Max distance between GPS waypoints?

[NealRomeoGolf]

East of the Rockies, the "Direct destination" works really well. West of the Rockies, not so well. We have so much special-use airspace that it's far more likely you'll need to be routed.

On Tuesday, we left Elk City, OK (ELK) for St. Louis Downtown (CPS) with a flight plan that I'd filed as DIRECT and simply got:

"you're cleared to the St. Louis Downtown airport as filed. Climb and maintain 15,000 feet."

One and done. The straight-line distance was something just over 400 miles.

Welcome back to Illinois. I know you love it here.

 

[Rgbeard]

Welcome back to Illinois. I know you love it here.

Thanks - you leaving for the PA-32 gathering at OLV? We leave in a couple of hours.

 

[Clip4]

AIM 5-1-8 d. 2. (f)

"File a minimum of one route description waypoint for each ARTCC through whose area the random route will be flown."

I'm not sure if anyone actually does this.

I do.

 

[Walboy]

I do.

Thanks for the feedback. I've always filed either airways or TEC routes.

 

[NealRomeoGolf]

Thanks - you leaving for the PA-32 gathering at OLV? We leave in a couple of hours.

I wish. Originally had an angel flight scheduled to Boston. I just canceled because of the t-storm forecast for Saturday. That same forecast will prevent me from just doing a Saturday down and back to the fly-in.

 

[midlifeflyer]

I do.

I do too. I don't know if ATC really cares, especially in areas where most of a route remains in Terminal airspace. But it's usually easy enough to do while keeping the route pretty direct.