I just experienced a strange situation with FS9.I want to do a flight around Madrid (SP). Due to heavy fog the tower admitted only IFR flights. So I redraw the flight plan within FS9 with the different VORs I want to fly over and specifying IFR. To my surprise the controllers did not bother about my flight plan and made me fly "directly" to the nearby target airport Torrejon.The GPS was showing the intended flight path over the different VORs. But the pilot desire and the controller decide.Did anybody else experienced this?Roger Potie

I'm not sure how the logic works in the FS9 software, but in the real world, once you're in a radar environment IFR, the controller can vector you anywhere. You can specify a route of flight when you file an IFR flight plan VOR-VOR or however, but what you get cleared may be different from what you file. And once you get in the air, ATC can modify your clearance.If the controller tells you to go direct to an airport and you only have VOR and not GPS, then you can only navigate direct to VORs and not airports.Woodreau

While in the US and larger airports elsewhere many approaches have localizers, it is not uncommon for other navaids such as VOR or NDB approaches to be utilized. The approach controller may vector you to the appropriate initial approach fix for the type of approach selected according to your operative nav equipment in your aircraft and what is available at the airport. At many medium to smaller airports, NDB may be the only navigation facility available.With controller approval the aircraft may navigate itself to an NDB IAF using ADF/RMI if a published approach procedure exists for that type of approach and it is requested by the pilot. An ADF-NDB approach is a timed approach controlling your descent to the TZ after passing over it. Usually the pilot navigates to the NDB at a designated altitude passing over it in an outbound direction doing a partial descent, accomplishes a procedure turn as directed by the plate on the safe side of the inbound course to turn inbound possibly descending further to yet another safe altitude. When crossing the NDB inbound timing starts for the final descent to the descision height.The point of this is that you can navigate to airports without using VOR if necessary nor requiring GPS.

When you say "made me fly 'directly'" what was the exact phrase the controller used? It is common for controllers to give you a heading and then instruct you to "resume own navigation", which means to follow whatever flight plan you filed. If the original heading is generally toward your destination it might appear that they've cleared you to the airport when they really haven't. Another potential explanation is that if the origin and destination were very close together they may have decided you were close enough to be in the "approach" phase and vectored you accordingly.One thing to keep in mind is that in real life ATC's primary goal is not to make sure you follow your flight plan but to keep traffic flowing safely. While they can see your flight plan as you filed it, *you* are responsible for following it *unless* you get specific instructions from ATC because of other traffic, etc. So, unless they give you headings to follow, you need to make sure to fly the flight plan as you filed it.

FS's ATC will begin vectoring you when your 50-80 miles from your destination. This was something I hoped they'd fix for FS2004. I never used ATC in FS2002 because of this.

First I must say that the two airports are seperated by a few miles. It would be quicker to take a car than the plane.The ATC did not tell me to resume my own flight. Instead (probably due to the fact that the two airports are so close to each other) it guided me directly to the landing procedure.I will try a new flight with more realistic flight plan.Roger