"Richard Kaplan" wrote in message
s.com...

"John Clonts" wrote in message
...

[Q and A snipped, thanks for your input!]


As a related but interesting issue, have you ever received a CRUISE
clearance? If so, where did you get it and did you request it or was it
assigned? I have obtained all sorts of interesting clearances from ATC,
but whenever I request a CRUISE clearance the reply I usually get from ATC
implies they never heard of it or at least that they never use this --
sort
of like filing "OTP" for an IFR altitude although I have had some greater
success there.


Hello Richard,

After having read that they were so rare, I got "offerred" one on my SECOND
ifr flight after I got my IR last year!

I had filed from KTPL (Temple) to 44TE (a grass strip about 80 nm away,
elevation 900). As I recall the weather was around 4000 scattered. When I
was about 30 miles from 44TE at 6000, it went something like this:

CTR: "N7NZ, let me know if you need a cruise clearance"
N7NZ: "Roger, N7NZ". wracks brain for implications

Few minutes later:
N7NZ: "Center, N7NZ request cruise clearance to 44TE now"
CTR: "Roger, N7NZ is cleared to 44TE, cruise 4000. Cancel this frequency or
on the ground via Flight Service"

I descended into VMC and cancelled on the frequency.

Though it wasn't a factor that day, I believe that in worse weather I would
have then descended to the MIA (which is about 2500 in that vicinity), and
if not visual by then, just climb, reestablish contact with center if
necessary, and work on "plan B" which would involve an instrument approach
to a nearby airport.

Cheers,
John Clonts
Temple, Texas
N7NZ