Quote:

the trick with that, if you haven't given up on it yet, is to wait for them to give you one(freq.change)...confirm it, tune to next freq. if you want but DO NOT contact. Then go to sleep or whatever on long haul IFR flights...then when you are close, T/D or whenever, you pull up ATC window and you will have closest center to contact letting you complete IFR flight without getting canned

I have done that many times. With a long haul flight that requires Step Climbs, I have messed it up by tuning in to the controller and then missing that all important frequency change. One time it happened at when I was right near the end of a flight from Sydney to Honolulu, I was so angry my computer came very close to being airborne itself!

I would rather not do IFR using the ATC. :-/

Mark