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Date: Tue, 01 Dec 1998 18:00:11 -0600
From: Snowbird <snbird@ibm.net>
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Subject: Re: VFR Flight Following
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Possum169 wrote:

> >I don't think it's critical to open a VFR flight plan
> >immediately after taking off.

> I don't either, last couple of flights I've made, I actually had been > airborne for 15 minutes and had just departed class C airspace...

I think Rod Farlee's point was, if you have a problem in the 15 
minutes between take off and when you open your flight plan,
the flight plan will do you nada good.

Now granted, if you're getting radar services from Class C
approach control, they should initiate SAR if you disappear
off their screen.

But if you aren't in a radar environment, I think it is "critical"
to open your flight plan ASAP, because after all if you have a 
problem before you manage to get it open, it won't be able to 
do its job for you.

And busy controllers following a shaky transponder return near
the lower limit of their radar coverage have been known to *shrug*
when it disappears and write the pilot off as a VFR goofball when
he doesn't respond to a radio call.

Snowbird

