xyzzy wrote:
I am considering taking a flight from central North Carolina to Cape
Cod in late March of this year. Up until all of my flying has been in
the Southeast, with IAD being as far north as I've ventured.

Playing with the AOPA planner the route looks pretty interesting -- go
just east of the DC ADIZ, then over Delaware and New Jersey (prolly
with a fuel stop in Millville or thereabouts) and then directly over
LGA, then arc (sort of) along the coast to Cape Cod. Can a C-172
actually get an IFR flight on a route like that (I'm thinking about
9000 feet), or should multiple reroutes be expected from ATC? Is
there a routing through that area that is preferred by controllers for
the small fry? Better or worse times to go through that area? I plan
to file IFR even if the weather is severe clear. For obvious reasons
I'd rather not take the overwater route to the east, but if I go west I
make the trip a lot longer.

(btw the actual route I'm looking at is: MOATS V155 MANGE V157 ENO
KMIV [prolly fuel stop here] RBV V123 LGA V475 PVD V167 PEAKE --
I know it can probably be cleaned up a little but that's the general
idea)

Any advice from veterans of this area would be appreciated!

If you file 9000' you are going to get the over-water route via MANTA
intersection, which is about 30 miles offshore. File at either 5000 or
7000' for V16 JFK V229 BDR V475. That's what you'll get if you want to
go over NY city IFR.

Returning, you'll only get V16 at 6000', which takes you across LI sound
near the RI-CT border, then down LI over JFK and across the Raritan Bay.

Your only other choices are either the over-water route, or the long way
around via Lake Henry VOR.