Narrative:

Aircraft navigating and filed as having FMS equipment (FK10/F). Cleared as filed -- aml J220 fortt lvz lhy V408/V34 filps. 'Somewhere' north of aml given several headings thus removing us from our planned FMS track. After a few mins we were reclred 'to intercept J220 to intercept J49 to intercept J70 lvz lhy...' huh? Which are we closest to since being vectored? ATC needs to realize that in order to reintercept any airway we must re-enter a start point (VOR or intersection) as all airways drop off screen after extended vector. When we were told to 'intercept J220' we did not have any way of knowing where they wanted us to reintercept since the airway route is dog-legged so I queried, 'to give us time to put it in the box what is the closest airway fix?' to which the ATC (128.57) responded 'armel' (aml). From that point we were able to easily re-establish a pictorial on our FMS but my concern, especially while waiting for radio chatter on a busy frequency is the lag time between the clearance and possibly shooting through an intended airway. ATC needs to abandon this practice and go back to the old way of always reclring you to a point once you've been removed from an airway and are, as we used to say, 'in an unknown position.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN FK10 COMPLAINS ABOUT ATC HANDLING AFTER VECTORS OFF FLT PLAN ROUTING FOR NOT BEING PROVIDED WITH A SPECIFIC POINT IN WHICH TO REPROGRAM THE ACFT'S FMS IN ORDER TO MAKE REQUIRED INTERCEPTION.

Narrative: ACFT NAVING AND FILED AS HAVING FMS EQUIP (FK10/F). CLRED AS FILED -- AML J220 FORTT LVZ LHY V408/V34 FILPS. 'SOMEWHERE' N OF AML GIVEN SEVERAL HDGS THUS REMOVING US FROM OUR PLANNED FMS TRACK. AFTER A FEW MINS WE WERE RECLRED 'TO INTERCEPT J220 TO INTERCEPT J49 TO INTERCEPT J70 LVZ LHY...' HUH? WHICH ARE WE CLOSEST TO SINCE BEING VECTORED? ATC NEEDS TO REALIZE THAT IN ORDER TO REINTERCEPT ANY AIRWAY WE MUST RE-ENTER A START POINT (VOR OR INTXN) AS ALL AIRWAYS DROP OFF SCREEN AFTER EXTENDED VECTOR. WHEN WE WERE TOLD TO 'INTERCEPT J220' WE DID NOT HAVE ANY WAY OF KNOWING WHERE THEY WANTED US TO REINTERCEPT SINCE THE AIRWAY RTE IS DOG-LEGGED SO I QUERIED, 'TO GIVE US TIME TO PUT IT IN THE BOX WHAT IS THE CLOSEST AIRWAY FIX?' TO WHICH THE ATC (128.57) RESPONDED 'ARMEL' (AML). FROM THAT POINT WE WERE ABLE TO EASILY RE-ESTABLISH A PICTORIAL ON OUR FMS BUT MY CONCERN, ESPECIALLY WHILE WAITING FOR RADIO CHATTER ON A BUSY FREQ IS THE LAG TIME BTWN THE CLRNC AND POSSIBLY SHOOTING THROUGH AN INTENDED AIRWAY. ATC NEEDS TO ABANDON THIS PRACTICE AND GO BACK TO THE OLD WAY OF ALWAYS RECLRING YOU TO A POINT ONCE YOU'VE BEEN REMOVED FROM AN AIRWAY AND ARE, AS WE USED TO SAY, 'IN AN UNKNOWN POS.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.