IFR Clearance Question

[sgabriel]

Today, I filed IFR from Brown Field to Santa Barbara in a jet (Cessna Mustang). My filed route was on Jet airways at FL320. The controller gave me an amended clearance that had me off on a different (off-shore) route. That didn't matter to me; the distance was about the same. But his amended clearance was along route was on Victor airways and a good 20000 feet lower than I'd requested! That DID matter to me; I burned twice as much fuel and lost almost 80 knots of speed.

Is this normal? Can I insist on my desired altitude?

[Keith Smith]

The controller would've likely issued the Obstacle Departure Procedure to MZB, then MZB293 V27 SXC V208 VTU VTU282 KWANG as the route at 10k.

That is the published TEC route from SDM to SBA, available at the FAA preferred route database here: http://www.fly.faa.gov/rmt/nfdc_preferr ... tabase.jsp

You could try and negotiate something higher once you're in the air with the TRACON (with a handoff to center), but yes, that's what you'd get in real life and I'd be stunned if they'd be willing to give you anything else while you're on the ground in real life.

[Keith Smith]

Incidentally, here's a real world flight from today that was also assigned the SANN36 TEC route (the route you were given): http://flightaware.com/live/flight/EJA6 ... /KSAN/KSBA

As you can see, he was stuck at 10k despite being in a Citation.

Those canned routes are designed to avoid certain flows and keep you in or out of certain airspace. Trying to do something else in real life at anything other than 3am can be challenging

[sgabriel]

I guess I'd figured that I was starting far enough from LA that I could get away with a higher altitude to meet the spirit of the TEC system, which is presumably to keep as much traffic clear of the busiest airspce as possible. Nope! Nevertheless, fun stuff for a mere VFR pilot from Canada who's got no experience in the mythically crowded airspace of Southern California.

Thanks for the very thorough answer, Keith!

[Alex Stjepanovic]

I guess I'd figured that I was starting far enough from LA that I could get away with a higher altitude to meet the spirit of the TEC system, which is presumably to keep as much traffic clear of the busiest airspce as possible.

It's not there so much to keep traffic clear, as it is to keep it organized.

From CA A/FD Supplemental page 53:

Within the national airspace system it is possible for a pilot to fly IFR from one point to another without leaving approach
control airspace. This is referred to as ‘‘Tower Enroute’’ which allows flight beneath the enroute structure. The tower
enroute concept has been expanded (where practical) by reallocating airspace vertically/geographically to allow flight
planning between city pairs while remaining within approach control airspace. Pilots are encouraged to use the TEC route
descriptions provided in the Southwest U.S. Airport/Facility Directory when filing flight plans. Other airways which appear to
be more direct between two points may take the aircraft out of approach control airspace thereby resulting in additional
delays or other complications. All published TEC routes are designed to avoid enroute airspace and the majority are within
radar coverage.

[sgabriel]

Thank you, Alex!