Good advice. However, it's not always practical. As I learned early on in my
first few flights as a newly-minted IFR pilot, you ain't always going to get
what you file. Further more, you ain't always going to fly what you're
initially cleared for.

I've had plently of flights where my initial clearance didn't even remotely
resemble what I filed, and what I actually ended up flying didn't exactly
match the initial clearance. ATC has a interesting habit of dynamically
re-routing you based on traffic, weather, and how nice they're feeling that
day. Flexibility is certainly a key element of IFR flight (as is not
accepting a clearance that you're not comfortable with).

Being able to "re-route" in flight with the low-altitude chart in your lap
(or high-altitude, if you're lucky enough to fly such a beast) is a
necessary skill in IFR flying.

-- Dane

In article ,
wrote:
Here's some advice. Never launch on a clearance you have not
thoroughly reviewed for accuracy, fix by fix, right to the ground.

That way, you won't find yourself airborne reworking your clearance to
nowhere out with a controller (assuming your radio is working at the
time).