In general, one would go IFR/airways over VFR even in perfect weather for
- automatic CAS transits (in fact CAS becomes irrelevant)
- better MPG - maybe +20% at FL100 over 2000ft
- better glide options
- "protection" from mid-airs by being in CAS under a RCS
Not necessarily so:
We are talking about a short hop to the CIs.
- The airway is just as likely to take you around CAS, in fact the route will almost certainly be longer than the VFR route to the same destination (even if you plan to totally avoid CAS)
- We were discussing days on which VFR was equally possible. You could well be VFR at FL100 - there no question about using the aireways to get above the weather
- See above
- Agreed. This could be one reason in the same way as declaring IFR ourside airways to "gain" a better service.
We are not discussing generally why you might wish to fly airways, but why you might wish to fly airways over a short distance on a day when you could equally fly VFR off airways.
It is a reasonable point. Bose was suggesting that you shouldnt claim to be IFR OCAS in VMC conditions to gain a better service at the expense of others. However, if you fly airways you are gaining a "better" service, but over a short distance I am wondering in what way you think the service is "better" or is there some other motive?