The pilot's role
It's still possible to make that trip silently, although today there is more access-limited atmospheric real estate -- airport traffic areas and Class C and B airspace -- to fly around than I had to contend with two decades ago.
Even though I could traverse the country without ever using the communications radio (except for announcing position and intentions when arriving and departing nontowered airports, of course), the only way I would consider doing so would be if my brother offered to let me fly it in his Piper J-3 Cub. Otherwise, why decline the standing offer to allow the world's best air traffic control system help to keep me clear of other aircraft, especially if that protection won't cost me anything out of pocket?
The fact that most pilots would never think of making a VFR cross-country flight without talking to ATC constitutes one of the most dramatic changes in the way people fly today compared to the not-so-distant past. Today it's taken for granted that we use FAA air traffic control services for collision avoidance protection, even on local VFR jaunts. In the past, unless you were flying on an IFR flight plan or in controlled-access airspace such as an airport traffic area or TCA (terminal control area, the predecessor to contemporary Class B airspace), you probably did not talk to an air traffic controller.
Why the sea change? The mushrooming of Class C and B airspace in cities across the country is one reason. Unless you're willing to do some serious circumnavigation to avoid controlled-access airspace, you'll have to talk to ATC to come and go in Class C and B territory.
Another reason for the pervasive use of ATC services for VFR flying is the remarkable sophistication of avionics available for light aircraft. GPS navigators with extensive databases and detailed displays have made direct-to flights the norm. The ease and convenience of GPS navigation have conditioned us to become impatient with the time-consuming circuitous routing that would be necessary if we tried to avoid controlled airspace. Thus, it's become necessary to talk to ATC to take full advantage of direct-to navigation.
The change in the way we view ATC services may also have to do with a change in the way we view ourselves as pilots. It sounds a bit trite, but the fact is we're more safety conscious than in the past. Pilot training is more rigorous, we place more value on continuing education and advanced training, and we spend lots more dollars on safety-related equipment in the airplane ranging from lightning detection devices and Nexrad weather receivers and displays to electronic collision-avoidance devices.
The old adage that safety doesn't sell has been put to rest in the automotive world, and so it has in general aviation. Who would have thought 20 years ago that pilots would buy a light airplane fitted with a rocket-propelled parachute that can safely lower the airplane and its occupants to the ground, thus saving them from a fatal, uncontrolled impact with the terrain?
So, for a variety of good reasons, when we fly VFR we talk a lot to our friendly air traffic controllers. We want to be identified on the controller's radar depiction so the controller will help keep us from crossing paths and altitudes with other aircraft.
It's easy enough to get this terrific service. Simply tune the appropriate frequency, wait for a break in the chatter, and make your request. The controller will either agree to assist or, if too busy, deny the request. If it's the former, congratulations, you now have a valuable additional crewmember to help ensure the safe progress of your flight.
Controllers will do their part to keep us out of harm's way, but do we know what our role is other than simply guiding the airplane on the intended course?
The official guide to procedures for operating in the national airspace system is the Aeronautical Information Manual. Chapter 4 focuses on air traffic control. While most of the chapter is devoted to IFR operations, there is some meat in there for VFR pilots to chew on. It's available on AOPA Flight Training Online.
Of particular importance is the stuff on ATC's Radar Traffic Information Service, or what many of us informally refer to as flight following, traffic advisories, or radar advisories. After describing the nature of the service -- "Pilots...are advised of any radar target observed on the radar display which may be in such proximity...that it warrants their attention" -- the chapter then delivers a cautionary note: "This service is not intended to relieve the pilot of the responsibility for continual vigilance to see and avoid other aircraft." In other words, even though a controller may be providing you with traffic advisories, you still need to have your head up and on a swivel.
One reason is that the controller will not normally give you vectors away from conflicting traffic. You may get a heads-up that traffic is at "12 o'clock, two miles, opposite direction," plus the type of aircraft and altitude if that information is known. What you won't hear is an instruction to turn 10 degrees left for traffic avoidance. Unless you specifically ask the controller for an avoidance vector, it's up to you to spot the traffic and maintain a safe distance.
Listening to the frequency, it's apparent that some pilots consider VFR traffic advisories to be just a half-step shy of the full-up, full-control separation services afforded IFR aircraft. That's a mistaken assumption.
For example, you often hear a pilot who is receiving radar advisories make a request of the controller to change altitudes. Usually the controller responds with something like "altitude at your discretion." VFR aircraft receiving radar traffic advisories from ATC are not normally assigned a specific altitude to fly. The choice of cruise altitude is up to the pilot.
So is the decision to change altitudes. All that is required of the VFR pilot is to inform the controller that you are leaving your cruising altitude and climbing or descending to some other altitude. The controller likely will respond with "Roger, maintain VFR."
Speaking of which, don't rely on the controller who is providing you with radar traffic advisories to keep you out of instrument meteorological conditions. Clouds don't show up on ATC radar. It's completely up to you to remain in visual conditions.
ATC traffic advisories are a wonderful resource for the single pilot making a cross-country flight in a light aircraft. A controller has a much better view of traffic (at least those airplanes equipped with operating transponders) than you do, so it only makes sense to put that valuable safety tool to good use.
Don't make the mistake, however, of ceding vigilance and control of the flight to the controllers. They are there simply to alert you to conflicting traffic that you might not spot visually. Everything else is up to you.
Mark Twombly is a writer and editor who has been flying since 1968. He is a commercial pilot with instrument and multiengine ratings and co-owner of a Piper Aztec.
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