VFR flight in congested airspace

Even though the ceilings and visibility were OK along my route I decided to file an IFR routing that would keep my flight path away from the arrival and departure corridors at Orlando and Tampa Class B airspace while avoiding the multitude of military operations areas and restricted areas. Despite my best intentions the IFR clearance I ultimately received was far different and ironically put the flight path in the middle of the typically congested airspace I had been trying to avoid. The new routing was complicated further in the air when the ATC-directed altitude changes put me at a far lower altitude than planned and thus in the middle of what sounded like aviation dysfunction.

Sector ATCs, Jacksonville Center, and Miami Center communication and control were exceptional above 12,000 feet msl; however, midway through the journey ATC required me to descend to 6,000 feet. This is where things began to unravel. It was flying long stretches through the lower altitudes that heightened my awareness of just how congested and, frankly, dangerous certain areas of our ATC system have become and how low-altitude controllers are stressed to their limit.

The IFR traffic was never the problem. It was the 1200-squawking targets and the coded VFR flight following conflicts that complicated the equation for every controller trying to keep airplanes from touching one another. Not surprisingly, the highly congested airspace around Orlando International Airport was well organized and controlled. ADS-B targets showed distinct arrival and departure patterns while all radio communications were disciplined and timely. A high level of cockpit experience was evident.

Southwest of Orlando near the Gulf Coast on this VFR day was a different story as individual approach control sectors were dealing with not only fast-moving, predictable IFR arrivals and flight paths but also slow-moving VFR targets with unpredictable flight paths. Many of these VFR aircraft were not receiving VFR flight following advisories and thus added to a tenuous scenario on an already crowded radar screen. Legal? Yes, but not necessarily best practice.

Is requesting VFR traffic advisories always a good option for a flight? Yes; however, it’s an additional ATC service over and above what controllers are commissioned to do and such a request may be denied as it’s provided as time and workload permit. There may be a time when as a VFR pilot you could really use flight following and ATC may not be able to accept your request. Florida is a haven for flight schools because of its consistently great weather and airports with hard-surface runways. This factor, plus its scenic coastline, creates beehives for airplanes. Knowing where they are and planning accordingly in the preflight briefing room to avoid these Class G areas becomes critical. I do much of my flying in Maine and know to either avoid or be extra vigilant along the coastline from Bar Harbor to Portland below 3,000 feet between June and September.

As the ferry flight progressed, the communication between ATC and VFR aircraft became tedious and inconsistent, and in many cases aircrew responses took up too much time from an already overtaxed controller. At one point, a frustrated controller admonished all on the frequency to listen up and respond in a timely fashion.

Lest one think I am singling out low-time or inexperienced aviators in this narrative, I am not. Once on the ground I was told by an “old hand” that he routinely just “squawks 1200 and flies right through it. No reroutes, no need for ATC.” Ironically, this came after he admitted that local airborne traffic has gotten “terribly congested” over the past five years. His approach may have been sage 20 years ago, but the arena has changed. ADS-B has been a great thing for traffic awareness and control; however, with faster aircraft landing at smaller airports, more pilots trying to learn the ropes, more airspace constraints, and avionics advancements that compel head-down flying even in visual conditions, our arena has evolved and “just go VFR and fly through it” is not always the best option.

It becomes essential to consider one’s skill level when planning a flight into high-traffic airspace. Plan accordingly, knowing that VFR traffic advisories may not be available. If the service is available, know that listening becomes as critical as sight in the cockpit. Pilots who work diligently to develop their listening skills make the airspace a more orderly environment and lighten the workload on our increasingly overburdened air traffic control system.