Silly question about (seemingly) silly questions

rocketflyer84

rocketflyer84

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RocketFlyer84
When on IFR flights I frequently get asked two questions by controllers when en-route that seem a bit silly and I'm trying to understand what's going on:

1
ATC: Are you an IFR flight?
Me: Affirmarive
ATC: Roger, thanks

2
ATC: What route are you on?
Me: (read off the segment of my flight plan that I'm on... just puttzing along an airway on my clearance)
ATC: Great, thanks

Trying to understand what's going on where they're not sure if I'm IFR or what my route is (especially when im just flying the cleared route). Any insights behind the scenes as to what that's all about. Thanks.
 
First one they really should know if they have a flight progress strip in front of them, but most likely just verifying all you mentioned. Not a big deal.
 
ATC says and request lots of things that seem obvious. They keep us from running into each other so we just play along and quit wondering why they do what they do a long time ago.
Someone who knows for sure will be along,,,,
 
LT4247 said:
ATC says and request lots of things that seem obvious. They keep us from running into each other so we just play along and quit wondering why they do what they do a long time ago.
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Absolutely... doesn't stop me from being curious though. I usually assume there are things going on with the handoffs or with Center that causes them confusion and they're just clarifying with the pilot.

Another odd one was when the en-route controller comes on while I was on an airway and says "have an amendment to your route, advise ready to copy."

They then proceed to say: "fly direct to xyz VOR then outbound on this radial till X intersection, then direct this other vor then continue per earlier clearance."

I copy all that down and then say "ok, but that seems to be just describing the airway that's in my clearance and that I'm already flying... so from what I see there's no change."

ATC comes back a bit later and says "yeah, ok, so it is, don't know what Center is thinking... "

I'm sure us pilots do lots of odd things too :)
 
I get asked my destination a lot, too. I assume they're confirming the information they have, or perhaps it's easier to ask than track down my flight progress strip.
 
Easier to just ask the pilot what you're curious about vs calling up the previous center controller.
 
MAKG1 said:
Maybe it might be a hint that you're off course?
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That's why it freaks me out when they ask that, but all the time I was right on the centerline.

It does sometimes happen after a sharp turn on the course so I assume it's something like they saw my radar return change direction and then realized they weren't sure where I was going.
 
Things like this seem to be happening more often. It's a result of more and more automation in the system. It's the ATC equivelant of the Magenta Line Boogie
 
It is more of an automation thing. Asking the IFR question is a little weird unless you are on the edge of an approach airspace and flying into a Center. You might be talking to an Approach and they start your flight off as a VFR flightplan (we call them a "VP" message in the Center). Then the approach has to hand off your flightplan to the Center. The approach might clear you for the IFR and then manually coordinate with Center that they did in fact clear you for the IFR. This happen in my area quite a bit. Some things don't transfer seamlessly. Initiating a handoff means that you can't change anything on the flightplan, including showing a change from VFR/IFR . Probably why you've heard something like "make your request with approach for the RNAV32 into XYZ". Some might think why the hell the controller wont just give you the IAF you requested or the altitude change. The answer is because you are in a handoff status. Can't change anything without making phone calls.
 
rocketflyer84 said:
When on IFR flights I frequently get asked two questions by controllers when en-route that seem a bit silly and I'm trying to understand what's going on:

1
ATC: Are you an IFR flight?
Me: Affirmarive
ATC: Roger, thanks

2
ATC: What route are you on?
Me: (read off the segment of my flight plan that I'm on... just puttzing along an airway on my clearance)
ATC: Great, thanks

Trying to understand what's going on where they're not sure if I'm IFR or what my route is (especially when im just flying the cleared route). Any insights behind the scenes as to what that's all about. Thanks.
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Are you being worked by a center or an approach control when you're asked these questions?

Approach control facilities don't always use the printed flight strips they receive. Routes and altitudes for arrival traffic are IAW letters of agreement. An aircraft bound for airport KABC will cross arrival fix ARFIX at altitude N000 on assigned heading NN0. For these arrivals it's easier to just use blank strips and write callsigns on them as the handoffs are taken. For the occasional thruflight it's easier to ask the pilot than to chase down the strip.
 
Brad Z said:
I get asked my destination a lot, too. I assume they're confirming the information they have, or perhaps it's easier to ask than track down my flight progress strip.
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I've also been asked what my destination heading is. Just answered the question without asking why they don't know. I'm not going to aggravate the people that are helping me. lol
 
In 15 years flying IFR, I've never been asked if I'm an IFR flight or what segment I'm on.

It would be interesting to know some background on the situation. For example, are you flying through an area with no radar coverage? Have you been out of radio contact for a while?

Those just seem like weird questions to be asked if you're on an IFR flight plan and you're in contact with ATC.
 
donjohnston said:
In 15 years flying IFR, I've never been asked if I'm an IFR flight or what segment I'm on.

It would be interesting to know some background on the situation. For example, are you flying through an area with no radar coverage? Have you been out of radio contact for a while?

Those just seem like weird questions to be asked if you're on an IFR flight plan and you're in contact with ATC.
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I think most of the time it's been with NY TRACON or adjacent approach facilities (e.g. Allentown or McGuire). These flights would have all been TEC and never talked to Center so the comment about that makes sense.

In one case where I got asked the IFR question I noticed afterwards that my FlightAware track stopped right around the area where that question came up... perhaps indicating that something happened with how the ATC system was tracking my flight and thus seems likely it's not a coincidence the controller also seemed confused. I've heard the TRACON guys complain about their systems going bonkers more than a few times on the radio.
 
donjohnston said:
What's "TEC"?
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"Terminal Enroute Control." They are essentially IFR Preferred Routes that are entirely in TRACON airspace, and are right after the Preferred section in the Chart Supplement. They cover the northeast and California coast, where traffic is high enough that TRACON apcontinually abuts TRACON. THey operate a bit differently on the two coasts.
 
midlifeflyer said:
"Terminal Enroute Control." They are essentially IFR Preferred Routes that are entirely in TRACON airspace, and are right after the Preferred section in the Chart Supplement. They cover the northeast and California coast, where traffic is high enough that TRACON apcontinually abuts TRACON. THey operate a bit differently on the two coasts.
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They operate a bit differently between Northern and Southern California. SoCal TEC routes are named and appear in clearances by name.
 
Maybe you are not in radar contact? Are you supposed to be announcing reporting points? Not sure, I have never been asked that.
 
SkyDog58 said:
They're just trolling for some good material for their meme site and are hoping you might say something silly for them.
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Fly after midnight and you'll hear some funny chit man. I've heard things that kept me laughing for miles and miles after, but then again, I'm easily amused.
 
Ive asked both. Asking destination stems from not having the strip. asking vfr/ifr stems from in the TRACON environment at least from the data block not having a V for VFR, or a slow rate of climb showing the aircraft seemingly at a 500 foot altitude forever.

Most often it's not having the strip. Our strip printer is far enough away that I would have do unplug my headset and abandon my scope to reach it other than our midnight configuration. If the person assigned to data who passes strips is also in charge, busy, lazy, distracted, on the landlines, facility phone or similar, say destination is just simple and quick.
 
armycopter said:
Maybe you are not in radar contact? Are you supposed to be announcing reporting points? Not sure, I have never been asked that.
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Was in radar contact.

Above comment about the strips makes sense. If they didn't have my flight plan and I was barreling into the NY TRACON I can see why they might be interested in knowing where I'm going to be going. I guess I just thought these days that was all easily available on the scope--like click a target and see its active flight plan (you can do that on FlightAware :) ).
 
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