Indirect Flight Effects

Theres perhaps some confusion among pilots about how a direct route gets handled and, potentially, mutated, as illustrated in one IFR-readers question: If you file direct, is your route planned by some poor guy at the local TRACON or a regional computer? To what extent does putting in a few fixes affect the route ATC gives you? Lets see if we can clear up that haziness.

Editorial Staff

Friday, January 08, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

ATC's primary role is air traffic control, not route planning; pilots are responsible for filing a route suitable for their aircraft, considering fuel and equipment.
While pilots often request direct routes, ATC frequently amends clearances due to airspace restrictions (like MOAs), traffic flow, or other operational necessities, not for arbitrary reasons.
Route management involves a coordinated effort between multiple human controllers and computer systems, which identify potential conflicts and facilitate amendments and handoffs across different sectors.
Pilots should anticipate route changes and must communicate with ATC if an amendment poses a safety risk or exceeds their aircraft's capabilities.

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If there’s beauty in simplicity, then there are few things quite as pretty as a flight plan that’s filed, and cleared, direct from departure to destination, with nothing in between.

However, to paraphrase a 19th century German saying, “No plan survives first contact with implementation.” As many pilots out there find out on a daily basis, just because one files or requests direct, doesn’t mean one gets direct. Some days, you luck out. Others, a few ATC clearances can turn that sweet little route into a bloated monster.