Question

You have lost communication while cruising at an assigned 8,000 feet on V201 southbound, north of SOLED intersection. You notice the MEA south of SOLED intersection rises to 8,800. Where is the latest point you can start your climb to meet the MEA of that portion of the airway?

Answer 1

The pilot should initiate the climb to meet the new MEA of 8,800 feet just prior to reaching the SOLED intersection, following the 'AVEF' and 'MEA' rules for lost communication scenarios in aviation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The scenario presents a situation where a pilot is flying VFR (Visual Flight Rules) and has lost communication while cruising at an assigned altitude of 8,000 feet. Upon approaching an intersection named SOLED, the pilot notices that the Minimum Enroute Altitude (MEA) rises to 8,800 feet.

The query focuses on identifying the latest possible point at which the pilot should start their climb to ensure they meet the higher MEA past the SOLED intersection. In absence of any other guidance provided by Air Traffic Control or an emergency situation dictating otherwise, the pilot should start the climb just prior to reaching the SOLED intersection, so as to maintain terrain and obstacle clearance required by the MEA for the next segment of the airway. This situation requires knowledge of aviation regulations, flight procedures, and aircraft performance.

When a pilot loses communication, they follow the 'AVEF' rules for route and 'MEA' rules for altitude, which stand for 'Assigned, Vectored, Expected, Filed' for route, and 'Minimum Enroute Altitude' for altitude.

Since the assigned altitude was 8,000 feet and the MEA is increasing, the pilot should climb to meet the new MEA at the point where it applies, in this case, SOLED intersection.