Real scenario: private pilot, IR. Flight LKPR-EGKA, FL100.
Let's say I collect an IFR clearance from Prague (Ruzine, LKPR) Delivery. Then, before departure, I am "
cleared to EGKA, radar departure, climb on runway heading to 5000ft, etc". Just like that, "cleared" for a whole 630nm IFR route....
Let's say that a piece of my
filed route is
AAA BBB CCC DDD EEE
and (as usual) I've had vectors from the start so have gone nowhere near AAA or BBB, and after a while I am told
"Nxxxxx own navigation to CCC", or
"Nxxxxx direct CCC"
Let's say I am approaching CCC and the controller appears to have forgotten about me.
When I reach CCC, should I revert to the filed route? Or should I continue the present heading?
In reality I would of course remind the controller. But if I have lost contact with him, then the lost comms procedure comes in which is #1 fly the clearance #2 fly the expected further clearance #3 fly the filed route. Do I have a duty to chase him up?
It's a bit like those common "should I fly through the localiser if ATC forgot about me" questions
I think the answer to that one is NO if one was "cleared for the ILS", YES otherwise. In reality you remind him.
Sometimes one gets
"Nxxxxx own navigation CCC DDD EEE"
which more strongly suggests one should revert to the filed route after EEE.
A pedant would say that one's clearance is what one is given, and no more, and that one should continue on the filed route only in case of a comms failure. In that case, what exactly does "cleared to EGKA" (from Prague Tower) mean??
I am posting this question because I do not recall being previously told (on various European IFR/airways routes I have flown) that I was cleared all the way to the destination. Yet my understanding has always been that one is indeed cleared all the way to the destination, as the default position on all airways routes filed as one does via CFMU.