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Gaming the System

Flying an airplane involves multiple concepts from physics: Bernoullis principle, centrifugal force, Newtons law of gravity, to name a few. Theres one more natural law, though, that isnt in the science textbooks: the faster youre trying to get somewhere, the more likely youre going to get unexpectedly delayed.

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Pilots can circumvent lengthy IFR reroutes by using a "bait and switch" tactic: changing their destination to an airport within restricted airspace to get direct vectors, then reverting to their original destination when strategically positioned.
  • To increase routing flexibility, pilots can cancel IFR and proceed VFR with flight following when weather permits, potentially requesting a "pop-up" IFR clearance later for an instrument approach.
  • If an assigned controller is overwhelmed, pilots may contact a controller on an adjacent frequency for assistance, who might coordinate a "point out" to issue an IFR clearance or provide other services.
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Flying an airplane involves multiple concepts from physics: Bernoulli’s principle, centrifugal force, Newton’s law of gravity, to name a few. There’s one more natural law, though, that isn’t in the science textbooks: the faster you’re trying to get somewhere, the more likely you’re going to get unexpectedly delayed.

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