"I said cleared DIRECT to ___!"

[Robert Shearman Jr]

Hiya VATUSA Controllers --

First of all, Happy New Year!

Secondly, I need your input on something.

You're all familiar with the scenario -- the pilot's departure procedure calls for flying a particular heading after takeoff, then once you vector them clear of any traffic, you're supposed to clear them direct to the SID entry point.  However, they're stricken with a case of "magentalinitis" and fly the route segment which connects their origin airport with that point, rather than the imaginary one which connects their current location directly with that waypoint.

My question -- what's the best, most common, and most egregious specific SID where this occurs?  I'm trying to create a tutorial, including a diagram, to explain to pilots why this is wrong and how to do it the right way.  But I'm having trouble coming up with a real-world (err... real-VATSIM-world) example which lends itself to a clear diagram illustrating the problem.  I'm looking at the SIDs out of KIND as an example, but with VHP being offset from the field somewhat, it's making the diagrams less than clear on the subject.  Not being a controller myself, I'm struggling to find a better example where a diagram would more clearly depict the issue.

Is there another commonly used airport with SIDs that start on proscribed headings where you constantly see pilots taking the path from the origin to the first waypoint rather than the direct heading?  What's YOUR favorite example of this case?

The lesson and diagram will become part of VATSTAR's P4 Pilot Rating program which we hope to have up-and-running by the end of January or thereabouts; so, once we roll it out, when you all see pilots mess this up, you'll know where to refer them, LOL...

Thanks for your help, and again, have a fantastic and safe New Year's!

[Umar Ashraf]

I have not seen the issue occur for me personally as a controller, but at KPHL, the PHL1 departure calls for initial headings then typically direct the exit waypoint. There are waypoints all around the airport that could assist in making your diagrams a bit easier to understand.

[Robert Shearman Jr]

Actually after looking around some more I found an example I liked.  What do you guys think of this?

[Ryan Parry]

Check out the LOUPE3 departure from KSJC. The pilot should make a right hand turn heading 120 at 1.8 DME from SJC, then we will vector them back to SJC VOR and they can resume the departure. About 90% of the time that isn't how it works, they try to fly straight to BMRNG. The reason this is a big deal is because we have arrivals for KSFO crossing that exact path.

[Kenneth Haught]

Yeah these types of departures abound. I know LAX used to have several with this issue back in the day..but I don't know if they still do.

[Dhruv Kalra]

Still see the occasional "right hand LOOP" out of LAX where they punch LNAV off the runway on the LOOP7 and attempt to go head-on with arriving traffic on the SADDE STAR, yes.

Pre-RNAV at MSP, the old STARs worked in reverse, where for certain runway assignments the STARs have headings to fly after the last fix. More often than not we'd see guys go direct the airport or direct a transition fix for the ILS.

Moral of the story (as always): READ THE CHART

[Tomas Hansson]

Anything out of Honolulu (PHNL) would do just fine. The take-off instructions include an assigned turn to heading 150. Maybe 10-20 miles out we assign a "direct to" the first waypoint on the SID. You can for example have a look at the Molokai 4 DP, one of the most flown for aircraft to mainland US.
http://dtpp.myairplane.com/pdfs/PC-1/00754MOLOKAI.PDF

With a standard GPS, the pilot will immediately turn to northeast and try to intercept the straight line from PHNL to MKK VOR. 

[Robert Shearman Jr]

Still see the occasional "right hand LOOP" out of LAX

That's not the same exact issue as the intercept-versus-direct thing I'm going after here, but, trust me, we make extensive example of the LOOP departure in that same lesson.

As we say -- "the pilot is in charge of the aircraft, not the FMC!"

Thanks to all for the input.  I've decided the illustration above, using KMCI and the TIFTO departure, illustrates the point adequately and does so on a chart which is not too cluttered.  Hopefully the lesson learned will be applied everywhere!

[Dhruv Kalra]

Still see the occasional "right hand LOOP" out of LAX

That's not the same exact issue as the intercept-versus-direct thing I'm going after here, but, trust me, we make extensive example of the LOOP departure in that same lesson.

We see it all the time on the SIDs out of MSP or ORD/MDW, where after flying via vectors for a few miles one is cleared direct a fix further down the SID. I'd say at least half the pilots end up on an intercept to the published track to said fix instead of going direct.

Much of it stems from the fact that if a pilot is using the default MSFS GPS for navigation or any addon which bases its navigation upon the default GPS, there is no easy way to go direct other than approximating a heading direct the cleared fix.

[Don Desfosse]

Much of it stems from the fact that if a pilot is using the default MSFS GPS for navigation or any addon which bases its navigation upon the default GPS, there is no easy way to go direct other than approximating a heading direct the cleared fix.

Which is what I (try to) do, and marks one of the differences between a pilot and an airplane driver....

[Dhruv Kalra]

Which is what I (try to) do, and marks one of the differences between a pilot and an airplane driver blind spectator....

FTFY .

[Thomas Flanary]

This reminds me of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSnl3Pq0OD8

Everyone wanted to go right...

[Ryan Parry]

This reminds me of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSnl3Pq0OD8

Everyone wanted to go right...

Hah, they still do! Luckily the PORTE is being canceled on Thursday, so they'll only have the RNAV, which seems to be easier to follow.

[Josh Glottmann]

Hah, they still do! Luckily the PORTE is being canceled on Thursday, so they'll only have the RNAV, which seems to be easier to follow.

The video is very useful for the short time remaining