Last week, both Ft. Worth and Houston centers said "radar contact lost,
report X miles from Y" while I was cleared direct (not on airways) with /G
equipment - in Texas, going west into large headwinds at 4000.

On that trip - from central TX to KSAV and back, there were 6 legs. On the
first leg, I filed a few fixes and soon after handoff to ZHU was asked
"would you like direct HEZ". Next leg, while filing on phone, when I got to
route FSS said "direct"? And I said yes, and that was the clearance when I
picked it up. Same on next leg, and next, etc. So 5 out of 6 I filed that
way and got and on the other, they suggested right away. No transits
through Class B, though.

I'm sure YMMV in other parts of the country, but from this I learned: 1)
file that way and 2) even if radar contact lost, sometimes they won't send
you directly to an airway.

DL
"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote in message
nk.net...



The likelihood of that was not changed by the installation of the GNS530.
Whether or not a direct clearance of a few hundred miles distance is
available depends on ATC radar coverage and what lies between your
departure point and destination. If there's a busy terminal or some SUA
in the way you'll have to go around them. If radar monitoring cannot be
provided by ATC you'll be on airways.