IFR Lost Comms in Class A

[DE727UPS]

HAHA. If you have so many NORDO's to have a LOA about them, I'd say you're having a bit too many.

 

[MikeD]

HAHA. If you have so many NORDO's to have a LOA about them, I'd say you're having a bit too many.

Agree on that. Darn jet is single-UHF. Don't have the money to spend on anything else, since the F-22 sucks dry the limited funds we have, and no money goes elsewhere.

But that's a WHOLE nother discussion!!!!!

 

[willc]

Ok, so this brings up a side issue... lets say we arrive at our destination, in IMC, 8 minutes ahead of our filed arrival time. Does ATC really want us to hold at the IAF while watching the clock tick down to the arrival time before we can shoot the approach???

I would think that ATC would want us to get our A** on the ground so that we stop gumming up the works and they can get back to business as usual.

I look at it this way: I am in IMC with no radios, I have an emergency. I start to wonder what is going to fail next??? I'm not about to sit out there and hold for 10 minutes until my filed arrival time.

Comments?

Just to comment on what was said here and on some other above posts. First, if you are 8 minutes early and do a turn in holding as per the regs, the controllers should know the regs too and understand what you are doing. To me it goes along with being predictable. Controller thinks, okay he it doing a turn or two cause he is filed to be here in 8 min. and he will probably shoot XX approach next. That is said with all things being equal.

However, if you compound the problem by adding in emergencies, really bad weather, and so forth, then you get to pull the "sound judgement" card. I don't think anyone would sit there and go okay I know we have a dual engine failure but they aren't expecting us for another 5 min, better do a turn in holding.

As far as filing for the IAF. We, in the Navy used to do that, but we have changed that to only file to your last fix. This was because you don't know what approaches or runway will be in use. Sure, good argument that if they see an intended IAF on the flight plan they could expect you to go there. But i'm sure with a little consideration to the wind you could make an educated guess as to what the duty runway is and choose the most appropriate approach. Again, this is all things being equal and an ideal situation.

By the way MikeD as far as one UHF goes, I'm currently flying the T-2 Buckeye. One UHF, one Tacan, and oh yeah, those and the x-ponder are all powered by the smallest of two inverters with no backup. :insane:
Let's just say I've brushed up on my NORDO procedures.