One thing I've quickly picked up on is that ATC pretty much expects
everybody to be able to navigate direct.

expects is the keyword. It isn't required and often I get
told "fly heading XXX, when able direct YYYY."

If you tell them you've got a VFR GPS (in your remarks), they'll happily
give you direct clearances

they'll happily give you direct JFK to SFO. It's up to you to
do it. VFR GPS means nothing to them since you are still a /A or /U.

(I don't
keep the DB current and there's certainly no reason at all they should
expect that I do).

no one except the PIC checks to make sure a plane's panel-mounted
database is current. ATC sure doesn't.

What you are saying is the equivalent of a /G airplane with out
of date databases. You are NOT legal to fly IFR with out of
date databases (there are exceptions but in general, the answer
is no).

Not to be Mr. Police Officer or mean about it.....you said you are
newly minted IFR pilot when did you
take your written test? Did you study the Gleim. there are only
about 10 questions on GPS including a couple on the exact
thing you are asking about. I took mine not too long ago (my
checkride is coming up)


I've been
asked to "verify direct XXX" when I'm off course by a quite small amount
- no more than 10 degrees.

Course probably doesn't matter (a guess). If you want to fly S-turns
down a victor airway, they'll probably think you're drunk but
as long as you stay with the airway you are probably legal. If
you are really S-turning it, they might say something.

The other reason they might ask is if one controller says "cleared
direct XXX, contact Socal on 134.65." When you contact
the next controller you should say "Airbus 12345, 2000, direct XXX."
Just like if they give you a heading and are handed off, you should
tell them your newly assigned heading. Don't assume anything. A
friend of a friend was given a heading, passed to another controller,
10 minutes later he flew into a mountain. Controller probably was
dazing off as it was late at night and didn't realize the pilot
was on a heading and not on an airway with a MEA.

I've vowed to put a stop to this, and I have realized that I should
probably pay even closer attention to my heading.

just trim out the plane perfectly including rudder trim so your
TC is perfectly level. It's just like your elevator trim. Get
them perfect and the plane will stay straight.


My two-part question is 1) Should I be concerned at all by being asked
such a question by ATC?

concerned, no. But of course you'll wonder. Just like when I
flew into LAS in an Archer. I made a nice radio call "Cherokee XXXXX,
6000, information bravo." They came back and asked if I had information
bravo. This happened on 2 controllers no less. I figure they're used
to dealing with 'real' airplanes that I can only dream of flying.

And 2) Just _what_ is the IFR "heading
tolerance", anyway??

they probably couldn't care less about headings as long as you are where
you are. They might ask you so they know the winds aloft so when they
provide RV the airplane goes where they intend to go.

Gerald Sylvester