"John Clonts" wrote in message
oups.com...

Shouldn't he have some way of getting it though? (well, E.g. 30
minutes down the road rather than 2 hours) ?

Here's my specific example. I file IFR flight plan from Temple TPL to
San Antonio SAT. I take off VFR and head toward SAT. I'm in Gray
approach control's airspace when I take off, but 20 minutes later I'm
no longer in Gray's airspace. I decide I'd like to get my IFR
clearance so I call Houston Center. Should ZHU have a strip on me?


The first Center sector should have a strip.



And if not, can they somehow pull it up, to give me a clearance using
that flight plan info?


Any facility hosted by the originating Center's FDP computer can pull it up.
Any Houston Center sector can pull it up and modify it. Only Gray approach
and the first Center sector will have control and be able to modify the
flight plan without overriding that restriction.