Over the top of the DFW Bravo…

[Josey Wales]

I need to plan a flight from west Texas (KABI) to Addison
(KADS) on the northeast side of the DFW bravo. I’m flying a Piper Jetprop…a pressurized turboprop that loves the high teens and low 20’s. When I have flown this route previously, I get assigned the SWVAY4 arrival, which crosses through the south side of the Bravo. The problem with that is ATC descends me to 5-7,000 starting on the SW side of the bravo, and keeps me there or lower all the way around the south end of Dallas. On an afternoon flight, that can make for a bumpy ride for passengers.

ForeFlight recommends this route: TRUSS FOREC BYP FINGR9 (concluding with the FINGR9 arrival). That route would take me over the north end of the DFW bravo, out to the northeast, and then back in to KADS from the NE. It is a longer route, but might be about the same time IF ATC will let me stay up high while crossing over the bravo.

Do you think ATC would let me stay up high (say FL 190 or 210) over the top of the bravo to descend on the NE side, or do you think they are still going to force me down lower early?

I know I could just go VFR over the top of the Bravo, but I really don’t like to fly into KADS VFR. It just gets too busy, and I have seen VFR planes turned away due to ATC workloads there.

I appreciate your thoughts!

 

[Mikey52]

Not much of a chance. They have arrivals coming in to DAL and DFW. About 40 miles out at 7000 is about normal. There is one arrival into DAL that comes over the top of DFW that leaves you higher longer. But that's only if DAL is landing southeast. If coming in on the Fingr from Northeast they have you cross 10 -15 north of fingr at 10,000, the approach quickly works you down to 4,000.