Ok. I was going from Milwaukee to Indianapolis: KMWC to KEYE (I think -
Indy Exec). I filed VORs starting with LJT to DPA (DuPage). DuPage is
on the western edge of the ORD bravo. I figured this was enough
out-of-the-way of the bravo to satisfy KORD approach. I was wrong, and
have since learned that the route I was given is pretty much a preferred
route going IFR south through that airspace.

That route involved vectors then several intersections, as I'd said.
The problem was compounded by the fact that I'm nearly certain that the
tower controller mispoke and told me that the first waypoint was D32 on
the R270 from BAE. 32 miles west of BAE?! Are you kidding me?! Turns
out it's the R207, I discovered later, which obviously made much more
sense. (I'm nearly certain that she mispoke, and I didn't mis-hear, as
207 was far closer to what I was expecting and where I was looking on
the chart initially.)

This is with me sitting in the runup area - amended clearance. My first
one was vectors then as filed, I believe. Sitting there in the runup
area, realizing my GPS DB was not current (nowhere close), AND being
under the incorrect assumption that they wanted to send me half-way to
Madison, I elected, as I said, to reject the clearance and go VFR -
weather was well above mins and I figured I'd get a popup going into
Indy (where weather had been a bit worse, cigs around 3000 if I recall)
if I needed it.

Other times I've been told to go direct involve uncontrolled fields with
no navaid, after I've already been vectored off-course. An example
would be going to Morey, C29, which is about 20 miles west-southwest of
Madison, KMSN. I file direct to the MSN VOR, which is on the field, but
am sometimes vectored around the airport (MSN is Class C and busy on
weekends), then instructed to go direct C29. No problem with the VFR
GPS, and obviously impossible without it. Of course, that doesn't
bother me as I'm usually fairly confident that Morey hasn't moved. :-)
I've noticed this also happens when I haven't even put "VFR GPS" in the
remarks.

Whatever. I'm learning how the system actually works (which is
obviously not quite what we are told in training) and going with it. I
know how to use my GPS (Garmin 295) inside-out now (did you know it can
make omelettes?) and am going to verify intersection locations on the
charts and keep the DB current enough that I should be quite unlikely to
have problems. And probably start getting my clearances, when there's
any doubt as to what I'll actually get, before engine start.

I would guess that this is probably close to what most GA pilots who fly
IFR w/out an IFR GPS are doing.

Steven P. McNicoll wrote:

"Paul Folbrecht" wrote in message
...

Direct to intersections (that I certainly hadn't filed for), not direct to
my dest.



What had you filed?