Murdoughnut
Well sized member
This may be a dumb question, but can I use an airport as a waypoint in my route of flight when filing IFR /G?
Airport as a waypoint?
- Thread starter Murdoughnut
- Start date
Mike H
Well-Known Member
Are you going to land there? If not, maybe better to not make it a waypoint. Otherwise the FAA's HAL9000 might decide for you.
Murdonught: "Cancel the waypoint, Hal"
ATC: "I'm afraid I can't do that"
Murdonught: "Cancel the waypoint Hal!"
ATC: " I'm sorry, I can't do that. Why don't you take a stress pill and get some rest?"
Murdonught: "Cancel the waypoint, Hal"
ATC: "I'm afraid I can't do that"
Murdonught: "Cancel the waypoint Hal!"
ATC: " I'm sorry, I can't do that. Why don't you take a stress pill and get some rest?"
TFaudree_ERAU
Mashin' dem buttons
I have never filed a flight plan with an airport as a waypoint. We have, however been given a routing via an airport for weather avoidance.
"Cleared direct Manteo Regional, direct Norfolk"
On second thought, this was with Oceana Approach, who doesn't know the difference between a C172 and B737.
"Cleared direct Manteo Regional, direct Norfolk"
On second thought, this was with Oceana Approach, who doesn't know the difference between a C172 and B737.
Murdoughnut
Well sized member
No, I'm heading up to Panama City from Tampa - there are to victor airways that head up that way - one is too far out to sea, and one is a bit too far inland to be efficient. No good fixes in the area to make a more efficient route - so I was wondering if I could file Crystal River as a waypoint - but I guess I'll just take the longer route.
R
Roger, Roger
Guest
Sure you can. ATC may or may not give it to you, but if you want to do it, give it a try. Just make sure to enter the airport in your flight plan as KXXX not just XXX, otherwise ATC might think you're trying to go to some VOR in the middle of nowhere.
dc3flyer
Well-Known Member
Just try to file direct.
fltplan.com says recently planned ATC routes between KTPA and KPFN are direct ENDED direct HEVVN direct. Is that too far out to sea for you?
ClearedToTakeoff
Well-Known Member
:yup:
Murdoughnut
Well sized member
Yeah, I checked and although that routing is far more efficient, it's beyond glide distance. Now that I look at it, the inland route isn't that much further than filing the airport as a fix. I'll probably just do that.
Interesting that so many filed HEVVN and direct, as that would take you through the MOAs there. Do they just redirect you if they're hot? How does that work? The hours listed for the MOA say "by NOTAM". Where do you find MOA activity notams?
drunkenbeagle
Gang Member
ATC can clear you through a MOA if you are IFR. Even if it is active, as long as they can provide separation, they can clear you through it. You can always go through a MOA if you are VFR, just keep your eyes open
If you want to know when they will be active, call the controlling agency (under the table special use airspace on sectional and enroute charts). For almost all of the MOAs in coastal FL, that will be either Miami or Jax Center, or FSS.
tgrayson
New Member
Make up your own fix, using radial/distance from a VOR. You can file that.
drunkenbeagle
Gang Member
Don't. ATC is going to assume you are landing there.
Direct ENDED direct HEVVN is what I would do, or just direct.
R
Roger, Roger
Guest
Not in my experience. I've had students file multiple airports in one IFR flight plan before and we always had to let ATC know that we wanted to land.
Mine either, though limited only to my training as I am not a II yet. If you were nervous about this though you could put it in the remarks, "not landing at XXX."
Correct me if I am wrong you II gurus, but can't you file pretty much anything you want. Whether you will get it or not is a different story, but I don't recall restrictions to what you can and can't file. I remember priorities for TEC's and other preferred routes.
drunkenbeagle
Gang Member
I guess you can try, but you might as well try to file what you think you will ultimately get. Less to write down when you are copying your clearance.
I'm not a II though either. My CFII's opinion was that ICAO airport codes don't ever belong in the route section of a flight plan - we would file multiple flight plans back-to-back in that case.
How does your II propose a round robin flight if you can't put an airport code in the route section?
For anyone who doesn't know, this is a single flight plan where the route section includes multiple airports of intended landing with a return to the original airport. It is common, at least was for us, for approach practice where we filed for 3 or 4 airports with remarks to practice approaches at each.
drunkenbeagle
Gang Member
How does your II propose a round robin flight if you can't put an airport code in the route section?
I just filed multiple flight plans. Or in the remarks section, "Multiple Low Approaches @ KXZY" or "T&G @ KABC" or something like that.
Bernoulli Fan
Controller
DUATS automatically replaces KXXX with XXX for waypoints in the ROUTE section. Or maybe someone can tell me how to get it not to do that.