IFR COM FAILURE SCENARIOS....

[Kiko Lobo]

I was wondering what is the appropriate action in the folliowing scenarios. I had asked several CFI's and all respond differently, however makes me wonder what's the right course of action.

Please don't include SQUAK 7600 and monitor NAV's etc.. The usual is understandable, i know the rules as written and i know the altitude rule, etc.. But sometimes makes me wonder what if com failure happens in some specific scenarios.

Here they come :

* You are on a takeoff release vector flying a published DP that states (Expect vectors to the airway), meaning there is no published route or transition from takeoff runway to the airway. Your clearance state "Expect 9,000 ten minutes after". You takeoff and enter IMC shortly after liftoff, and receive a "turn right heading 090", and you loose COM.

Questions are :
- When to fly to your Flight Plan Route from your vector?
- Should you fly to the VOR First and then track the airway?
- Should you intercept the airway from present vector?
- Should you climb first or do it while flying to your airway or vor?


***** Second Scenario
* You are enroute, and getting near your destinaton 30 minutes early. ATC, gives you a vector to lign you up with the Localizer for an ILS, you are flying parallel to the inbound course (tracking outbound) on a vector for your lign up. There are several traffics in ahead of you and behind you. You loose COM during this last vector, and can't get thru ATC, and you are almost 10 miles out.


- Should you hold somewhere until your 30 minutes are up?
- Where to hold if theres no published hold for your ETA?
- Should you fly to your IAF and do a full aproach right away?
- Should you turn inbound and intercept the Inbound Course for intercepting localizer and do the approach? When?
- What if we are 30 minutes late, should we start approach right away?


**** Third Scenario
* On takeoff :
You are clearence reads :

- "You are clear to the KSAT airport via V17 as filed, climb and maintain 3,000, expect 10,000 10 minutes after"
- Your filed flight plan is for 10,000 ft, from Victoria VOR then V17 to San Antonio VOR then to KSAT airport.

You takeoff with that release and climb to 3,000 contact departure with no joy. Ten minutes elapsed no response in any frequency (COM FAILS)...

You start your climb to 10,000..
Question is :

- If you are near the airway, should you fly to the airway, or should you fly to the VOR and then track the Airway.
- Should you keep your runway or vector heading until reaching 10,000 which happens to be the airway's MEA?
- When reaching SAN ANTONIO VOR, 10 minutes early from your planned ETA, where do you hold to loose time, if no published holding exists? except for the missed approach holdings and a course reversal from an approach plate which happens to be the one you don't want to use due to heavy winds?


***** Fourth Scenario
* You are flying the approach, when you decide on minimums that you have to fly the missed approach, and start doing the missed procedure. When you talk, you can't get thru (com failure), and go to fly the missed approach as published... The missed approach ends on a hold on a FIX that has nothing to do with the shortest route to your alternate.
Your best route to your alternate airport starts at a VOR, and the hold fix for the miss is a RNAV waypoint.

* WHEN should i leave the holding pattern?
* What route do i use from my holding fix to my VOR that defines the start of the route to my alternate?
* WHEN should i start my approach at my alternate, since the ETA is not specified anymore... Do they really expect me to calculate expected time from my groundspeed vs planned speed?
* If YES, what if my airspeed is OFF and i am way late to what ATC should expect? Or early? Or am i clear thru the route and the approach as required?


Thanks.. I hope i explained myself.
NOTE: If you don't KNOW FOR SURE the answer, please state so, so that i don't use it as fact.

Sorry for my engiish.

[Kiko Lobo]

I am about to tap in and listen!