off airway MEA's

[akiley]

I'm wondering if there is a way to determine the minimum altitude
required for uninterrupted communication with ATC off airways? Do you
look at the closest airway and sort of interpolate the MEA? Do the
center and approach controllers have maps with these altitudes? I'm
assuming an MVA doesn't carry a communication guarantee.

I'm planning a flight over Canada that leaves the Detroit area, up the
Bruce Peninsula and back into the US in northern Michigan. I ended up
calling Toronto center on the phone, but it would be interesting to be
able to figure this out on my own. ... akiley

[vincent p. norris]

>I'm wondering if there is a way to determine the minimum altitude
>required for uninterrupted communication with ATC off airways? Do you
>look at the closest airway and sort of interpolate the MEA?

That might work fairly well in flat country, but not in mountainous
regions.

vince norris

[Paul kgyy]

No way that I know of. I've lost ATC over Indiana at well above
nearby MEAs when they vectored me off airway and then apparently
forgot about me. I would assume that since facilities are organized
around airways, off-airway communication would normally require a
higher MEA even in flat country.

[cavedweller]

On Mar 11, 4:21 pm, "akiley" > wrote:
> I'm wondering if there is a way to determine the minimum altitude
> required for uninterrupted communication with ATC off airways? Do you
> look at the closest airway and sort of interpolate the MEA? Do the
> center and approach controllers have maps with these altitudes? I'm
> assuming an MVA doesn't carry a communication guarantee.
>
> I'm planning a flight over Canada that leaves the Detroit area, up the
> Bruce Peninsula and back into the US in northern Michigan. I ended up
> calling Toronto center on the phone, but it would be interesting to be
> able to figure this out on my own. ... akiley

This may be helpful:

http://bathursted.ccnb.nb.ca/vatcan/fir/moncton/WeeklyTopics/Archives/20040118/CurrentTopic.html