How Much ATC For Mooney Pilots

[M20F]

On 5/7/2022 at 5:25 PM, Hank said:

Huh. I self-vector every flight, whether I talk to ATC or not. Even IFR, they usually either give me "cleared as filed" or eventually tell me "resume own navigation."

You are also flying out of AL, not all experiences are equal.  
 
As for my contribution I like to fly above 10K so in 99% of circumstances I just stay with center versus flipping through 200 differing approach controls.

[Tx_Aggie]

99% of time my flying is cross country, and I file IFR every time. When the weather starts to get iffy as I transition across the country, if I need an approach into the destination it’s automatic. I usually ask for an approach even if it’s vmc so I can practice the sequence that way it continues to be automatic regardless of the weather conditions. The other 1% is putzing around the local area and then I’m on flight following. But for me this is rare, if we’re in the plane, we’re going somewhere. 

[0TreeLemur]

On 5/9/2022 at 8:03 AM, M20F said:

You are also flying out of AL, not all experiences are equal.  
 

Between Meridian (McCain) and Columbus AFB, West-central Alabama sees an enormous amount amount of military flight training with frequent active MOAs.  I can't take off IFR from Tuscaloosa and go more than a few miles before being instructed to join an airway to avoid a hot MOA.  Fly south towards the coast and the sky is filled with helicopters around Dothan (Cairns).  Keep going south and there are AFB's and NAS's everywhere.   From here almost any direction presents a good environment to talk on the radio.

[M20F]

5 minutes ago, 0TreeLemur said:

Between Meridian (McCain) and Columbus AFB, West-central Alabama sees an enormous amount amount of military flight training with frequent active MOAs.  I can't take off IFR from Tuscaloosa and go more than a few miles before being instructed to join an airway to avoid a hot MOA.  Fly south towards the coast and the sky is filled with helicopters around Dothan (Cairns).  Keep going south and there are AFB's and NAS's everywhere.   From here almost any direction presents a good environment to talk on the radio.

We are agreeing here.  My point to Hank is just because he flies direct everywhere does not imply that is the case for all of us.  

[Hank]

37 minutes ago, M20F said:

We are agreeing here.  My point to Hank is just because he flies direct everywhere does not imply that is the case for all of us.  

I was cleared Direct from furthest WV to KJGG, Williamsburg. On first contact with Potomac, I was routed to several VORs, then dropped 40 nm north of my destination, "resume own navigation."

So I not only had to self-navigate there, I first had to figure out how to get there from a random spot on the map.

Everyone has periods of self navigation, some more, some less, some longer, some shorter.

Never understood why it was so important to fly over a string of VORs in southern VA before being cut loose to find my own way the last bit.