"O. Sami Saydjari" wrote in message ...

In truth, for longer trips, we file VOR routing (not necessarily
airways) more and more often, because with judicious use of
direct segments it usually adds very little (maybe 1%) to the
trip and makes filing flight plans easier.

It makes filing flight plans easier than what? vivtor airway routes?

Than filing GPS direct, but having to find ways to define any
detours we need to make or to define our destination if it isn't
in the computers of the ATC facilities along the route of flight.
(in case it wasn't clear, I was talking about filing low altitude
victor airways with some direct VOR segments, not about filing VOR
direct vs victor airways -- often moot point)

I'm also talking about IFR flights here, mostly.

Seems a direct file is the easiest. I assume I can just file my route
as "KISW direct KHEF" (Wisconsin Rapids, WI to Manassas, VA).

Sure you can. And given that I think Manassas, VA is a pretty large
airport, and that the midwest ATC computers don't seem to be hurting
as much for waypoint storage, you might even get to leave it at that
(unless of course traffic to Manassas is routinely put on a STAR).

But if you were going from, say, somewhere in Boston Center airspace
to Manassas, VA or to a smaller, more obscure airspace, chances are
excellent the Center computer won't have anything defining your route
and you'll be asked for the lat-longs of your destination or for a
nearby VOR. Sometimes you'll be asked for a VOR or airport defining
your route *inside the airspace of the center you're talking to*. It
ties up frequency and it's a hassle. Then there's the question of
what to do if you lose comms, or (more common) if ATC loses radar
coverage on you.

Perhaps I should reword what I said: in terms of flight planning
and filing the route with flight service, it's easier to say
"Point A direct Point B", but procedurally it seems Victor airways/
VOR routings sometimes work more smoothly in the system and don't add
significant distance to the flight -- so why not? is the attitude
we're developing.

Cheers,
Sydney