RVSM in ME Area

[TATprobe]

Has anyone got any feedback on how the RVSM procedure is working around the Calcutta/ Yangon/Dhaka FIR boundaries? I have concerns because on a recent flight from Hong Kong we were having the usual difficulties trying to shout at Yangon by HF while we were around Lashio position.

My chart shows that the RVSM area begins at the Dhaka FIR, but despite this Yangon seem to be giving RVSM flight levels to Westbound traffic. I am uneasy about this, because of the communications problems. These problems are obviously acknowledged by ICAO, otherwise they would not have an inflight broadcast procedure.

Quite apart from the scandal that we are still using Marconi technology to communicate in the 21st Century, why does ICAO allow RVSM procedures in areas of such poor ATC coverage?

We had to put up with the Nicosia/Ankara/Ercan nonsense in Europe when that was an RVSM transition Area, despite the fact that the ATC units wouldn't talk to each other. Now the problems have shifted to the Far East. How long before there is a serious incident?

[BlueEagle]

About four years ago we used to log on to Yangoon via CPDLC/FANS, it was a trial and didn't always work but by now it should be up and running as a normal part of the ATC service shouldn't it?;) :E. (honestly, they did have CPDLC).

Seriously though, they were also experimenting with some long range VHF frequencies, did these ever come to anything?

[TATprobe]

I haven't noticed any improvement in the VHF cover. I don't think that they can be reached by VHF before reaching the FIR boundary (westbound), which is LINSO on airway A599. The best you can hope for is a relay, either air-to-air or via Mandalay Approach. All a bit half-a*sed IMHO. As I said before, if ICAO had confidence in the VHF environment, they wouldn't require us to make traffic calls on 128.95.

We have all the hardware for Datalink, etc. on our Mack Diesel 11, but can't use it for ATC, only for company comms. Some certification limitation, apparently. Does anyone else operating MD11 have Datalink operating, and does it help with the problem under discussion here?

[Captain Stable]

Quite a few years ago I remember a cartoon in "Log" showing an aircraft with two speech bubbles emerging. Up front was a pilot saying "Hello Jakarta? Jakarta? Hello Jakarta, do you read me? SHUT UP, DELHI!!! Hello Jakarta?" Down the back was a CC member talking on an aircraft skyphone saying "Hello Mum! Yeah, it's Tracy - how are you? Oh lovely. And Dad?..."

Says it all, really.

[TATprobe]

Love it! Like all good jokes, this one is only too true!