Flying Thru Congested Areas

I use duats also to get a general idea of time and winds aloft and to pick my
best altitude. I always select the user selected way points so I can do a
direct. Their direct uses waypoints, I dont care much about way points. When I
file I call FSS. If I am going to be in IMC I will use the airways, if not, then
I go direct.

If your not familiar with the area, and you expect bad weather, I would use the
airways. If the weather was good and I wanted to cut time, I would go direct or
a combination of the two, depending on weather and terrain.

"O. Sami Saydjari" wrote:\Well, I used the route planning software available at
the duats website.

I picked the low-level victor airway that it recommended....and thats
the one that had the conflicts. How does one directly find the great
circle route during flight planning (I assume my GPS uses great cricle
when it does a direct-to course)? I figured I would be better off on
victor airways as a matter of extra safety, in case my GPS fails...but I
am open to be talked out of that viewpoint.

"Colin Kingsbury" wrote in message
ink.net...

Every so often in the Boston area when I'm flight following with approach
control in class E they'll throw a vector my way, then a minute or two
later
say "resume own navigation."


They are wrong to do so.

"Jeff" wrote in message
...

I have been out in the middle of no where several times on IFR flight
plans and
been told to "traffic at your XX O'clock, not talking to him, turn xxx
degrees."

Also been given vectors way the hell away from my flight path and was even
asked
if I could climb to 14,000 ft to avoid VFR traffic that was passing
through a
pass.


Controller error.

So, would it be poor form to get an ifr clearance to get above whatever
cloud layer at your departure airport....fly VFR when you are on
top....then pickup an on-the-fly IFR again 100 miles or so before your
destinatation airport if you needed to descend back down through a cloud
layer? I am not saying this is a particularly good idea, or
particularly "polite"...I am just asking a question here.

No need to cancel that IFR when you get on top, just ask for
VFR-on-top ! ATC likes it (reduced separation req.), you get to stay
out of ice and go direct, all while maintaining your IFR status when
you need to descend at your destination. No begging for popups, just
advise you won't be able to maintain VFR and ask for a hard altitude.
One of the truly practical procedures out there !

BTW, does anyone know if VFR OT exists in Canada, I know VFR
over-the-top (i.e. just VFR above clouds) isn't permitted.

Martin

"Jeff" wrote in message
...
I use duats also to get a general idea of time and winds aloft and to pick
my
best altitude. I always select the user selected way points so I can do a
direct. Their direct uses waypoints, I dont care much about way points.
When I
file I call FSS. If I am going to be in IMC I will use the airways, if
not, then
I go direct.

If your not familiar with the area, and you expect bad weather, I would
use the
airways. If the weather was good and I wanted to cut time, I would go
direct or
a combination of the two, depending on weather and terrain.

Why does the weather affect whether you go direct?

Cheers,
John Clonts
Temple, Texas
N7NZ

VFR OTT (Over The Top) is allowed in Canada. It's just an extra rating that
can be added on to the PPL with 15 hours instrument time. It can only be
used if you are able to climb to altitude and descend at destination whilst
maintaining VFR. At altitude you have to maintain a certain distance from
the cloud layers. Flight following is not mandatory (but highly
recommended!).

Ross
"Martin Kosina" wrote in message
om...
So, would it be poor form to get an ifr clearance to get above whatever
cloud layer at your departure airport....fly VFR when you are on
top....then pickup an on-the-fly IFR again 100 miles or so before your
destinatation airport if you needed to descend back down through a cloud
layer? I am not saying this is a particularly good idea, or
particularly "polite"...I am just asking a question here.

No need to cancel that IFR when you get on top, just ask for
VFR-on-top ! ATC likes it (reduced separation req.), you get to stay
out of ice and go direct, all while maintaining your IFR status when
you need to descend at your destination. No begging for popups, just
advise you won't be able to maintain VFR and ask for a hard altitude.
One of the truly practical procedures out there !

