on this? Your belief is correct.

I'm pretty sure understand 91.123(a) quite well. But why are you disregarding 91.123(b )? Of course an ATC "instruction" is not a "clearance." That's why there are 2 subsections. One (a) deals with clearances; the other (b ) deal with ATC instructions in controlled airspace. I'm sorry, but if you are saying that a VFR pilot does not have to obey an ATC instruction he or she receives in controlled airspace, you are incorrect. Pilots flying in controlled airspace must comply with all ATC instructions, regardless of whether the pilot is flying VFR or IFR, in accordance with § 91.123(b ). ATC instructions include headings, turns, altitude instructions and general directions. A pilot flying VFR in Class E airspace, which is controlled airspace, is not required to communicate with ATC; however, if a pilot is communicating with ATC and ATC issues an instruction, the pilot must comply with that instruction. You're welcome to disagree but that's how the FAA Chief Counsel feels about it http://goo.gl/omFVad

When I am headed south out of Denver I wont call for Flight following until south of Colorado Springs. Their airspace tops at 10,200. As I fly over at 10,500 or more I listen to CS Approach but do not talk unless called as traffic to another plane. If I ask for flight following north of Co Spgs they send me 20 miles east around their area. Once called as traffic while over their airspace I will for, safety sake, respond "Your unverified traffic is 1079V at 10,500" That way they know what is safe but know they can't vector me around. 91.123 is not as assumed above. Flight following is NOT a clearance. You can choose not to follow any instruction with impunity. You CANNOT be violated for not obeying an advisory. Kinda stupid but legal. Read below: § 91.123 Compliance with ATC clearances and instructions. (a) When an ATC CLEARANCE has been obtained, no pilot in command may deviate from that clearance unless an amended clearance is obtained, an emergency exists, or the deviation is in response to a traffic alert and collision avoidance system resolution advisory. However, except in Class A airspace, a pilot may cancel an IFR flight plan if the operation is being conducted in VFR weather conditions. When a pilot is uncertain of an ATC clearance, that pilot shall immediately request clarification from ATC. ( Except in an emergency, no person may operate an aircraft contrary to an ATC instruction in an area in which air traffic control is exercised. © Each pilot in command who, in an emergency, or in response to a traffic alert and collision avoidance system resolution advisory, deviates from an ATC clearance or instruction shall notify ATC of that deviation as soon as possible. (d) Each pilot in command who (though not deviating from a rule of this subpart) is given priority by ATC in an emergency, shall submit a detailed report of that emergency within 48 hours to the manager of that ATC facility, if requested by ATC. (e) Unless otherwise authorized by ATC, no person operating an aircraft may operate that aircraft according to any clearance or instruction that has been issued to the pilot of another aircraft for radar air traffic control purposes. (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 2120-0005) An advisory is not an instruction. Text in your post I bolded in green is correct. Text I highlighted bolded in red is not. See the text I bolded in your "read below" snippet. You disobey an ATC instruction in controlled airspace at the risk of a 91.123 violation. "an area in which air traffic control is exercised" is called "controlled airspace." I agree with the start of your post. If you keep out of the Class C and don't communicate with ATC, they can't give you an instruction so there's nothing to violate. But if you did get flight following north of KCOS and they instructed you to keep east at that altitude, you would have to obey the instruction.

Great post that describes two different but complementary things: focus and SOP. Doing a call-out is a form of focusing our attention on a specific task, which makes it more likely the task will be done and our attention won't be diverted. Pilots who do not let go of the gear handle (manual or machine) until confirming the gear is down and locked are using another form of the same principle. SOPs pretty much speak for themselves. SOPs become habits and habits are hard to break and not as subject to distraction. In an IMC emergency, we broke out of the clouds above pattern altitude near an airport and all I really wanted to do was land. Without even consciously realizing it, I had put down the gear at exactly the same point on a visual approach I always do.

As a new Mooney driver, this site has been incredibly helpful. Kicked in my donation this morning.

I have just passed 5100 hours of flying and the only time I have had ATC issue instructions to me while VFR is in class B airspace. All other times it was suggestions. I can't actually remember canceling radar service while VFR because I didn't like what they said. I have done it a few times while on an IFR flight plan and was always immediately released with "IFR cancelation received, radar service terminated" or "IFR cancelation received. Would you like flight following?" They always knew what my intentions were and never had a problem with it. I just don't see your scenario happening. Sorry. I was just responding to what I thought you meant when Larry said: ============================== My understanding is that once you "participate" by asking for vfr flight following, any instructions they give "maintain vfr at 4000" are not merely a suggestion but instructions that must be followed. ============================== ...and you replied ============================== You can cancel flight following at any time an do whatever you want, just like canceling IFR. Even after being given an instruction as above. ============================== If I misunderstood you to say that you don't have to obey an ATC instruction in Class E airspace, I apologize. It's a common enough myth and I thought you were repeating it. BTW, I don't have as much flight time as you but I've been given and have heard other pilots given direct instructions for headings and altitudes by ATC in other than Class B airspace. Pretty common in Class C but also, although definitely more rarely, in Class E when it involves either arrival/departure routes ("vectors for traffic") or something else going on.

