Originally Posted by oldmako

On my 727 IOE as F/O, the Captain would always ask for direct to XYZ and XYZ was ALWAYS way down the road. This would confuse the controller. But often they'd say...OK. Then the Captain would say, can you please suggest a heading? The controller would and we'd smile and motor down the road. He had a buddy in ATC and he explained that there was a limitation in giving us direct at shorter distances, but not at large ones. So, reaching TOC out of ORD for MIA he'd ask for Seminole or something a thousand miles off. And we'd get em. At each new sector, "....and we're flying a heading of 123 for XYZ"

The controller would usually come back with, "OK, suggest right (left) 5 degrees, and off we'd go. Dialing in VORs all day got old. That wing leveler was great for heading hold and not much else! Remember those idiotic arrivals into New York?

I suggested that trick when flying the line and guys would look at me like I was nuts.

Fun times.