Am I In or Out?

[Clif Maloney]

Last night (9/9/21) at about 01:15  UTC I had filed a VFR flight plan from Patrick AFB (KCOF) to MacDill AFB (KMCF), both in Central Florida.  vPilot indicated possible control with Miami Center on 134.425.  I double-checked my position with VAT-Spy. I t clearly sowed I was inside the control area.  Upon contacting Miami Center I was told (rather abruptly) I was outside his area and that he would "pick me up" later in my flight. I explained I had verified my VAT-Spy position but he quickly released me to VFR/OPS with no additional comment.  As I taxied he sent me 2 internet links for some reference but by that time I was focused on my flight.  I proceeded VFR yo my destination without incident.  I never heard back from the controller for flight following as I requested in the filed flight plan.

I'm looking at VAT-Spy right now and it appears I was inside the Miami Center area.  Was I wrong here? Do I need additional training?

Clif Maloney / N6300L

Edited September 10, 2021 at 04:41 PM by Clif Maloney
Added sugnature

[Matthew Bartels]

The borders on VAT-SPY or any of the who's online tools for that matter are only approximations. It doesn't hurt to make contact if you are unsure if  you are in their airspace, but always defer to the controller to know where their actual boundaries are. They will be slightly different from what is indicated on your tools.

[Andreas Fuchs]

In other words: you did it right! If in doubt, ask!

[Don Desfosse]

Good advice above.  And, of course, use your charts....  Patrick is within Jacksonville Center's airspace, as depicted on FAA charts/documentation.  The border is (I forget exactly but) somewhere around 20 miles south of Patrick.  

Don't forget, you can put anything you want in the remarks of your flight plan, but 99.8% of the time, those are not required to be viewed by any controller.  Technically (with some exceptions), only if search and rescue is warranted.   On VATSIM (and not so much real world), controllers will look more often, but don't forget, if the controller is busy, and they're not required to look, they won't be looking.  So don't count on any information you put in a VFR flight plan, especially remarks, to be obtained by the controller.  If it is, it's like icing on the cake.

If you wanted VFR flight following, you would have had to have requested that once you were entering or inside Miami's airspace.

Most times (RW and VATSIM), controllers are very accommodating and will guide you a bit more than it sounds happened in this case.  If the controller is busy, however, accommodation level can easily go down while they are focused on doing what they need to do.  Prioritization.

Hope this helps.

[Clif Maloney]

Thanks for all the advice, gentlemen.  I've always known that flight following isn't automatic. I;m always respectful of the controller's work load.  As far as him not picking me up later in my flight - he was pretty busy and it was getting close to the end of his shift.  Thanks again to you and thanks to VAT-Sim for helping n an old guy stay in the air. I got my PPL in 1969 when I was 18.