With GPS do pilots still fly published routes or take more direct flight paths?
I know G and E shouldn’t matter any but I’m guessing you might if you want to cross through Bravo?
Tools like Simbrief like to follow the routes. But I seem to be able to make my own waypoints to avoid crowded spaces or take shorter paths.
It depends a lot on each way of flying VFR. Some prefer going from nav points to another navpoints as VFR flight pleasure for them is to run the VFR navigation. Some prefer go DCT TO destination 
Personnaly, it depends on my type of flight. If it’s a relatively long navigation going from A to Z, I fly direct as much as trafic and airspace allow. If it’s for the pleasure of
In overcrowded airspace and for US with Bravo airspace, I don’t know if you are considering the FLY chart that give you VFR flyways designed to avoid major controlled traffic flows ? For example, in San Francisco (source Skyvector San Francisco FLY) :
The large blue arrows are suggested VFR Flyway and altitude. And the VFR transitions requiring ATC clearance are also displayed in purple emptied arrows.
I’m just trying to use Navigraph to setup some realistic A to Z routes. The charts just get hard to read around class B and MOAs. SkyVecor seems easier to read. The Navigraph charts have such a tiny font on the altitude restrictions. I don’t see any of those blue flyways where I’m looking to go.
I wish there was a tool that allowed you to visualize in 3D or click on individual spots to get airspace details. Or put in a route and see the altitude restrictions on the route.
I figure I’d ask on “real-life” as MSFS just assumes you can go anywhere at any altitude.
Here is one I’m wondering about. If I’m on T347, how to I handle the MARIAN MOA? On Skyvector I don’t think I see any altitudes but Navigraph shows 500-5000. But 500 seems like an awfully low shelf! There is a small private airport in there too.
This is difference with sim tool and real tool Although I think Little Nav Map has all available In a real aviation app, here for example Foreflight on iPad, you just have to click on the airspace to have the detail of it:
In skyvector or (for those keeping paper charts), detailed information for MOA airspace are in the legend of the chart:
There is no one size fits all answer I think.
As has already been said many of us fly for the sheer fun of flying. So the time in the air is at least part of the reason and fun of the flight. So DT course is not important at all.
Flight route planning should also always involve a PlanB element if for example the WX changes, a passenger feels unwell or the airplane is sick.
Especially in the Pacific SW where I flew there is a lot of terrain where you do not want your single engine to quit…so if there is a little dogleg to stay within gliding distance of a freeway etc, rather than over rugged terrain then that’s what I would choose.
From Chicago to Grand Rapids,MI over Lake Michigan direct….in a GA single. Not the route I would fly.
MOA are NOT restricted areas. You can fly through that airspace. But or BUT it is not always wise to do so and the AirForce may be a little annoyed if you just blunder into their training unannounced, because they then have to break off usually and may have to wait for another chance.
However you may get to see a F22 or something up close and personal if the AF boys have not had a chance to fly a TFR Intercept in a while and want to see if they can join up on you.
I had that once in a PA18 and it was relatively windy in the high desert… when the AF boys were just coming along side on my right wing I closed the throttle and of course they slid right through in front of me….at one point I think I may hav had single digit groundspeed 
One of the advantages of flying IFR is that there are very few airspace restrictions to plan around. Flying VFR can be quite challenging as you’ve discovered. Airspace restrictions in MSFS if you are using ATC flight following are automatically requested by the AI co-pilot (which is extremely helpful) and automatically approved by MSFS ATC. The only exception is Class A above 18,000 ft where IFR is required. Military Warning and Restricted airspaces, other Restricted airspaces, TFRs, and ADIZ are not part of MSFS ATC and Flight Planning probably mostly due to the fact they are dynamic, not static like everything else in the MSFS world. Temporary airspaces restrictions are in NOTAMs which can be difficult to interpret and understand.
IRL VFR flight planning has to take into account airspaces flying through along with the frequencies used for communication.
Navigraph has improved their charting of airspaces significantly, especially when airspaces overlap. Charts in the US have VFR waypoints (waypoints starting with “VP”) for ease of entry into a flight planner or GPS. In Navigraph if a point off of the route is selected an information box opens displaying information about that selected point such as airspaces, nearby airports, nearby navaids, and nearby waypoints. If you click on the circled “i” to the right of the item, a detail box opens giving much more detail depending on the type of the selected item. I usually select a point next to my route which then displays all the information nearby that point.
Maybe 3D visualization might be helpful but most flights are at a single cruising altitude which only needs 2D visualization. In other words, don’t worry too much about 3D airspaces.
VFR flight planning is challenging but not too difficult. It is a significant part of Private Pilot trading and testing. Some pilots deliberately make it very challenging planning flights that are only in Class G airspace (everything NOT IN Classes A, B, C, D, E).
That’s what I’m trying to do, lol. I guess for the sake of simming I’ll ignore the the MOAs. I seem to frequently get intercepted by F18s no matter where I am simming.
I’ve been building in simbrief and importing into Navigraph. But the interface seems nicer in Navigraph.
The last time I looked, SimBrief doesn’t do VFR flight planning except maybe using VOR-to-VOR routing. Its designed for airliner flight planning and flight dispatch. Navigraph has improved significantly adding VFR charts. SkyVector has always been a favorite of mine for VFR because it stitches together seamlessly charts. Also it can display various overlays such as IFR conditions which is very handy for VFR planning. It can also do limited IFR planning.
This is correct. Outside of the cumbersome method of entering a lat/long or a VOR radial/DME, there isn’t a way to enter “2 miles east of the river bend” into a SB flight plan.
Yep, and don’t forget you can still look at the individual charts on Skyvector and see the margins where the Special Use Airpace info is notated.
A 500’ MOA shelf is not abnormal. Some go down to 100’ AGL!
Your Tango route can go right over the top of the MOA above 5000’ MSL, but notice how @Vincent1064’s awesome explanation includes time info as well?
INTERMITTENT, NORMALLY DAYLIGHT HOURS MON-FRI OCNL SAT-SUN.
Then at the bottom of the list, there’s a blanket note to go with the “Time of Use” column: “Other times by DoD NOTAM”
So what to do if you want to know if that intermittent MOA is hot or cold? Well, you can always check NOTAMs, you can call the FSS and ask what the status is, or even ask the controlling agency (Miami Center in this case, as listed in the chart).
But if you’re really curious, right now, you can look up the status of special use airspace at this website: https://sua.faa.gov
Have a blast!
To answer the original question:
Direct when VFR, as much as possible. The only time you absolutely won’t is to avoid terrain, obstacles, weather, or airspace as has been well-explained in the thread. In fact, getting off the airways is encouraged by more and more people because crossing a VOR is one of the highest-risk areas for a midair.
However, sometimes you may want to take your route closer to airports or roads that offer diversion options, like flying over the mountains, desert, large wooded areas, dense urban areas, or large bodies of water, especially at night (or just don’t go). If it’s not too far out of the way of the A-B routing, I’d rather do that versus being in a single-engine airplane over any of those, outside of reasonable glide range of an airport, any longer than I have to.
You can do whatever you feel like with regard to normal airspace, with the caveat that flying through D, C, or especially B may be met with the need to divert around. The flyways around B, as explained by @Vincent1064 will give you a better chance of getting through/around. Using flight following will give you a better chance (still need the clearance into Bravo, though, even if already on FF!).
