My first long cross country after getting the PPL, I decided to save distance, skip the Victor airways, and drew a straight line.
I then calculated my first fuel distance, and found no airport near the route.
The most suitable airport was right on the victor airway, and when I drew the straight line, the V route was nearly as short as direct.
Next leg, the same thing.
It dawned on me very quickly that the airways connected airports, and were usually a trivial amount longer.
All my long trips became Victor airways, and I flew them to IFR standards, which proved to be a big boost when I trained for that certificate.
The scallop mentioned was a reference to the VOR airways not being perfectly straight, but slight curves, and with an S turn over the station. The legs are depicted as straight on the charts, as error varies with altitude.
Sectionals and pilotage are best combined with Victor airways by noting major landmarks every 5 to 10 minutes, circle them, and add the time abeam. Then, in an emergency, you have a record of where you are/were in the immediate past. Simply flying the VOR airway, or GPS is dangerous, as in an emergency when the electronic magic stops working, finding yourself can be a distracting chore.
My early cross countries were about 6 hours each way, equal to two days driving.
Enjoy the convenience of traveling at twice the speed limit, and where radar is good news.
The Geezer's flying was 80% cross country. And 75% Victor airways, even after getting an IFR LORAN.
