Originally Posted by
Cubdriver
MSA would be safe as a last resort, but since you may have a lower altitude choice according to the altitude rules for lost comms, you can use one of those altitudes and do standard holding on the right side of the airway making right turns. Ref. Jeppesen Instrument Commercial pg. 5-50. I don't see what your issue is with this. Less than a few minutes either way and I doubt I would bother with it. You aren't going to hit anything unless you fly some really large turns because you have 4 miles to hold laterally from the centerline of a typical victor airway.
The main issue is just that it doesn't seem to make sense to hold (unless you have an EFC), especially when you apply it to a scenario. And the "hold if early" answer is what is being taught. It's nice to have clear, reasonable answers, that's all. It's the abstract and indefinite answers that just propogate a poor understanding of things that should be very clear and understood.
Scenario is this: flight plan is from Departure direct ABCDE V1 VWXYZ direct Destination. Your ETA to Destination is 1300. You arrive at VWXYZ 1240. What do you do?
Common answer: hold at VWXYZ until ~1300 then go to IAF for Destination airport.
What I disagree with is that "hold" answer. You should simply go to IAF and commence descent and approach as close as possible to ETA. If you end up 10 min early, that is still acceptable (assuming the IAP took 10 min). The "hold" answer seems to complicate the situation. To my understanding, 91.185 does not prohibit this, and it does not impose unnecessary complications on ATC.