Resume own nav

[BobDDuck]

The cleared direct thread made me remember I wanted to post this.

Flying out of New Bern last week we climbed out on runway heading and then were given a 90 degree turn. We flew along for a while and Cherry Point gave told us "resume own navigation". Now, our filed route was a victor airway that headed south down to ILM and then made the turn west to Charlotte. The heading we were own was a NW heading and at no point in time would ever get us closer then 15 miles to our assigned route (all the way back to Charlotte). Did the controller just expect us to make a turn towards our route and join up or did he just forget to give us a heading to join? We asked him and he seemed sort of suprised and told us to turn left 60 degrees and join the victor airway. Were we just missing something obvious?

[bLizZuE]

I would assume he expected you to turn yourself to intercept the victor airway. Although I guess normally they would vector you onto it, then tell you to 'resume own'.

[jawright]

Originally Posted by bLizZuE

I would assume he expected you to turn yourself to intercept the victor airway. Although I guess normally they would vector you onto it, then tell you to 'resume own'.

[Ian J]

Exactly the scenario that happened to me and an instrument student last night. Vectored off course for traffic, was given a new vector convieniently towards the airway, and was told to resume own nav. Pretty common.

[BobDDuck]

I have no problem being given a vector towards the victor (). That happens all the time. This vector was AWAY from teh victor airway and he never specified a turn or a fix to go to. because we were never on a route to begin with (we had just taken off) resuming our own navigation go have been direct destination for all we knew.

[casey]

Originally Posted by BobDDuck

because we were never on a route to begin with (we had just taken off) resuming our own navigation go have been direct destination for all we knew.

you may not have been on a route but you certainly had a route you were cleared for before you took off. I would have turned toward the airway and intercepted it if that was my clearance.

[wheelsup]

Originally Posted by BobDDuck

The cleared direct thread made me remember I wanted to post this.

Flying out of New Bern last week we climbed out on runway heading and then were given a 90 degree turn. We flew along for a while and Cherry Point gave told us "resume own navigation". Now, our filed route was a victor airway that headed south down to ILM and then made the turn west to Charlotte. The heading we were own was a NW heading and at no point in time would ever get us closer then 15 miles to our assigned route (all the way back to Charlotte). Did the controller just expect us to make a turn towards our route and join up or did he just forget to give us a heading to join? We asked him and he seemed sort of suprised and told us to turn left 60 degrees and join the victor airway. Were we just missing something obvious?

I find whenever a controller tells us to "resume own navigation" it's after giving an intercept heading or a direct to clearance.

I would say this controller didn't know you weren't given an intercept heading or a direct to clearance. Even if you were given a previous clearance, I *believe* the controller that states "resume own navigation" should also state how to get back on your flight planned route if you're not on it already. It's happened a few times to me and I just ask 'em, "so uh, you want us on a heading to intercept or should we go direct to XYZ?"

No sense having the guys on the ground and the guys in the air guessing at what you are doing ! I would disagree with just making a turn.

[BobDDuck]

Originally Posted by wheelsup

No sense having the guys on the ground and the guys in the air guessing at what you are doing ! I would disagree with just making a turn.

My point exactly. Sure we had a filed route, but it just so happened that if we had turned left less then 45 degrees to intercept the course we would have busted through a restricted area and a hot MOA.

I think the controler just sort of spaced and didn't give us the heading. Either way, I feel you should never "just make the turn" unless there is a damn good reason to do it.

[Fox Xray]

BobDDuck - you are correct ... resume own nav is when you can resume on your present heading, not have to do anything further on your own. My guess is the controller probably confused your routing with someone else and thought you could resume on your heading.

You did the right thing... which is to state you cannot resume on your present heading. Those sectors in ZDC are busy and cover a large area with A/C going every which way, your heading probably resembled some other type of common route.