Routing question

[Lorenh]

I just flew the SANN19 TEC route from KSEE to KRIV, which goes quite a bit out of the way to the west. While I understand the purpose of TEC routes and their preference on PE, in the real world, would I have been able to file VCOA to 6000' then radar vectors to intercept V186 to TANNR and receive an ILS Y RWY 32 approach? It's a much more direct routing and sets you up better for the ILS approach.

The question is moot since I live near Kansas City and will probably never fly in SOCAL. I was just wondering if ATC would allow it, or would they insist on the TEC route?

[Keith Smith]

I don't fly in Socal, but I've struggled to find instances of flights between city pairs where the flight was issued a clearance other than the TEC route when I've looked into it in the past.

The airspace densely populated with myriad traffic flows. What seems like logical, easy routing for your flight may well create conflicts with other routes that have been established.

Could you get it in the air if you request it from the controller? At 2am, probably. If it's busy? Maybe not. Chances of getting it on the ground, though, seem very slim to me. That would require phone calls and coordination, so unless you had a really good reason for needing that route, other than convenience, I would plan on the TEC route every time, other than isolated cases where ATC's SOP has an airport to airport route that trumps the TEC route. For example, TEC routes out of MZB frequently call for MZB293 SLI148 SLI. Well, that just happens to mirror the PEBLE SID out of SAN. However, since TEC routes are area specific, not airport specific, they can't include the PEBLE SID in the TEC route since it also serves the surrounding airports.

However, if you do call for IFR out of SAN, and the TEC route called for MZB293 SLI148, then you can plan on being issued the SID.

[gavink42]

However, if you do call for IFR out of SAN, and the TEC route called for MZB293 SLI148, then you can plan on being issued the SID.

Would that always be the case, or would it depend on what you're flying and your destination?

If I had planned/filed/briefed a TEC route out of KSAN that includes that routing in my Cherokee, and was issued the SID from clearance delivery, it would cause a delay on my part to analyze and brief it. That would be followed by frustration when I realized it was the same thing as I originally filed.

[Anthony Santanastaso]

However, if you do call for IFR out of SAN, and the TEC route called for MZB293 SLI148, then you can plan on being issued the SID.

Would that always be the case, or would it depend on what you're flying and your destination?

If I had planned/filed/briefed a TEC route out of KSAN that includes that routing in my Cherokee, and was issued the SID from clearance delivery, it would cause a delay on my part to analyze and brief it. That would be followed by frustration when I realized it was the same thing as I originally filed.

MZB293 SLI148 would not being your TEC route due to your aircraft type (PQ). PQ TEC routes out of SAN follow the shoreline (via either MZB V23 OCN or just OCN) as would be smart since the PEBLE departure takes you quite a ways over the water - not a good idea in a single engine aircraft.

[Keith Smith]

Anthony covered it, but to repeat the criteria that I listed:

However, if you do call for IFR out of SAN, and the TEC route called for MZB293 SLI148, then you can plan on being issued the SID.

So if your TEC route doesn't have you flying MZB293 SLI148 then the SID isn't going to be issued in lieu of the TEC route.

Gavin, if you were flying a jet or turboprop and your existing route contained MZB293 SLI148, then while I agree that it takes a tiny bit of extra time to pull the SID, it doesn't take long to realize that the PEBLE4 is, essentially the same route. The bonus, though, is that you now have a graphical depiction of the route to be flown.

[gavink42]

Thanks, Anthony and Keith! I don't get a lot of exposure to SIDs, STARs or TEC routes, because of where and what I fly. The only ones I've ever flown have been on PE!

[Ryan B]

Thanks, Anthony and Keith! I don't get a lot of exposure to SIDs, STARs or TEC routes, because of where and what I fly. The only ones I've ever flown have been on PE!

I'm in the same boat... everything up here in the frozen northland is DIRECT!