Are sectional paths correct across "long" distances?

"Peter Duniho" writes:

It's personal until you cut across restricted airspace by that much.
Then it gets *really* personal.

Huh? The error should be with respect to whether you're really flying the
shortest path between two points. It should not have anything to do with
how you navigate, nor should it affect your spatial orientation, your
knowledge of where you are at any given time.

No, but it does affect planning. I like to plan for "straight"-line paths
that keep me out of restricted airspace. Makes my life a lot easier.

I'm not sure why vince asked that question. The point of widest divergence
isn't something anyone should care about.

It's something that matters to me. Am I going to have to think about
where I'm going around some airspace/mountain/...? Do I have to explain
my plans to Center?

I have discarded routes because the straight paths clipped some
restricted airspace by only a mile or two. I expect any tool that I
use to be accurate enough to tell me whether or not that's going to
happen.

If you fly the route plotted, then the route plotted is the one you fly.
Simple, no?

Simple except that it doesn't match the plot on the GPS I use to double-
check my progress.

I'm a horrible person for wanting to simplify flying...blah, blah, blah...
I'll never earn my "aviator balls"...blah, blah, blah...Yeah, I know.

--kyler