It doesn't solve any problem. They can still give you the SID in words, and then you have to read the whole thing back, which would be a bigger pain. I don't understand why people resist SIDs and STARs. If you are flying VFR, wouldn't you like to know what the local pilots use for landmarks such as that grain elevator, or water tower or quarry? SIDs are STARs are the IFR version of that. They are based around some prominent fix which the traffic funnels through. It is useful to know what that fix is, because even if you don't get the SID, chances are you are still going to get vectored to that fix before you go your own way. I never file a SID, but I always look them over to gather some knowledge about the local area.
And for those of us going to the flight levels... I almost wish they published MORE SIDs and STARs, or at least preferred routes into the airports, and had more details on them.
Example of more detail: We frequently fly LEEDN.GOPAC2 into KMKE. Pretty much get cleared to cross LEEDN at FL240 every single time, often get MUMPR at 17,000 and usually DREWD at either 11 or 12. But, none of those altitudes are published. I wish they were.
Example of things that I wish were published: If we're coming to KMKE from the southeast, the clearance is going to include BRAVE EXARR almost every time. If we're lucky, BREWR BRAVE EXARR. On a normal day, VINNE BRAVE EXARR. If we're unlucky, there'll be another fix south of VINNE.
Now, we fly in and out of KMKE so much that we know these things... But they're not published anywhere, so the pilots that come to KMKE will get rerouted, and when we go other places where we don't have as much local knowledge, we'll get rerouted. I'd much rather be able to plan and fly a known route.
For 90% of my IFR flying in the Midwest I file direct. Only time I file anything different is if I'm going east around Chicago then I add KELSI, because you know you are going to KELSI to go south of the Class B.
KELSI is an intersection on the SW side of Chicago's class B, out past Joliet. If you are IFR and below 10,000, going around the south side of Chicago, you will get routed to it. In my trips to/from Ohio and Michigan from Iowa, I just file it.
I one time asked to cut the corner and go direct before KELSI, controller just laughed sure clear direct destination via KELSI.
Good point, although I have never seen KELSI mentioned on any of the SIDs or preferred routes.
Guess what... KELSI isn't published anywhere. I mean, it's on the chart, at the intersection of V9, V10, and V38, but the fact that they send dozens or hundreds of airplanes there every day is published nowhere. That's what I find annoying about all this stuff.
Now, IME, when you check in with Chicago Center you can ask them for direct destination when able, and depending on your direction of flight to/from KELSI you can usually cut the corner about 10 miles east and save a few minutes, but that's all. There are other times where you can get away with SHOOF instead of KELSI.
The other, newer alternative is to fly the newer T (GPS) airway, T265. You can only do this between 4,000 and 8,000 feet inclusive, but it is usually shorter than going to KELSI. Usually, if I'm flying the Mooney IFR out of UES I can file BULLZ T265 AHMED (or as far as I need to be on the airway to stay further away from Chicago than the airway) and get it. Add EON onto the end of that if your route would otherwise take you north of EON.
But, this is also why I will, if possible, file from KGYY and shoot down the lakeshore VFR.
