"Dead" spots for voice communication?

[beachmba]

I have a simple question: Are there ANY places in the world (somewhere over the Pacific, for example) where a commercial airline pilot can NOT talk by voice with someone on the ground somewhere?

 

[Pervis]

I have a simple question: Are there ANY places in the world (somewhere over the Pacific, for example) where a commercial airline pilot can NOT talk by voice with someone on the ground somewhere?

If you want to include HF and CPDLC (not voice but close to it), no. If you are referring to VHF and UHF, then yes, unless you consider a ship “on the ground” via 121.5/243.0.

 

[belchfire]

Dead Spots or places where ATC or "Radio" just doesn't answer?

I'd say some of both...

A non-pressurized Single can have to go to giving position reports over the high terrain out West and will pass through areas where line of site doesn't cut it. At least that was the case through the '90's. Also, crossing segments of Canada there are areas where it is possible to be out of VHF coverage and some machines don't have HF or DLC capability.

In routes that cross Pakistan, India, Myanmar and Bangladesh and parts of Viet Nam there are areas where one may be incommunicado due to frequency congestion, crappy ATC equipment (you have to hear it to believe it) likely left over from the British Empire and failure of the host nation to ensure true English Proficiency. The People's Republic of Covid is especially bad in that regard and they frequently call aircraft in Chinese and then become even less friendly when the non-Mandrin speaker doesn't answer!

Africa is a communication nightmare in general with a few exceptions. The reality of passing through is that since most of the relatively small and disorganized Corruptocracies of that Continent lack sophisticated and/or functional Surface to Air ordinance and the average turbine aircraft will be out of their airspace before they could scramble the Mig (if it is even airworthy that day) the lack of communication isn't an issue in fact so long as you're hauling azz and up high. You make your calls and try to contact the agency listed, then broadcast position reports in the blind and press on...

Listed in the enroute charts are airways that have an ATA procedure to broadcast your position periodically on the Air to Air frequency because communications with the controlling agency are so unreliable.

CPDLC is a wonderful invention-it is now possible to cross the widest part of the Pacific and only make three radio calls to verify HF frequencies! On the other hand it is dependent on both aircraft equipment and satellites, which while very good these days, neither are 100% reliable and one may find one's self going old school and trying to contact someone through Stockholm Radio...

 

[POWDERFINGER]

The dead spot is between your Trumpist ears.

 

[G-force]

The dead spot is between your Trumpist ears.

Hey dude,I don't live in a dreamworld like you obviously do!!!!!!! Persons like you are BRAIN-DEAD,can't think for yourselves,someone else,another brain-dead idiot is doing your thinking for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[belchfire]

I'm just sad that a being with the moral integrity of Hillary Clinton and the interpersonal skills of Maxine Waters stalked me outside of the NA chat section to vomit forth it's hateful and intolerant political bile in a thread where a few with real world experience were trying to answer an honest question...

I'm not big on censoring the NA Chat Section but in the public areas of the forum a higher level of decorum should be expected and enforced and Powderfinger deserves at a minimum a stern warning from higher powers.