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5 Answers

IFR reporting route (no radar contact)

Asked by: 5517 views Instrument Rating

Filed direct KHYS - KDGW .. got clearance direct at 8000. About SNY , atc  instructed to climb to 10,000 for radar.   I reported unable. (performance and weight) ATC said I would need to take a "reporting route" to stay a 8000 or cancel.  ( I was VFR and cancelled IFR and all was well) If I would have accepted (a reporting route)  would I have been gavin a direct to an intersection or VOR and flown a V route and reported at intersections ???? Give me an example of how I may have been routed.  

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5 Answers



  1. Wes Beard on Aug 30, 2013

    A direct route from KHYS to KDGW 304° heading for 365 NM. The highest OROCA up to SNY is 6,400 FT MSL. At 8,000 FT MSL you are above the OROCA (off route obstacle clearance altitude). Just past SNY the OROCA goes to 8,100′ and then 8,500′ MSL.

    ATC wanted you above the OROCA altitude for their stated reason, radar contact. There is also a restricted area (R-7001A) that extends from the surface to 8,000 FT MSL. Your routing goes directly through this restricted area. The “B” area extends from 8,000 to FL230. It would appear to me that R-7001A was active but not R-7001B.

    If you take a look, the MEFs on the appropriate sectional chart are 6,000FT MSL or around there past SNY. Terrain shouldn’t be an issue unless the temperature or pressure is really low and not corrected for.

    Had you stayed IFR, ATC most likely would have cleared you to MEILE or BFF VOR V247 IIP Direct.

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  2. Mark Kolber on Aug 31, 2013

    ATC will only approve off-route routing in a radar environment (see the discussion in AIM 5-1-8.

    So best guess is that you would be given a vector or a direct heading to the nearest airway and cleared along airways.

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  3. Dan Chitty on Sep 03, 2013

    If Jim elected to maintain 8000 IFR, under the “reporting route”, would Jim need to create random waypoints to report over? What I am trying to understand is the protocol of reporting points on direct routes that do not have any intersections.

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  4. Mark Kolber on Sep 03, 2013

    To repeat, ATC will only approve off-route routing in a radar environment (see the discussion in AIM 5-1-8.

    If he’s in a radar environment, no mandatory reporting points other than as requested by ATC. And tohose are selected by ATC, not “randomly” by the pilot.

    Of course, ATC can ask for reporting points, radar contact or not. I’ve even received them while VFR receiving flight following without radar (sounds like a contradiction but it happens, thank goodness). In that case, ATC, not the pilot, says where to report. In my VFR case, the instructions were on the level of report “20 miles west of XYZ VOR.” No reason for them to be different IFR.

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  5. Dan Chitty on Sep 03, 2013

    In summary (5-1-8 section C—-direct flights), it is possible if ever in a situation on a off-route and not in radar contact/environment and ATC offers a reporting route, ATC will advise and designate specifically the pilot the reporting points.

    Is my interpretation correct?

    Thank you Mark.

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