Michael 182 wrote:

I flew out of Gary recently with my wife and kids in the plane. When they
gave me vectors over the water I replied "Unable, I'm in a single engine
and I need to stay within gliding distance of the shore.Â*Â*IÂ*canÂ*headÂ*NNN"
(can't remember the heading). They said fine, and let me fly where I
wanted. Maybe I just got a nice controllerÂ*Â*Â*

Something like that occurred a while back while taking my baby and wife to
Nantucket. I filed a "glide distance" route (and altitude) rather than the
documented preferred route. The CDW tower gave me what I'd filed.

Somewhere over NY or CT, however, ATC gave me a reroute that was the
preferred. I essentially said what you did. The controller hemmed a bit,
and gave me a clearance only to the next intersection on my original plan.

Shortly thereafter, though, I was given back my original clearance.

I've often wondered what went on in the background.

- Andrew