Who does flight plans?

I would say that is increasingly a NE issue. In the SE boonies (south
of the Wash ADIZ), once they see /G, they tend to clear you direct
*independent* of your plan. In FL my experience is that you will be
initially cleared on airways then either thru request or offer, you can
get direct for many portions. Leave the busier FL airspace and it's
"cleared direct destination". I guess it's fewer words to say or
something. Amazing!

Doug Vetter wrote:

FYI, if you want to plan / file direct VFR, fine. But don't try that
IFR -- particularly in the northeast. It irritates the controllers, and
no surprise. The AIM specifies that you should file airways (sorry I
don't have the exact reference handy...but just read Don Brown's columns
on Avweb for more info). The entire ATC system (airspace boundaries,
etc.) are based on the airway system, and when you file direct, you
increase controller workload. Given the shortage of controllers, that's
just about the last thing you should do.

-Doug

--
--------------------
Doug Vetter, CFIMEIA

http://www.dvcfi.com
--------------------

Maule Driver wrote:
I would say that is increasingly a NE issue. In the SE boonies (south
of the Wash ADIZ), once they see /G, they tend to clear you direct
*independent* of your plan. In FL my experience is that you will be
initially cleared on airways then either thru request or offer, you can
get direct for many portions. Leave the busier FL airspace and it's
"cleared direct destination". I guess it's fewer words to say or
something. Amazing!

It probably has more to do with traffic count per square mile (and
therefore workload), which is almost always lower in places other than
the northeast. Getting direct may also have something to do with getting
lucky, no matter where you fly.

Don Brown indicates that one of the chief reasons they hate pilots who
file direct (even out in the boonies where radio calls are made every
100 miles) is that if a direct courseline quickly crosses or nears
several sector boundaries (which can happen in both the horizontal or
vertical planes), they have to do tons of point outs and (lacking
successful communication with the neighboring controllers) radar
vectors, reroutes, and other hand-holding that would not have been
necessary had the pilot filed airways and avoided those trouble-spots in
the first place.

That said, on my way down the coast from New Jersey to Florida a couple
weeks ago, I was about 10 miles south of my second departure point
(Newport News, VA) when I was cleared to my destination (N. Myrtle
Beach, Grand Strand) 225NM out -- a personal direct-to distance record
under IFR. Of course, V1 is almost a straight line between the two
airports and more or less equivalent to a direct-to route (thus I was
getting lucky) but in general I agree with you that you are certainly
more likely to get direct in places OTHER than the northeast.

-Doug

--------------------
Doug Vetter, CFIMEIA

http://www.dvcfi.com
--------------------

Maybe ATC in the SE Atlantic seaboard have somehow 'broken the code' on
handling direct. I swear that your experience with direct to N Myrtle
is becoming the norm rather than the exception. Between the Wash ADIZ
and Jacksonville I've been filing airways and getting cleared direct
without requesting it. And I'm filing the airways to avoid SUAs that
clog the airspace. The interesting part is that for someone like me
flying at 9 or below, flights typically involve center and multiple
approaches with constant switching. And yet I'm getting cleared direct
3 or 4 handoffs out from my destination. Who knows, it may be
particular to the routes.

I don't know who Doug Brown is but I'm going to continue to be pretty
aggressive in filing and/or requesting direct where I consider it a
reasonable request. And I expect to get it more often than not outside
of those areas where it just isn't doable (ADIZ, Phille/NY corridor, FL
ooastal routes). It's working better than one might expect in my
experience. I'll have to get out more....

Doug Vetter wrote:
Maule Driver wrote:

I would say that is increasingly a NE issue. In the SE boonies (south
of the Wash ADIZ), once they see /G, they tend to clear you direct
*independent* of your plan. In FL my experience is that you will be
initially cleared on airways then either thru request or offer, you
can get direct for many portions. Leave the busier FL airspace and
it's "cleared direct destination". I guess it's fewer words to say or
something. Amazing!


It probably has more to do with traffic count per square mile (and
therefore workload), which is almost always lower in places other than
the northeast. Getting direct may also have something to do with getting
lucky, no matter where you fly.

Don Brown indicates that one of the chief reasons they hate pilots who
file direct (even out in the boonies where radio calls are made every
100 miles) is that if a direct courseline quickly crosses or nears
several sector boundaries (which can happen in both the horizontal or
vertical planes), they have to do tons of point outs and (lacking
successful communication with the neighboring controllers) radar
vectors, reroutes, and other hand-holding that would not have been
necessary had the pilot filed airways and avoided those trouble-spots in
the first place.

That said, on my way down the coast from New Jersey to Florida a couple
weeks ago, I was about 10 miles south of my second departure point
(Newport News, VA) when I was cleared to my destination (N. Myrtle
Beach, Grand Strand) 225NM out -- a personal direct-to distance record
under IFR. Of course, V1 is almost a straight line between the two
airports and more or less equivalent to a direct-to route (thus I was
getting lucky) but in general I agree with you that you are certainly
more likely to get direct in places OTHER than the northeast.

-Doug

--------------------
Doug Vetter, CFIMEIA

http://www.dvcfi.com
--------------------

Doug Vetter wrote:


Don Brown indicates that one of the chief reasons they hate pilots who
file direct (even out in the boonies where radio calls are made every
100 miles) is that if a direct courseline quickly crosses or nears
several sector boundaries (which can happen in both the horizontal or
vertical planes), they have to do tons of point outs and (lacking
successful communication with the neighboring controllers) radar
vectors, reroutes, and other hand-holding that would not have been
necessary had the pilot filed airways and avoided those trouble-spots in
the first place.

This is a typical FAA attitude that is very difficult to overcome.
Don't do something that is convenient to you because I then have to work
too hard. Or change what I have been doing for the last 50 years. Busy
airspace is one thing but to say they hate pilots filing direct because
that line nicks other sectors and airspaces is assinine.