Well thanks for the replies posted so far, Im interested in this subject as I fly mostly 10 hour sectors with three quarters of that time in RVSM airspace.......now it extends from southern Europe through the FIR's of Cairo Jeddah and Sanaa.
Now should we have to descend below RVSM airspace no way are we going to make destination, fuel wise and duty times would be hard pushed trying to get airbourne agian from an enroute alternate that has hardly heard of our airline. So would I be right in thinking with failure of a required piece of equipment, that ATC could accomodate us remaining in RVSM airspace by increasing separation and that most of the time work load wise for ATC this could be accomplished?