Filed Direct...

Fly_Unity

Well-Known Member
... and you depart a controlled airport and ATC gives you vectors for a while then says "proceed on course to destination".

1. Do you hit direct enter enter and proceed direct to destination from your CURRENT location?

2. or do you turn to intercept your course line (the line that goes from departure airport to destination airport direct, which is what you filed)

Does this change if ATC says "cleared direct destination" vs "proceed on course"?


I need a source with the answer.
 
This is a GREAT question. I've asked a handful of ATCers and most expect PPOS direct, but I don't have a source. Thanks for asking!

J.
 
I've always gone direct enter enter, if ATC wanted me to intercept a course, since i'm being vectored, i assume they would say "fly heading xxx until established on x course then direct/as filed" I have no source, just my two cents.
 
I, too, will be interested to see the reference for this one.

I got something similar just last week and asked ATC, "Clarifiy for N1234 that was direct to XXX or on course". ATC said, "On course". I turned and flew the shortest distance to join my filed route and joined the course.

Kind of sorry I asked ATC now...................
 
If you were filed along airways and vectored off then told to proceed on course, what would you do?

/trim full forward add full power and let go is not an acceptable answer.
 
If you were filed along airways and vectored off then told to proceed on course, what would you do?

/trim full forward add full power and let go is not an acceptable answer.

Good Question! Why would direct be any different than an airway?
 
We've been corrected a bunch of times up here.

Direct on course - Ask, it varies by controller. They usually meant to say proceed on course.

Proceed on course - give yourself an intercept and fly your filed route

Cleared direct - Direct enter enter. Go to destination, do pass by your course, you wont need it anymore, do not collect 200 dollars.
 
I, too, will be interested to see the reference for this one.

I got something similar just last week and asked ATC, "Clarifiy for N1234 that was direct to XXX or on course". ATC said, "On course". I turned and flew the shortest distance to join my filed route and joined the course.

Kind of sorry I asked ATC now...................
"Y'all got a pen? Ready to copy?"

The real question, of course, is why did you file direct? Origin direct destination is not a flight plan (except in rare cases) that is in accordance with the Aeronautical Information Manual...
 
I'm with the "ask or confirm" crowd when it comes to any instruction or clearance where I'm not certain ATC and I are on the same page. In the OP secario, I agree with PPOS to the airport, waypoint or whatever I flied direct to. A simple readback "N1234X proceeding direct [WPT]" or "confirm direct [WPT]" takes as little time as any other route readback should resolve any issues.
 
No source needed. If ATC says proceed direct destination, they probably expect you to go direct from your current location. Besides, why would you want to to go out of your way to re-intercept the origianl direct course if you can just fly a straight line from your current position?
 
"Y'all got a pen? Ready to copy?"

The real question, of course, is why did you file direct? Origin direct destination is not a flight plan (except in rare cases) that is in accordance with the Aeronautical Information Manual...

Uhhhh.... There is nothing wrong with filing direct.
 
If you were filed along airways and vectored off then told to proceed on course, what would you do?

/trim full forward add full power and let go is not an acceptable answer.

What about pull hard and kick a rudder?



Sent from 1865 by telegraph....
 
"Y'all got a pen? Ready to copy?"

The real question, of course, is why did you file direct? Origin direct destination is not a flight plan (except in rare cases) that is in accordance with the Aeronautical Information Manual...

My company flight plans are all direct, and we're /A.
 
"Y'all got a pen? Ready to copy?"

The real question, of course, is why did you file direct? Origin direct destination is not a flight plan (except in rare cases) that is in accordance with the Aeronautical Information Manual...

Because direct is faster. If I file an airway, they are going to clear me for that airway in all likelihood. However, I want direct, ATC can't read my mind, especially if I'm originally telling them something different.
 
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