"Bill Denton" wrote in message
...
If I am reading FAR 91.205 (d) (2) correctly, you only need one COMM radio
and one navigation radio (of some type) for IFR operation.

If this is correct, how do you stay in contact with ATC while picking up
ATIS, etc?

Are you allowed to request a frequency change, then come back to ATC?

As "cwk" says, that's a very common technique. I'll just add that the
reason why it's still used by those with two radios is that it can be quite
challenging to maintain radio conversations on two frequencies, especially
if things are busy but even when they are not. You don't want to be hassled
with having to understand and respond to ATC while you're trying to deal
with something else.

The ATIS is sort of a special case, since you can usually sneak out the
needed information little by little, even while monitoring and responding to
the ATC frequency (and of course sometimes, though certainly not all times,
you'll have the opportunity to catch the ATIS during a handoff as "cwk"
says). For other stuff, like filing PIREPs, getting updated weather,
modifying VFR flight plans, contacting an FBO, whatever, you really want to
be able to focus on one conversation at a time.

Pete