FLYING IN INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS ON an IFR flight plan only works well when everyone agrees to the terms. VFR pilots agree to stay out of the clouds, IFR pilot agree to fly as ATC assigns, and ATC agrees to keep a watchful eye out for other airplanes, weather, and terrain. But what happens when something in that chain breaks?For all their potential impacts, procedures for lost communication get very little attention in instrument training or refreshers. Usually students memorize the regulations, and quickly forget them after the checkride. It's not a surprise. They can be confusing, and without proper scenario-based training, they can seem completely irrelevant to real-world operations.Yet, open the Aeronautical Information Manual to chapter 6, section 4, and the procedures become pretty clear. The most important thing to know is that a radio communications failure in instrument conditions is a potential emergency, and as such, you as the pilot can do whatever you deem necessary to ensure the flight has a safe outcome.
展开▼
