Ever flown “under the shelf” to avoid talking to ATC? In this Flight Tales episode, we sit down with a Lafayette controller to unpack why flight following is your best friend from faster SAR response and easier handoffs to smoother sequencing around weather. We also nerd out on ADS-B coverage, VFR flight plans vs. flight following, digital/remote towers, RNAV vs. old VOR procedures, and swap stories about C-130s, KC-135s, F/A-18s, the B-17 walkthrough, Airwolf, and Wings Over Houston.What you’ll learn:How flight following actually works and why it’s safer and simpler than you thinkWhen centers say “unable” (workload realities) and what to do nextWhy filing a VFR flight plan + getting radar services is a power comboADS-B coverage improvements (even over water) & remaining radar gapsRNAV approaches, runway flips, and how ATC sequences during stormsThe future: digital/remote towers and datalink clearancesChapters:0:00 Intro & local fly-ins1:20 Airwolf, airshows & Blue Angels3:48 Heavies at regional fields (C-130s, KC-135s, F/A-18s)6:40 Vietnam-style UH-1 ride story9:41 Pyro, Pearl Harbor reenactments, B-17 walk-through12:50 Flight following—why ATC wants you talking17:05 “Under the shelf” vs. calling approach21:22 VFR flight plans + SAR timeline explained24:10 Radar gaps, center workload, “unable” moments27:10 Flight service stations today (what they still do)30:55 Call sign/code “stealing” & timing tricks33:20 When/why ATC helps file or amend36:05 Sequencing around storms—real-world case41:45 Digital/remote towers & camera grids44:40 RNAV beats legacy VORs (and why)46:50 Runway switch & long-runway ops49:35 Datalink vs. “paper strips” (the tech gap)50:54 Wrap: “Why wouldn’t you get flight following?”Owens Flight Training is a flight school based in Lafayette, Louisiana.www.owensflighttraining.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/owensflighttrainingInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/owensflighttraining