I've heard flight following refused a number of times in various parts of the country. The most surprising one was hearing multiple aircraft calling Miami Center for flight following and receiving "unable flight following."

What if instead of "Flight following canceled" they say, "For now, Maintain 3,000; fly heading 230." I'm not asking about what you would do practically speaking. I'm reacting to what seems to be your suggestion that you don't have to accept their instructions if you cancel flight following. If that's what you are saying, I disagree. If you are in communication with ATC and they give you and instruction, 91.123 says you have to comply unless it's an emergency or, I guess, if you are in Class G.

Not just in the northeast. Using standard phraseology is always a good idea and in many cases can make the difference between getting services and not, especially when things are busy. At my old home base on a busy weekend, it could mean the difference between, "34X, make left downwind" and "aircraft calling, remain outside the Class Delta and call us back in 20 minutes."

You mean as in ATC: Maintain 3,000; fly heading 230 You: No. I won't. Cancel Flight Following. Goodbye. ? No. You can't. Well, you can, but then you'd have the fun of facing enforcement action under 91.123(b ).

Some of us are OK with terms the FAA uses; some of us have pet peeves against some of them.

Could somebody point me to FAR's for cockpit use? Is it a 100% replacement? Or is paper still required? Would a second Ipad or Iphone suffice as a legal IFR back-up? As already mentioned, there is no FAR that required charts for plain vanilla Part 91 flights to begin with, just as a side-effect of the 91.103 requirement to have "all available information" for a flight. 91.21 is also important - it's your obligation as PIC to determine that your electronic gadgets don't interfere with your equipment. As to the FAA's position on the use of EFBs, there are two relevant ACs (bold emphasis is mine). AC 120-76B, which deals with the FAA approval process for Part 123, 135 and Part 91 Subparts F and K and specifically mentions that "Aircraft operated under part 91, except for parts 91F and 91K, require no EFB authorization or compliance with this AC, provided the EFB does not replace any equipment or operating information required by the regulations. AC 120-76B (EFB) AC 91-78, which deals with EFB use in plain vanilla Part 91 ops. AC 91-78 - Part 91 EFB The closest to a discussion of backups in this AC is "It is suggested that a secondary or back up source of aeronautical information necessary for the flight be available to the pilot in the aircraft. The secondary or backup information may be either traditional paper-based material or displayed electronically." In my case, my Android phone running a second (free) app is my backup to my iPad/ForeFlight combination) Sportys has a pretty decent summary: http://ipadpilotnews.com/2013/09/ipad-legal-briefing-for-pilots/

Sometimes they will assign a heading. It's up to us to remain outside of a cloud if VFR.

That's because there isn't any. Guess what it says under the "Flight Following" listing in the Pilot/Controller Glossary.

Simple. My basic rule about course changes is exactly the same as altitude changes: ATC is nice enough to give me FF service, so I', nice enought to let them know what I'm going to do before I do it. Just request flight following to Orlando. If you are starting out direct but deviating later, wait until you are going to change course, and tell them. If you are starting out in other than a fairly direct route, tell them the first "via" and then update them.

Absolutely.

I don't see why anyone would be offended by an absolutely accurate statement like this. Maybe with one change: there is no good reason to ever forget the gear.

I'm trying to get some idea what different pilots use as their flow pattern check in Mooneys. I fly multiple types and have pretty much used the same down/up, right/left flow pattern I used in a 172 and PA28. What I'm trying to learn is if there's a better way - more efficient and less likely to result in something missed. Ideas?

What's interesting about this poll is that checklists seem to be the least effective measure at preventing gear ups. I'm not sure the poll really suggests that. It pretty much asks how close you got and what saved you. The normal use of a checklist, whether written, mental, flow or event-triggered, prevents you from getting into a position where you need to be "saved" to begin with.

...and those who won't.

There''s a reported iOS 6 bug on loss of connection. I haven't seen it myself but this sounds like it. I've never trusted auto-connect for flying and always verify as part of my iPad preflight so that has not been an issue for me.

I'm a great believer that the single most effective way to prevent a gear up is by having a reliable SOP on when it comes down and once you have one, leave it alone. Closest I've come was when I tried to change mine for no good reason. Gear warning surprised me and I went back to my regular SOP.

When is the last time you closed down all running apps and "rebooted" your iPad? The only thing I noticed after my update was a bit of sluggishness but that ended after I rebooted.

I'll go with "yes." I still want to know aviation-specific weather forecast information as part of my planning and decision-making before I take off. I've been in some beautiful Weather Channel weather in some pretty nasty turbulence.

Pretty much it. With the cancellation of AC 00-62, the FAA is no longer requiring the use of a Qualified Internet Communications Provider for online weather briefings. Just means that specific vendors are not being certified as providing FAA approved weather products in a way that records that you got a briefing. That does not, of course end the advisability of using a provider that uses FAA primary weather information product sources and records the existence of a weather briefing in a way that evidences compliance with 91.103 (and equivalent commercial operator) requirements. The cancellation notice itself is pretty short and to the point: http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/Cancellation_Memno_AC_00-62.pdf