"cleared to ... when direct ..."

wrote:

Newps wrote:



Absolutely he does. A controller never says to proceed direct when
able, when the "when able" part means that you have to know when you are
above the terrain. When able direct always means navigation. When you
are receiving the relavant station you may go directly to it.


It sounds like you're saying the controller cannot say "direct when able,"
then you say the controller can say "direct when able" with regards to nav
facility reception.

In the case of Santa Monica Runway 21, even though the guy was probably
pretty low when told he could proceed direct to Ventura, terrain was not a
factor. The terrain is well to the north, and northwest. The MVA is 1500
where the clearance was likely issued. A direct track to VTU doesn't get
into a higher MVA area for quite a ways, well beyond what a nominal climb
rate would overcome. The highest MVA, way down the road, is 4,000 (with a
little 4,100 area) and the pilot was cleared to 6,000.

So, he could have been at say, 1,200 and not yet able to receive VTU. Once
he did though, his slight right turn to proceed direct would not have
created a terrain clearance issue for the departure controller.

This is exactly the situation I described. Airplane is on a vector that
will get it pretty close to his on course heading. When he receives the
station he goes directly to it.