Forgotten on Flight Following?

LoadMasterC141

LoadMasterC141

Well-Known Member
I have been "Forgotten" by ATC while on Flight Following 3 times now, and once, yes I swear, once while on an IFR flight plan.

The most recent flight following was on a trip back from San Antonio on a quiet weekday evening. ATC never handed me off. I waited a bit and queried. The controller apologized for "losing track" of me, and offered to hand me off. I just cancelled and went ,EGAD!, solo the last 10 miles.

ON an IFR flight back from Galveston, Center forgot to hand me off. I actually had to get hold of Gray myself and relay back to Center to see if I missed a call. Apparently I did not. Admittedly, it was severe clear in th state of TX and we were just flying IFR for practice.

Has this happened to anyone else?
 
I couldn't tell you how many times it's happened to me. Then you hit that point where you think, "Oh yeah, haven't heard from Center in a while." It never hurts to ask if you're still supposed to be with your controller. I always keep 121.5 in the second radio in case I and ATC both lose track.
 
Fins Up said:
I couldn't tell you how many times it's happened to me. Then you hit that point where you think, "Oh yeah, haven't heard from Center in a while." It never hurts to ask if you're still supposed to be with your controller. I always keep 121.5 in the second radio in case I and ATC both lose track.
Click to expand...

Correcto.
 
It happens quite often to us 121 guys too on IFR flight plans.

After a while flying the same route all the time, you get to know roughly where you need to do the freq change, and things just don't seem "right" when you don't get a handoff.

You do a quick, "Center, Airliner 1234?" like you're trying to make a request, to which the controller quickly answers back, "contact xyz center on 123.45"
 
On really quiet days/nights I've actually asked them if they're still there because things got really quiet. That usually cues them up for either a hand off or comfirmation that they're still paying attention to me.
 
i like the guys that will tell you stories. i have had some real late nights and one guy was nonstop talk to a cactus flight about his day and what a mess it was in phx earlier. makes the flight go by a little quicker.
 
Never been forgotten on a handoff, Then again BGR approach controls 90% of the airspace I've flown in.

I however have had a few issues with LMCO and the FSS system. I had a flight plan (VFR) that was never opened, and another that was opened but never closed.
 
i get "forgotten" frequently when heading north out of SAT, both VFR and IFR. one time austin "forgot" me too until i was almost to waco. it happens.

it seems to happen more frequently when your callsign is "mooney xxx" but you're moving 230kts over the ground at 9k feet.
 
Yeah that scares me too, but I have to say, in the few actual IMC flights I have been on so far, ATC was much more alert. The day it happened to me while on IFR flight plan, there was not a cloud in the whole state of Texas.
The responsibility to see and avoid traffic lies with the pilot in VFR conditions, regardless of flightplan. I am sure the controllers know this as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top