Choosing an IFR route

[david0tey]

What is the best way of choosing an IFR route between two small town airports. There are obviously no preferred ATC routes between these airports.

My CFi wants me to plan an IFR flight from JGG to W31. The LVL VOR is OTS, can I still use it as a waypoint as long as I am not using the VOR as my primary means of navigation? Is it acceptable to go from intersection to intersection or are VOR's preferred? I am very early on in my training and am just trying to make sense of the process.

The route that I would probably choose at this point would be KJGG HPW MATOX MELIA V20 NUTTS W31.

Is that too much for such a short flight?

 

[FORANE]

I punch the airports into fltplan.com and see what others have filed and what ATC has cleared.

The LVL VOR is OTS, can I still use it as a waypoint as long as I am not using the VOR as my primary means of navigation?

Yes if you are /G.

 

[peerlesscowboy]

What is the best way of choosing an IFR route between two small town airports. There are obviously no preferred ATC routes between these airports.

My CFi wants me to plan an IFR flight from JGG to W31. The LVL VOR is OTS, can I still use it as a waypoint as long as I am not using the VOR as my primary means of navigation? Is it acceptable to go from intersection to intersection or are VOR's preferred? I am very early on in my training and am just trying to make sense of the process.

The route that I would probably choose at this point would be KJGG HPW MATOX MELIA V20 NUTTS W31.

Is that too much for such a short flight?

How are you equipped?

 

[jordane93]

Look on Fltpan.com. They have recent ATC clearances and routes. Also look in the AFD. In the back there are IFR preferred routes and TEC routes.

 

[peerlesscowboy]

If you're equipped /G is there any reason not to just file Direct?

 

[jordane93]

If you're equipped /G is there any reason not to just file Direct?

I'm not sure how they clear flights in the OP's area but I know here in LI, I can file direct all day and never get it. It may work where your from but in some areas, they like you to fly Victor airways

 

[david0tey]

I'm not sure how they clear flights in the OP's area but I know here in LI, I can file direct all day and never get it. It may work where your from but in some areas, they like you to fly Victor airways

So, if this is the case, what route is most likely to be cleared as filed? If LVL is acceptable to use, my first choice would be KJGG HPW V454 LVL W31. Any problems with that?

 

[jordane93]

So, if this is the case, what route is most likely to be cleared as filed? If LVL is acceptable to use, my first choice would be KJGG HPW V454 LVL W31. Any problems with that?

I'm not sure how they like to route things around Richmond. File and see what happens.

 

[poadeleted20]

What is the best way of choosing an IFR route between two small town airports. There are obviously no preferred ATC routes between these airports.

If you use a flight planning system like ForeFlight or flightplan.com, you can see routes previously issued by ATC. If you see no routes for the specific airports, You can also check pairs of nearby larger airports for previously cleared routes.

My CFi wants me to plan an IFR flight from JGG to W31.

That starts within Norfolk's airspace, although most of the route is in Potomac's airspace. Since you're not going out into Center airspace, your best bet would be to call Norfolk Approach (757-363-5864) and ask them what they recommend -- they probably send quite a few planes from their space into the Richmond area every day, and probably have some agreed routes for that.

The LVL VOR is OTS, can I still use it as a waypoint as long as I am not using the VOR as my primary means of navigation?

Assuming you have an IFR GPS, yes, you can.

Is it acceptable to go from intersection to intersection or are VOR's preferred?

Again, if you have an IFR GPS, yes, you can file that. Whether Norfolk/Potomac will give you what you ask for is anybody's guess, but you can find out by making the phone call.

I am very early on in my training and am just trying to make sense of the process.

Did your instructor not discuss this with you before giving you this assignment? I'd be very surprised if an instrument instructor would give an instrument trainee the task of planning an IFR XC before teaching the trainee how to select routes.

 

[poadeleted20]

So, if this is the case, what route is most likely to be cleared as filed? If LVL is acceptable to use, my first choice would be KJGG HPW V454 LVL W31. Any problems with that?

Only way to find out is to call Norfolk Approach ahead of time as I suggested above.

BTW, just filing anything you want and seeing what you get may sound simple, but at your stage of the game, having a good idea of what to expect is really important unless you like replanning IFR flights in the cockpit after receiving your clearance, and even after 40-odd years of IFR flying, I don't like to do that.

 

[david0tey]

Did your instructor not discuss this with you before giving you this assignment? I'd be very surprised if an instrument instructor would give an instrument trainee the task of planning an IFR XC before teaching the trainee how to select routes.

We have planned two or three flights together and he did show me how to find preferred routes, but there clearly aren't any preferred routes between these two airports.

 

[poadeleted20]

We have planned two or three flights together and he did show me how to find preferred routes, but there clearly aren't any preferred routes between these two airports.

Then I guess your instructor did not teach you how to handle route-finding between airports not listed as preferred route pairs before assigning you such a task, and that's disappointing to me. In any event, try what I suggested, and since you're on line now, know that Norfolk Tracon answers that phone number in the radar room (as opposed to the admin offices) 24/7 -- no time like the present. And keep that number for picking up IFR clearances in the Norfolk area when there's no Tower or remote comm outlet.

 

[Brad Z]

I don't think I've ever called a Tracon or artcc for routing advice. What I do (and teach) is to select the ideal route based on your equipment, terrain, airspace, weather, etc. If they give you something you don't want, renegotiate or recalculate.

 

[poadeleted20]

I don't think I've ever called a Tracon or artcc for routing advice.

Why not? It's sure made my life easier on more occasions than I can count.

 

[Brad Z]

Why not? It's sure made my life easier on more occasions than I can count.

Just never felt the need. From my base, heading south gets me direct, heading north puts me on relatively predictable airways. I'd rather free the ATC phone lines up for actual air traffic than answering my routing hypotheticals.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Just never felt the need. From my base, heading south gets me direct, heading north puts me on relatively predictable airways. I'd rather free the ATC phone lines up for actual air traffic than answering my routing hypotheticals.

Aren't you just saying that you never felt the need to call TRACON to ask about routing in an area you are already familiar with?
.

 

[midlifeflyer]

I've used various methods. These days, most commonly services that provide actual recent ATC routings as already mentioned.

I've also used preferred routings/TEC routes. If my city pairs aren't listed (often the case), I think of them as area routings based on city pairs (I'll do the same with the recent ATC route information if my airport pairs aren't common enough to make it).

I have called TRACON (actually emailed one once), but that hasn't been necessary since the online services that will give me the same information.

When all else fails, make up something sensible based on your equipment. On shorter flights, "direct" will work in some areas not others.

 

[Gucci Pilot]

I'd just do KJGG-JUNKI-V454-LVR-DIRECT. I wouldn't put HPW just cause there is no point in going any farther north than you have to. Since you were talking about using LVR while it is OTS I am guessing you are /G. I always file around Restricted airspace and then ask ATC in the air if it is cold and I can go direct. There are a lot of different options. I'd just go with your best guess. ATC may give you something different and then just use what they give you to file flights later on.