Scott C. Randolph

T-routes, particularly T-257, offer the opportunity to greatly enhance my ability to efficiently and safely navigate in and out of my home base at KWVI. On one recent trip I had to fly several miles off shore to use V-27 while flying north on an IFR day. On a clear day I would have been able to fly up the peninsula and just west of SFO and over the golden gate on a nearly direct route. I don't see minimum altitudes mentioned for the routes. Consider that the within the limits of terrain avoidance, the lower the minimum altitude, the more flexible operations can be in the winter when freezing levels drop. 3000 is almost always usable. 6000 is frequently at or slightly above the freezing level. With high MEAs and/or extremely circuitous routings, some are driven to scud run. Also, are there defined entry/exit points other than the ends points of the routes? For instance, I would be very sad to be asked to fly to Big Sur out of Watsonville to pick up T-257 north bound. Much better to join it at (or near) SAPID intersection. A clearance something like "Watsonville published departure, V25, SAPID, T-257, etc..." Similarly for any pilot departing San Carlos East bound who would not necessarily want to climb over the mountains to join at OSI. Something like "Runway Heading, Radar vectors to join T-261" To ease transitions to and from the routes, perhaps intersection names when they cross victor airways or at other significant points would be useful? For instance, how would a pilot destined for HAF from the south describe their desire to leave T-257 at an appropriate point? Finally, is it expected that a pilot from Watsonville (WVI) would be able to file and (more importantly) receive a clearance direct SJC in order to join T-259? Today, IFR operations from Watsonville to Sacramento are universally routed far to the south beyond the SJC approach cooridor (which is perhaps the whole point of T-259) Will these routes be available in all wind configurations? If not, perhaps alternate routes depending on the "plan" in use by NorCal would be appropriate so that if one route is not available another that accomplishes a similar goal may be. Of course if the proposed routes are all compatible with all "plans" for departures and arrivals, so much the better. Thanks, I'm really happy to see this and will hopefully use these routes regularly. Scott.