want to help plan an IFR flight?

[Daddy O]

So are you going to fly the route virtually first?

[Peter Grey]

I tend to think west coast wise route planning, where mountains and terrain are a bigger factor. So naturally I looked to see what the ODP said, to see that there isn't one...

Yes, ATC may assign a route with radar monitoring, here on the west coast that doesn't happen (radar coverage isnt that low and hence my tso question, out here with no radar coverage that route wouldnt be legal), but on your end that just may work, I don't have any serious objection to using BWG. 4-1-2 of the .65 is the reference allow for this.

What I will note is that technically V94/V190 isnt a valid route segment. I can't find a reference for it but it has to do with terrain separation TERPS requirements. However in that specific case the MEAs are the same so it doesn't matter.

[Keith Smith]

Understood, PG, except for the usage of an unnamed intersection of two airways not being a valid route segment.

I think I have seen it before in tec routes (will dbl check).

Adam, I will probably check out the unfamiliar destination on google maps, that's about it.

[Keith Smith]

PG, duats is happy with the intersecting airways, btw.

If the MEAs were vastly different, maybe it would warrant an intersection and MCA?

[Alex Stjepanovic]

I think I have seen it before in tec routes (will dbl check).

"Obi-Wan: Your insight serves you well."

V264.V186 on the various routes to/from Empire area

[Keith Smith]

Closing the loop on this, I did indeed conduct the flight. NY TRACON has updated the pref routing, and I got what I filed for Leg 1 (NJ to Kentucky).

For leg 2 (Kentucky to Tulsa, OK), I filed what was discussed, got it...and ultimately accepted direct when offered (40kt headwinds, figured I'd minimize my pain).

I never got around to working out the routes back home...but I flew VFR most of the way from Tulsa to Kentucky, then picked up a pop-up IFR to get through a scattered layer tending toward broken. I called for the pop-up while I still had some huge holes below me, in case the pop-up wasn't an option.

For Kentucky back to NJ, I filed what I'd filed the previous year and got it.

Thanks for the help!

[Keith Smith]

There's a lot more video to edit/publish, but time is short. Here's what I have so far:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CXBM5rgOtc (clnc from Lincoln Park to Kentucky)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_CNPPIdwbw (departure out of Kentucky heading to Tulsa)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL2ZJ357H4U (cloud surfing with block altitude to Tulsa and getting ready for arrival)

I only have a little more video (enroute and arrival on the return trip from Tulsa to Kentucky), but it's going to have to wait until after FS9/X launch!

Thanks again for the route planning...it was fun!