I thought lost comms before entering controlled airspace is generally “stay out of controlled airspace”? All the other stuff applies once you are in. Whether I would follow that in practice in IMC with a few 100ft cloudbase and no airport OCAS to go to is a different matter…
I agree 100%.
Entering CAS here in the UK, even momentarily, gets the book thrown at you if “separation has been lost”, and “separation” is very generously and very rapidly applied – something like 10nm and 5000ft even against a Mode C+S infringer (don’t ask me how I know).
One would definitely need to call up for a CAS transit and if this isn’t coming in time, or you could not find the right frequency, then set 7700 and face the subsequent actions.
I am quite sure that if I set 7600 and busted CAS, I would face zero consequences if I had a good explanation for my choice. Safety trumps inconvenience and a Mode S target squawking 7600 is something they can easily accommodate.
…provided that whatever fault has caused the double radio failure has not also taken out the transponder.
Sure, and if you are non-TXP and enter CAS whose base doesn’t go down to SFC, ATC must assume you are underneath it 
This is IMHO the main reason why a substantial % of the planes I got very close to on yesterday’s (and every other UK OCAS, on a nice day) flight were Mode A only… a broken encoder is just very convenient.
Peter wrote:
Entering CAS here in the UK, even momentarily, gets the book thrown at you if “separation has been lost”, and “separation” is very generously and very rapidly applied
I am almost 100% sure that lost of communication procedure for IFR does not talk about CAS/OCAS at all. However, isn’t it so that you have to stay VMC while IFR in OCAS? Sorry about the stupid question, but we don’t have that in Switzerland (except Grenchen approach outside of working hours but there you are also kind of separated even in G because they let only one aircraft to take off or land at a time) and where I’ve flown in Germany and France.
Back to the point, what do you do with a radio failure is always a tricky question. E.g. if I am flying from Zurich to Grenchen with alternate Bern in a Piper Seneca, all three airports ban entering their airspace with a radio failure and say “proceed to alternate”. So the only option I would have would be to go to a small airport which maybe accepts non radio traffic. However, these have such short runways that I cannot land there. So pretty much stuck if you are VFR. I’ve been thinking that I would try to communicate with my handheld radio (short range) or try to go to a lower altitude and call the tower from my phone. Having bluetooth in the Bose A20 I can actually talk to the tower and maybe even get a clearance through it, just have to stay low.
Vladimir wrote:
However, isn’t it so that you have to stay VMC while IFR in OCAS?
No.
Airborne_Again wrote:
No.
How do you ensure separation then?
Vladimir wrote:
How do you ensure separation then?
You pray or if you’re not religious you rely on the “big sky theory”.
I recommend trying it in the UK. It is a very impressive experience for the typical German/Swiss pilot, it is miles outside our comfort zone.
achimha wrote:
it is miles outside our comfort zone.
Even thinking about it is outside my comfort zone, not sure I want to try it.
