argh -- flight plan routes

I have not tried this. I fly out of a field (PAO) where I get my
clearance from ground control, when I call for taxi instructions. I've
never called them with the engine off, saying "hey, I'll just sit here
and call back for taxi when I understand this clearance." Could try it.
Usually, there is no need, as another poster mentioned, there will
always be a "hold for release" during which I'll be sure to have time
to persue my charts leisurely.

My CFII actually had us shut down in the runup area once or twice, as
we were told we'd be waiting 20 minutes or so. I thought that it was
not allowed to shut down in a movement area, but he thought otherwise.
We debated it, but I could not find the reg.

I think an interesting twist on the route clearance discussion is that
we all tend to do most of our instrument training and fooling around in
fair weather, which in the SF Bay Area, means a northwesterly wind and
all the bay airports are on the "Northwest Plan." However, when the
weather is actually low and you're IFR "for real" because you need to
be, it's much more likely to be the "Southeast Plan." The low-altitude
routings for slow aircraft are definitely different. (don't know about
other a/c).

So, in my last case, I think I was just surprised that even though what
I had filed was something I had seen before, I got something different,
and it was because we had a real howler of a storm cooking. (This was
last Sunday afternoon/evening.)

Specifically, I was coming back to Palo Alto from Fresno. I had filed:
FRES5.ECA V195 SUNOL V334 SJC. What I got was RDR VEC V230 PANOS V485
GILRO. This was about the same distance, but took me over higher
terrain. I had filed for 4000, but this route necessitated 8000, which
was a drag because freezing level was 9000 in the area, and I did
indeed pick up some ice. Interesting how approach is very accomodating
in getting you down lower when you actually *have* ice, though not so
much when you're on the ground telling them that you might get it.

All that said, it was a truly lovely flight. In and out of the clouds
the whole way, night, rain on and off sometimes heavy, visibility
varying from 20 miles to nothing, etc. My pax got a little nervous when
I was using the flashlight to check the wings, but other than that, we
had a great time -- all culminating in a greaser landing at PAO in a
healthy crosswind.

-- dave