Chip Jones wrote:
"Dave Butler" wrote in message
...

[snipped]

You cannot act as PIC on an IFR flight plan or accept an IFR clearance

without

an instrument rating. There is no prohibition against -filing- an IFR

flight plan.

There was an extensive thread here (or in one of the r.a.* groups) about

how to

file a flight plan for a VFR flight and get your proposal strip into all

the

relevant controllers' hands by checking the "IFR" box on the flight plan

form,

then coding "VFR/altitude" in the altitude block. Google for it. I've

used it

and it works for me. I have an instrument rating, but it seems legal to me

even

if I didn't.


Dave, in my opinion what you are describing isn't exactly an IFR
flightplan. I say "isn't exactly" because while I am one of the proponents
of your method, I don't consider using this particular trick to get into the
system to be the same as "filing" an IFR flightplan. The ATC flightplan
that this method generates is clearly a VFR flightplan to the controller
because it says "VFR" in the requested altitude block. It does not generate
routings other than what is filed by the pilot because the IFR pref routings
are suppressed by the ATC computer.


OK, thanks, Chip. I accept your refinement.

What you say about IFR pref routings is interesting. Care to expand on that a
little? Are you saying that the ARTCC computer will come up with a new route for
an IFR based on preferred routings, but since this is a VFR plan, it skips that
rerouting step?