Long Beach (KLGB) To Falcon Field (KFFZ) With Flight Following And A Traffic Alert

[@shayrosen9825]

Love your videos! I fly a light sport in South Florida. I think the best thing is not to ask for flight following, especially in a busy complicated airspace. The only benefit they give you is traffic alerts, but the price you pay is being ordered around all over the place. For Traffic you have ADSB on the HDX and foreflight, no need for someone giving you alerts over the radio. The only times I use flight following is if I fly over an isolated place like over water, and need someone to keep an eye on me if I lose the engine or have other emergency.

[@sportaviation2401]

I get your point, but on long flights I'll actually take a few short vector changes for the peace of mind of knowing I can talk to a controller immediately if I have a problem. I also get clearance through some of the controlled airspace around LA without even asking for it. Also, there is a lot of barren land between Phoenix and LA...gives the search party a head start...:).

[@colinrasmussen9470]

The downside of that is that ATC and everyone else has no idea what you are doing. It's not just a matter of you avoiding people, it's also a matter of ATC having an idea what you are up to so they can direct others. It's not just about you.

[@shayrosen9825]

@@colinrasmussen9470 Open Foreflight and look at the traffic here at South Florida, there are hundreds of VFR planes flying around at every direction, most of them students practicing various maneuvers, its like a swarm of mosquitoes. Unless flying long cross country, no one is using flight following, and ATC is not expecting you to. I don't think ATC could handle this kind of traffic volume even if they wanted to.

[@alarsen5755]

He was definitely talking to the cessna. On your screen it showed him dropping altitude and the controller asked him why he dove into traffic "you". Great video.

[@sportaviation2401]

That's what I was thinking. Whew...😀

[@colinrasmussen9470]

I recognize as an LSA pilot you can't go VFR on top, but those clouds didn't look like a broken layer. One thought might have been to go higher before you got to them to get a better sense of how extensive the cloud cover was, and then come back down if it looked broken or worse. There is an illusion when you are near the same altitude as the cloud and you are looking at the layer edge on it can appear socked in when it really isn't.

[@colinrasmussen9470]

"most times I 've been handed off ..." Welcome to SoCal airspace. It might the busiest piece of real estate on earth. When you are based here you get used to it. As you noted the controllers are excellent.

[@colinrasmussen9470]

Part of the problem was that you picked an altitude that put you into potential conflict with westbound traffic. Technically, under 3000' AGL (which you would have been) it's okay, but again it creates the potential for conflict.

[@haimehhh]

I don’t think you did anything *wrong* but probably a good depiction of a situation where specific language and stating intentions could go a long way- on both your side and the controller’s. Definitely interested to see others’ comments and glad you’ve posted for this discussion.

[@sportaviation2401]

Yeah, even though ATC is absolutely amazing (don't know how they do it) and I don't like to deviate from my heading without approval, sometimes I get mildly concerned when I see that guy on my Dynon coming straight at me. In this case it got interesting because I had him on my screen, but no visual and was waiting for Approach to vector one of us. It's amazing how many new things I learn after almost every flight.

[@jonathansanfilippo5296]

I agree with @haimehhh no clear issues or poor judgement. A good example of a specific request that doesn't require too much brain power is "Center/Approach, N123GB request 30 deg left for traffic" then he can tell you yes or no and everyone has something specific to expect

[@ElizabethSiehr]

I do believe your videos are getting exponentially better😆"Just trying to keep that pilot from killing himself and somebody else" 🤣(that definitely wasn't you). These guys sound just like the commercial airliner traffic controllers(ya a little grumpy) but I could listen to this all day.

[@Jeremiah-f8h]

You were definitely the “Someone else” he was talking about in that conversation. The guy in the Cessna diverted into other traffic is what I heard anyway. Looking back at the screen, I see the Cessna would have been by you had he stayed on his course. I’m guessing this is what ATC had in mind. He actually turned into you then for some strange reason. You turned away from the path he had been going, which was logical, yet he again was turning into you. I have no clue what he was thinking because based on what his box should have been showing him, he should have turned left not right.

[@sportaviation2401]

Have to changes my notifications settings, seem to be missing comments. The comments seem to be running about 50-50 on who he was talking to. Maybe once my channel goes viral he will let me know...:)

[@redcauthen771]

Should have wave at 26.9 min right over my house at lake mathews😊 At Banning pass you said 170, I’ve come West bound and had cars on the freeway going faster than 😂.

[@sportaviation2401]

Bingo...E to W whole different story. I did the E to W flight once with a 20 kt headwind..."once" being the key word...never again in my little light sport...😀. I'll rock my wings over your house next time...😀

[@powerstroke01]

That controller seemed a bit grumpy. 😅

[@sportaviation2401]

Kind of...but still amusing...😀

[@colinrasmussen9470]

Try flying in LaGuardia airspace if you want to see grumpy.

[@thatdavidsonguy]

Out of curiosity, how much experience/how many hours do you have? Just subscribed.

[@sportaviation2401]

Maybe, but I'm still not sure...he initially chewed the other guy out. I'll be interested to see what the final vote on here is...😀900 hours, just have a sport pilot license.

[@danielrickman6966]

Any flight schools you would recommend in Arizona for training? Keep up the good work👍

[@sportaviation2401]

Arizona Flight Training in Glendale I hear is good. They used to have a few Sportcruiser, but they might have gotten out of the LS biz. I'll let you know if I hear of anyone else.

[@danielrickman6966]

@@sportaviation2401 Awesome thanks! I just got my PPL and I am looking at moving to AZ to do the rest of my training. Love the flying vids around AZ!

[@loveplanes]

You need a sentry for ADSB and use both. Dynon and sentry, no optional!. One traffic just disappeared from the screen. No relay only in one source !!! I bet it has not been the first time a plane disappear from the hdx. (Maybe you are using the old ADSB?) Wait for atc? Never… for course, using good decision making. Atc had put me face to face few times with other planes and you are the pic, flying VFR, flying 4000. separation is your responsibility. And.. yes.. he was talking about it you… 😢. Thanks a lot for sharing. Always learning

[@sportaviation2401]

Have to changes my notifications settings, seem to be missing comments. The comments seem to be running about 50-50 on who he was talking to. Maybe once my channel goes viral he will let me know...:)