Being asked to "verify direct XXX"

Paul Folbrecht wrote:
Ok. I was going from Milwaukee to Indianapolis: KMWC to KEYE (I think -
Indy Exec). I filed VORs starting with LJT to DPA (DuPage). DuPage is
on the western edge of the ORD bravo. I figured this was enough
out-of-the-way of the bravo to satisfy KORD approach. I was wrong, and
have since learned that the route I was given is pretty much a preferred
route going IFR south through that airspace.

Unfortunately for us small-fry, IFR routes in busy airspace are often
driven by ATC needs and the traffic flow in and out of the major hubs more
than anything else. If you want to fly with the big boys, that's just
something you need to accept.

That route involved vectors then several intersections, as I'd said.
The problem was compounded by the fact that I'm nearly certain that the
tower controller mispoke and told me that the first waypoint was D32 on
the R270 from BAE. 32 miles west of BAE?! Are you kidding me?! Turns
out it's the R207, I discovered later, which obviously made much more
sense. (I'm nearly certain that she mispoke, and I didn't mis-hear, as
207 was far closer to what I was expecting and where I was looking on
the chart initially.)

If you get a clearance that doesn't make sense, ask for clarification. Did
the controller mis-speak, or did you mis-hear? No way to know at this
point. But, either way, the way it should have played out was:

"Confirm the first fix is BAE R270 D32?"

"Negative, it's the R207 D32. R207, not R270".

"OK, that makes more sense, thanks".

Did you read back your clearance with R270, and get "readback correct", or
did you never get that far?

This is with me sitting in the runup area - amended clearance. My first
one was vectors then as filed, I believe. Sitting there in the runup
area, realizing my GPS DB was not current (nowhere close)

I'm confused. Surely your database didn't go out of currency sometime
between when you did your pre-flight planning and the time you got to the
runnup area?

Other times I've been told to go direct involve uncontrolled fields with
no navaid, after I've already been vectored off-course.

If you can't do it, tell the guy, "Unable direct XYZ, negative RNAV".
He'll come back with something you can do, "OK, fly heading 120 to
intercept V456, then as previously cleared".

Whatever. I'm learning how the system actually works (which is
obviously not quite what we are told in training)

Ah, yes, the big enlightenment. The real-world IFR system isn't quite what
most people get trained for. Sometimes the differences are a real
eye-opener.