"Refusing to Handle You"

"Howard Nelson" wrote in message
m...

Steven, I don't know if you are a pilot who flies solo IFR.


I have.



But in the
cockpit of most singles or light twins on an IFR flight plan the "big
picture" of nearby convective activity is usually not available in real
time. The pilot perhaps spent 15-30 minutes studying the airspace and
weather, filed an IFR flight plan, had the clearance issued and launched.
Heunderstood that he might be issued an amended clearance (most of us are
prepared for that), a hold or be given a vector for deviation but it is
difficult to expect him to in essence file a new "flight plan" in the air
without "all the information" necessary for the flight (as the FARs
state).


He's not expected to do that. He's expected to tell the controller what
he'd like to do; "I'd like routing around Potomac approach", "I'd like
routing around the weather", "I'd like to go back to Hagerstown and wait out
the weather", "8096J canceling IFR, have a nice day."



The ATC at that point in time knows the "big picture" much better than the
pilot (closed airspace, severe weather, etc.) and it would be helpful if
they could present him with a workable alternate plan which he could then
analyze and either accept or reject.


A workable alternate plan will be presented as soon as the pilot decides
what he wants to do.



Within the previous hour the pilot had
analyzed many factors, planned a flight and submitted it. It was accepted.
Now he might repeat that process with less information available, propose
it, and then have it rejected again. Perhaps repeat the cycle several
times not really knowing what ATC wants. All this while flying the
airplane in
less than optimal weather. There are still planes out there flying IFR
below the flight levels, using VHF radios and sporting numbers that begin
with
N. It's a messy system but we have to work together. As I said earlier I
have
never run across this scenario before. Usually the controller will issue
an amended clearance or propose a couple of alternatives which will work
for
both of us.


That's not the situation at all. You're making this far more complicated
than it is! With "say intentions" the controller is just asking what the
pilot wants in a very general way. He's expecting a response like, "I'd
like routing around Potomac approach." He doesn't expect you to know the
approach boundaries.