"Direct when able"

I tell my readers (and anyone else who will listen), that "when able" also
means "when you can proceed without hitting anything." Simply getting a good
needle is not the whole story. ATC has no responsibility for keeping you out
of the trees until you reach their MIA.

Bob Gardner

"Mitchell Gossman" wrote in message
m...
When instructed to fly a heading then "Direct XYZ when able", does a
controller expect a call when you are in fact able and will be turning
on course? Usually it is a trivial turn since the heading they give is
a good guess for direct course.

I've had conflicting experience. One time after being told the above,
I responded "I'm able to go direct now" and his ackowledgement had a
"who cares? Just do it" tone to it.

Just a few days ago, I made the 8 degree turn to navigate directly to
the VORTAC, and when the shift change at approach took place, the new
controller asked what my heading was, whether I was picking up the
VORTAC, and when I told him that I was navigating direct, he seemed
surprised.

Mitchell Gossman
St. Cloud, Minnesota