I think GA pilots are often a bit too submissive in theie attitude towards ATC, in particular when requesting a transit of CAS, say of some empty CTR of a sleepy regional airport.
Standard VFR routes are just that – standard routes. If ATC approves other routings requested by pilots, this is not really a “courtesy” worth mentioning. Especially when there is no other traffic in the area, ATC has no grounds to deny any routing request, wherever that may be with reference to any published routes.
There are some rare cases where VFR standard routes are there for noise abatement reasons, but in most cases, their only purpose is to separate VFR traffic from the IFR procedures (as far as possible), so when there is no IFR traffic around, they are pointless.
When doing CAS transits, I almost always request to proceed exactly as I want to (i.e. usually with no change from my enroute course) and it does work often. Sometimes (often out of convenience), ATC will first assign some slightly inconvenient (for me) reporting points and I have to let them know I want to proceed without any deviations from the present track, but after that they usually get ithe message (again: when traffic is no factor, and they do have radar, on what grounds should they not?).
To be fair, one also has to consider that ATC often offer certain prominent points not to be mean but to help the pilot with his navigation, because they can’t know you have GPS. If you do have GPS, these reference / reporting points become obsolete.
For me, part of the fun of flying is doing the interaction / negotiations with ATC and getting the routings I want (when traffic allows). There clearly are cases where too much negotiating is not appropriate, and judging the case requires a bit of instinct and experience.
By the way, Italy has, over the last two years, abolished all their “published VFR routes” within the CTRs.
particular when requesting a transit of CAS
I fly in CAS (airspace E) all the time and never asked for a transit… Should I?
Philipp, I thought you knew better 
Don’t help the Brits to spread their incorrect terminology across Europe!
You know what I mean and CAS is a nice and handy abbreviation for “airspace requring a clearance for VFR”… 
By the way, there are quite few countries in Europe (other than UK) that have no (or virtually no) class E airspace. As far as I know: Ireland, Poland, Croatia, Norway…
Standard VFR routes are just that – standard routes. If ATC approves other routings requested by pilots, this is not really a “courtesy” worth mentioning.
We have meetings where we invite the local ATC from time to time here at ENVA. The purpose is to sort out things like the one you mentioned, as well as other things we are uncertain of. Although there is nothing mandatory, the ATC here would always want us to enter/exit the TMA via a few known points, the ones in the map (VFR routes). When inside, the issue is gone because we are in controlled space in any case, but why complicate things if all you are going to do is land/take off?
I fly in CAS (airspace E) all the time and never asked for a transit… Should I?
Is class E controlled airspace? There is no requirement to establish two-way radio communication, VFR traffic is not subject to clearances…
Class E is certainly controlled airspace! “Controlled airspace” only means that ATC service is given — it doesn’t mean that all traffic is subject to ATC.
In class E, IFR traffic both has a requirement to establish two-way radio communication and is subject to clearances.
Class E is certainly controlled airspace! “Controlled airspace” only means that ATC service is given
Is that defined somewhere, or your own meaning on the phrase?
Is that defined somewhere, or your own meaning on the phrase?
In ICAO Annex 11, no less.
Class E needs a clearance for IFR but VFR traffic can fly in it non-radio so for VFR it is equivalent to Class G, practically speaking. You can call it “CAS” but it isn’t so for VFR.
The “magical” thing in the extensive US Class E is that anybody silently flying around through an IAP (above 700ft or 1200ft IIRC) will be illegal, whereas here in Europe VFR traffic does that frequently and one sometimes has to break off an IAP in Class G because somebody is heading straight for you. However I am sure the fairly orderly US situation (IAPs at unmanned airfields, etc) works as well as it does because their IR has always been very accessible, so the regs on “cowboy VFR” are rather more respected, whereas in Europe the IR has always been hard in many ways so loads of pilots do VFR in IMC.