BTW, does anyone know if VFR OT exists in Canada, I know VFR
over-the-top (i.e. just VFR above clouds) isn't permitted.

Martin

"John Clonts" wrote in message
...

He would need two flight plans for this, right? One to get up, one to get
back down.


Yup.



If instead, he requested VFR-on-top, do you think he could generally get
the routing he wanted? I mean what would ATC generally do with a request
like "N123 request VFR-on-top 7500 direct XYZ VOR, otherwise I'd like to
cancel IFR and request VFR advisories".


Assuming the controller isn't baffled by the request, and he's not heading
somewhere a preferential routing applies, he should be told to climb and
maintain VFR-on-top and report reaching it and also be cleared direct XYZ
VOR.

"Martin Kosina" wrote in message
om...

No need to cancel that IFR when you get on top, just ask for
VFR-on-top ! ATC likes it (reduced separation req.), you get to stay
out of ice and go direct, all while maintaining your IFR status when
you need to descend at your destination.


VFR-on-top does not affect your route, you'll have to make a separate
request for direct.

because if its going to be bad I like being on a route flown by other aircraft
just in case something happens.
I live in the desert, If you go down there is not alot of places to land, so if
it has to happen, I want to be where people can easily find me. Plus with all
the mountains I like to follow the charts and the MEA's just to be safe. There
is no guessing when it comes to following the airways, its all laid out for you.
Another benefit is radar coverage, there are places out here where you dont get
radar coverage. You follow the airways, your good to go.

John Clonts wrote:

"Jeff" wrote in message
...
I use duats also to get a general idea of time and winds aloft and to pick
my
best altitude. I always select the user selected way points so I can do a
direct. Their direct uses waypoints, I dont care much about way points.
When I
file I call FSS. If I am going to be in IMC I will use the airways, if
not, then
I go direct.

If your not familiar with the area, and you expect bad weather, I would
use the
airways. If the weather was good and I wanted to cut time, I would go
direct or
a combination of the two, depending on weather and terrain.

Why does the weather affect whether you go direct?

Cheers,
John Clonts
Temple, Texas
N7NZ

you can file a composit flight plan, part IFR and part VFR and do what you mentioned.
the one flight plan will cover your flight.

controllers will work with you if they know what your wanting to do.


"O. Sami Saydjari" wrote:

So, would it be poor form to get an ifr clearance to get above whatever
cloud layer at your departure airport....fly VFR when you are on
top....then pickup an on-the-fly IFR again 100 miles or so before your
destinatation airport if you needed to descend back down through a cloud
layer? I am not saying this is a particularly good idea, or
particularly "polite"...I am just asking a question here.

-Sami

wrote:
Jeff wrote:
: Hey Sami
: If you fly above the class B of those areas (10,000 ft) then you dont have
: any problems, I do this when ever I fly to the other side of phoenix,
: reason is they always vector me way around their class B, so I got into
: the habit of just flying over their class B VFR. Just when your near their
: airspace, you call approach and let them know who you are and where your
: going so that they know and can advise you of traffic conflicts.
: If your IFR then they can vector you around, if your VFR then they wont
: vector you, they will vector the IFR traffic around you. Another thing I
: got used to doing when flying around the phoenix area, I found oout they
: like to send me way down south then turn me up. I dont fly IFR into
: phoenix anymore unless I really have to.

I had that decision a few weeks ago flying from Milwaukee to SW Virginia.
Flying around Chicago is great if VFR (2000' or lower right along the lakeshore). I
ended up "scud running" (MVFR 1500' AGL SCT OVC) along the lake/downtown until though
the Bravo. Then I got a clearance and climbed to more favorable winds. The time before
I had to file IFR, and they vectored me halfway to Iowa (Rockford, IL) to keep me out
of the Class B. Since I won't fly over the lake in my Cherokee, that was the only
option.

I would imagine that if you go IFR, it could be similar around the big places.
VFR you can get up on top and tell 'em to get bent....

YMMV
-Cory