ArVeeNiner
Well Known Member
So I?ve been using VFR Flight Following more now than any other time in my many years of flying. I try to use it on any trip outside my local area and it?s really been great. ATC is very accommodating and the more I use it the less chance of my stumbling over my words and sounding like the rookie that I am.
So a couple of weeks ago I was on a flight from the SF Bay Area to the Sierra foothills. During my initial call to ATC they asked what altitude I was requesting. I told them 5,500 feet. They told me to fly at or below 5,000 feet and they added something like ?5,500 feet upon request.? I hadn?t heard that terminology before.
So I do understand holding me at 5,000 because there were a couple of jets flying overhead for landing at Oakland. So, I waited several minutes until the jet traffic seemed to subside a bit before calling back and asking if I could to go 5,500 feet. This was approved and off I went.
I figure basically he?s saying ?yea man, chill at this altitude for a while even though it?s not where you want to be at. At some point hit me up later if you still want to go higher and I?ll check and see if it?s cool or not.? (The controller is from California too.) I?m pretty sure this is what is going on here. If so, I?m thinking I did the right thing by waiting to ask for higher later. I was perfectly fine flying at 5,000 the entire way but that?s not a proper VFR cruising altitude.
My questions are:
1-What exactly does this phraseology mean?
2-Would it have been ok just to stay at 5,000 feet and not request higher? I think being at the proper VFR altitude is safer of course.
So a couple of weeks ago I was on a flight from the SF Bay Area to the Sierra foothills. During my initial call to ATC they asked what altitude I was requesting. I told them 5,500 feet. They told me to fly at or below 5,000 feet and they added something like ?5,500 feet upon request.? I hadn?t heard that terminology before.
So I do understand holding me at 5,000 because there were a couple of jets flying overhead for landing at Oakland. So, I waited several minutes until the jet traffic seemed to subside a bit before calling back and asking if I could to go 5,500 feet. This was approved and off I went.
I figure basically he?s saying ?yea man, chill at this altitude for a while even though it?s not where you want to be at. At some point hit me up later if you still want to go higher and I?ll check and see if it?s cool or not.? (The controller is from California too.) I?m pretty sure this is what is going on here. If so, I?m thinking I did the right thing by waiting to ask for higher later. I was perfectly fine flying at 5,000 the entire way but that?s not a proper VFR cruising altitude.
My questions are:
1-What exactly does this phraseology mean?
2-Would it have been ok just to stay at 5,000 feet and not request higher? I think being at the proper VFR altitude is safer of course.