Filing Direct?

Since Eric is a working controller, I respect his advice. I was a little surprised when he stated that filing direct grinds controllers gears. With GPS capability, filing direct has saved me a lot of time and money. It was never realized that doing so was creating a problem for anyone. It was not done as a sign of laziness or to engage in a bad practice, but to get in and out of the ATC system as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Editorial Staff

Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Filing a completely direct IFR flight plan from airport to airport without any intermediate waypoints or airways can burden controllers by forcing them to manually create a safe, viable route, especially through complex or restricted airspace.
Controllers prefer pilots to file specific routes using Q-Routes, waypoints, or Victor airways when originating an IFR flight plan to help manage traffic efficiently and avoid delays.
Conversely, flying direct from waypoint to waypoint, or receiving a direct clearance to a distant point once established in the system, is generally efficient and acceptable for both pilots and ATC, saving time and costs.

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Aviation Safety is greatly appreciated. I normally read it cover-to-cover, and it helps me not make too many dumb mistakes. The August 2019 article “IFR Route Changes” by Eric Lyn raised a question. Further clarification is requested.

Since Eric is a working controller, I respect his advice. I was a little surprised when he stated that filing direct “grinds controllers’ gears.” With GPS capability, filing direct has saved me a lot of time and money. It was never realized that doing so was creating a problem for anyone. It was not done as a sign of laziness or to engage in a “bad practice, but to get in and out of the ATC system as quickly and efficiently as possible.