On 11/26/06 14:54, Danny Dot wrote:
"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
A few questions on ATC:

1. If I am told to "depart XYZ heading 150" while IFR, and the last
heading given to me by ATC does not quite take me to an intercept of
the XYZ VOR, should I turn to intercept the VOR? Should I wait for
ATC to tell me to turn directly towards the VOR? Should I turn and
apprise ATC of my turn? Or should I just intercept the 150 radial
from the VOR, and then turn to follow that? The last time this
happened, I just silently turned to intercept the VOR (I wasn't far
off, and I assumed that ATC wanted me vectored towards the VOR to
begin with, since it was in my flight plan and I had previously been
vectored in that general direction), but I don't know if this was
right.

This is an OK question. I am a former pilot in the USAF and lost
communication was a big part of our training. I don't remember the lost
comm procedures for being put on a vector that didn't intercept the flight
plan then loosing comm. Any ideas????

Ideas? Well, yes. Have a look at 14 CFR Part 91.185 (c) (1) (iv). Here's
the paragraph:

§ 91.185 IFR operations: Two-way radio communications failure.

(a) General. Unless otherwise authorized by ATC, each pilot who
has two-way radio communications failure when operating under IFR
shall comply with the rules of this section.

(b) VFR conditions. If the failure occurs in VFR conditions, or if
VFR conditions are encountered after the failure, each pilot shall
continue the flight under VFR and land as soon as practicable.

(c) IFR conditions. If the failure occurs in IFR conditions, or if
paragraph (b) of this section cannot be complied with, each pilot
shall continue the flight according to the following:

(1) Route. (i) By the route assigned in the last ATC clearance received;

(ii) If being radar vectored, by the direct route from the point of
radio failure to the fix, route, or airway specified in the vector
clearance;

(iii) In the absence of an assigned route, by the route that ATC has
advised may be expected in a further clearance; or

(iv) In the absence of an assigned route or a route that ATC has advised
may be expected in a further clearance, by the route filed in the flight
plan.



--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Airplane
Cal Aggie Flying Farmers
Sacramento, CA