Dear "someone who knows",When filing an IFR flight plan, what are the restrictions or guidelines for when it's okay to use a direct to routing? How about the alternatives, such as vor-to-vor or airways? Are there hardware requirements such as multiple GPSs?Thanks,sg

In the real world, the GPS has to be IFR certified, and just like you need current charts and plates, the GPS has to be updated regularly to the current database or you can't use the GPS for IFR.As far as restrictions go, as long as the flightpath doesn't go into any restricted or prohibited areas and active MOA's you should be ok. ATC will sometimes clear you direct and divert you around those airspaces.Even if you're not cleared for the direct route, you can still use the GPS for flying victor airways, but I believe you're required to have a VOR for backup in case the GPS craps out.In FS you always get clearance for what you filed, but in the real world, if you file direct, ATC may not always give you clearance for GPS direct.When I got my instrument rating, my flight school didn't have any GPS equipped aircraft. They got two new C172's with IFR GPS's afterwards though. When working on my comercial license, the weather was IFR one day and one of the new 172s was free, so I got my instructor and dicided to do a little IFR GPS work.We filed direct to our destination, but were cleared to a VOR, then along part of a victor airway, before being cleared direct to the destination. I did a localizer approach at the destination airport. On the way back we were cleared direct, and I did my first GPS approach when we got back home.

You really were "someone" who knew! Thanks for the reply.sg

One real world trick an instructor taught me for direct. I place in the comments section of my flightplan that I have a non ifr certified loran and gps.Because of this very often on an ifr flight the atc controller will tell me "fly heading of xxx until able direct xyz".He knows the handheld will give me the info I need-and is legally able to give a "heading" to fly until able direct (e.g. able to use conventional vor or fix). He could of course keep giving headings to keep on track-but knows my "heading" will be pretty accurate for some reason ;-) .I can also do the reverse and ask for the same-"how about a heading of 285 degrees until able direct to tvc vor?".http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/Geofdog2.jpg

In FS9, we can "simulate" getting cleared direct by creating another flight plan while in flight. I hope that in FS 10, there will be a way to simply ask for Direct to a specific airport, and then getting ATC approval, without having to take the extra step of creating a new flight plan.In the real world, changes in flight plans are much more flexible and immediate then in FS9, which is understandable as it is not easy to have all the flexibility of the real world in a computer generated world.Bob

What is the most common IFR flight plan in the real world for a high performance GA aircraft, such as a meridian ( ;) )? Vor to vor? Direct to? Or airways?Thanks!sg

I don't know about the meridian.I file vor airways always. I know a pilot who fills in the flight plan "radar vectors"-and has gone quite a distance for several years with this filing.However, the question would be if he lost comm ability-what route is atc going to expect him to follow and what is he going to say to the feds when landing! :-) Kinda questionable/dangerous imho...Once in the air however-you can always ask for direct-and atc may even end up giving you direct without asking (but usually to intermediate fixes), especially if the airway goes out of your way.http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/Geofdog2.jpg

Help. Someone better tell me it isn't so, but I file while airborne all the time in FS9 and do not file a second flight plan? Am I imagining this? I don't think so. I have to try it two or three times but eventually it pops up and has an ATC number in the list for IFR clearance. I go for it and keep on moving along. Don't you do that and isn't that what you want in FS10? I think it is here now.

Hey what's going on with flying and routing these days? I am retired now, but back when I was most active about twenty five years ago I filed and flew RNAV direct all over the country. I used Foster Air Data in the King Air A100 and later, Collins RNAV in the King Air 200. Has RNAV disappeared? That stuff was used for IFR back in the good old days.

In Canada, I have never heard of anyone ever filing radar vectors. I think if you try that they will tell you to get lost and I don't even think it is legal. Someone: An IFR GPS's database does not have to be current for enroute navigation but does have to be current for approaches.

There's an excellent column by air traffic controller Don Brown at avweb.com called "Say Again?" (http://www.avweb.com/news/columns/182651-1.html). I especially recommend reading #28 "IFR Flight Plan" (http://www.avweb.com/news/columns/185690-1.html) and #2 "The GPS Mess" (http://www.avweb.com/news/columns/182634-1.html). Don is an excellent writer, and I find his articles very interesting.VOlker :]

As I mentioned-I find that practice questionable (radar vectors)-but for the reasons I mentioned.As far as legal-since on the other end I often receive clearances from atc "cleared to the xyz airport via radar vectors", I would assume it is legal to request the same on a flight plan form-it of course can be denied or a different clearance issued. http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/Geofdog2.jpg

Hi Lowell!I am possibly partnering in a Baron that has rnav along with a certified king gps. I mentioned to the owner that I had never used a rnav and would have to learn to use it-he said he never uses it either-just the king!I am sure rnav are used by those that still have them-but they look like they are going the route of dino's-along with my Foster loran! :-)http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/Geofdog2.jpg

I should add that you also would have to be in a radar environment at your takeoff field!http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/Geofdog2.jpg

Great stuff all of you - as always, I've learned a lot and thank you.sg