That expression was taught to me by my first instrument flight instructor Dan on 10/13/88. What he was telling me was regardless of the IFR flight plan I filed with FSS, the folks at the ARTCC would modify it to fit their requirements. A decade after that conversation GPS gave most pilots the ability to fly direct to their destination yet in many areas of the national airspace system Dan’s expression is still true 22 years later.
For us here in the Metro NY area and possibly the entire northeast, rarely will we ever receive GPS direct to routings. Rather ATC has carefully crafted departure and arrival routes to safely funnel traffic in and out of the area.
Departing from DXR will always be direct CMK at 3000 regardless of which way you may be going. If you are going west bound you’ll likely get CMK v39 SAX v116 TALLI. About the time you get to TALLI if you are travelling a good distance you’ll likely be cleared to your destination. Headed northeast it will be CMK v3 HFD @ 7000, Southwest CMK JFK v16 Dixie @ 6000. Knowing this helps ahead of time is crucial because regardless of where you go, these routing restrictions will be enforced and if the conditions that exist on them are beyond the capability of you or your airplane, best plan accordingly.
Growing up flying around the Northeast it’s hard to believe that in most of the country filing and receiving direct routings in a slant/g aircraft is the norm. I’ve had numerous lengthy discussions with pilots from outside the area and they always are perplexed at why the flight plans I file are almost always on airway.
I give them my standard litany that the airways provide obstacle clearance, acceptable navigational signal coverage, and generally have airports along them. Additionally, flying the airways usually keeps one free from encroaching on Military and other Special Use Airspace. Not to mention that the routes are usually the most hospitable from a terrain perspective should one have the unfortunate experience of having to walk out of one.
Knowing your arrival route.
If you file and fly IFR regularly you’ll become familiar with the arrival routes into your home airport. Knowing these you can then expect the routing ATC will give you prior to when you show up on their screens. Flying Victor 1 at 9000 back from the southwest? You won’t get much past Cape Charles before ATC is stepping you down from altitude. Dover or Atlantic City approach will call with “we have an amendment to your routing advise when ready to copy”.
Going to Danbury it will be CYN Dixie, V276 RBV, V249 SAX, BREZY Direct @ 4000 till Solberg VOR then down to 3000. You’ll get a nice tour of western New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. Arriving from the Northwest it’s the Nobbi Five arrival. Due west expect to join the Nobbi 5 at IGN. Coming in from the Northeast? You’ll get HFD V1 MAD V475 BDR, BDR 288 radial to RYMES.
Another method of determining the routing you’ll get is by using web flight planning resources like fltplan.com or flightaware.com both of these sites will provide the last few ATC clearances received by pilots who last flew from your departure/destination.
“Being forewarned is being forearmed” and “every little bit helps” the cliché’s would have you believe. As instrument rated pilots flying light singles and twins, single pilot and down low in the weather we need to obtain and use every piece of information to make sure our trips remain uneventful. It’s not just a suggestion rather it’s the law.
§91.103 Preflight Action states “Each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight. This information must include --
(a) For a flight under IFR or a flight not in the vicinity of an airport, weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, alternatives available if the planned flight cannot be completed, and any known traffic delays of which the pilot in command has been advised by ATC;
(b) For any flight, runway lengths at airports of intended use, and the following takeoff and landing distance information:
No comments:
Post a Comment