Airways vs direct

[Henning]

Is this official FAA policy, and if so why isn't it regulatory?

It seems the logical default to me. The prudent airman when faced with a loss of situational awareness would be safest to climb above OROCA if possible.

 

[Henning]

And what if OROCA is above 12,500' msl and you don't have oxygen onboard?

Yeah, that's the issue isn't it. If you're going to fly like that around tall rocks, you need to be prepared with your own data source, preferably redundant.

 

[John Collins]

Is this official FAA policy, and if so why isn't it regulatory?

Of course it isn't policy, it was an opinion. However, it is regulatory that the pilot maintain an appropriate MIA as defined by 91.177 and that the pilot use the higher of last cleared, expected, or MIA in the case of lost com IAW 91.185.

 

[John Collins]

And what if OROCA is above 12,500' msl and you don't have oxygen onboard?

Not very smart to be unprepared. Remember that airways using V routes and T routes will not be very much impacted in the Western Mountainous areas. If in spite of them being available, you chose to go off airway, you have to understand the consequences of your actions and plan accordingly.

 

[John Collins]

I'd like to see more T-routes out here in the west designed to make MEAs as low as possible. This would help a lot with oxygen and icing concerns.

You can design a T-route to thread a mountain pass much more easily when you are not restricted by ground-based navaid placement.

Sounds like a good application for a T route.

 

[dans2992]

Sounds like a good application for a T route.

If you talk to the folks at the FAA, pass it along...

 

[dtuuri]

So should I just stop filing them?

Btw, here's a pic of the old tower compared to the current sectional with two routes, one from CMH direct LPR and the other via APE.

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dtuuri

 

[aterpster]

I'd like to see more T-routes out here in the west designed to make MEAs as low as possible. This would help a lot with oxygen and icing concerns.

You can design a T-route to thread a mountain pass much more easily when you are not restricted by ground-based navaid placement.

Another limiting factor is communications capability, especially in the high traffic areas. Also, terrain masses often preclude the lowering of MEAs significantly, if at all, on T routes around places such as the mountains that surround the SoCal area.

 

[Larry in TN]

I wouldn't plan or fly off-route below the OROCA except under positive radar control (or during an IAP)

Not sure what you mean by "positive radar control". Just remember that ATC does not provide terrain/obstruction separation unless they are providing radar vectors. Being under "radar contract" does not transfer any of that responsibility to the controller.