Narrative:

This occurrence was a breakdown of communication between raleigh and ZTL. Our void time at our uncontrolled airport was XA40 local time. We were off by XA30 local however macon county (1a5) airport is in a valley 2020 ft, surrounding mountains are approximately 6000 ft. Communication with atlanta center could not be established until XA45 local time per our clearance delivery instructions. (Poor communication in mountain areas.) also center has us on a runway direct course intersection V222 logan direct pdk. Our airplane is not /right equipped. We are /a equipped. Our clearance took us direct odf V222 course V222 logan direct pdk. Again miscom FSS and atlanta center. Void times in this area with mountains should be no less than 30 mins. And controllers should be sensitive of the fact that communications sometimes cannot be established until 7000-8000 ft. In IFR conditions in mountains, radar vectors to intxns would be a great help. Center controllers should also be aware of mountain limitations in this area. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies a cessna 414 from macon county airport, franklin, nc. The airport is at 2020 ft MSL with surrounding terrain more than 6600 ft MSL. As there is no approach procedure into macon county, there is no published departure procedure. ZTL gives departing aircraft instructions to call over a certain fix and a very short 'void time' to get into the IFR system. The reporter thinks that the 'void times' are very short and hard to comply with. As the nearest ZTL transmitter is about 50 mi away, departing aircraft have a hard time climbing high enough to an altitude where they can communication with ZTL. The reporter submitted this report because the ZTL controller 'was really short' with him. There has been no further action taken.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CPR SMT PLT RPTED LATE TO ZTL AFTER TKOF, BUT WITH A VERY SHORT 'VOID TIME' IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

Narrative: THIS OCCURRENCE WAS A BREAKDOWN OF COM BTWN RALEIGH AND ZTL. OUR VOID TIME AT OUR UNCTLED ARPT WAS XA40 LCL TIME. WE WERE OFF BY XA30 LCL HOWEVER MACON COUNTY (1A5) ARPT IS IN A VALLEY 2020 FT, SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS ARE APPROX 6000 FT. COM WITH ATLANTA CTR COULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED UNTIL XA45 LCL TIME PER OUR CLRNC DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS. (POOR COM IN MOUNTAIN AREAS.) ALSO CTR HAS US ON A RWY DIRECT COURSE INTXN V222 LOGAN DIRECT PDK. OUR AIRPLANE IS NOT /R EQUIPPED. WE ARE /A EQUIPPED. OUR CLRNC TOOK US DIRECT ODF V222 COURSE V222 LOGAN DIRECT PDK. AGAIN MISCOM FSS AND ATLANTA CTR. VOID TIMES IN THIS AREA WITH MOUNTAINS SHOULD BE NO LESS THAN 30 MINS. AND CTLRS SHOULD BE SENSITIVE OF THE FACT THAT COMS SOMETIMES CANNOT BE ESTABLISHED UNTIL 7000-8000 FT. IN IFR CONDITIONS IN MOUNTAINS, RADAR VECTORS TO INTXNS WOULD BE A GREAT HELP. CTR CTLRS SHOULD ALSO BE AWARE OF MOUNTAIN LIMITATIONS IN THIS AREA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES A CESSNA 414 FROM MACON COUNTY ARPT, FRANKLIN, NC. THE ARPT IS AT 2020 FT MSL WITH SURROUNDING TERRAIN MORE THAN 6600 FT MSL. AS THERE IS NO APCH PROC INTO MACON COUNTY, THERE IS NO PUBLISHED DEP PROC. ZTL GIVES DEPARTING ACFT INSTRUCTIONS TO CALL OVER A CERTAIN FIX AND A VERY SHORT 'VOID TIME' TO GET INTO THE IFR SYS. THE RPTR THINKS THAT THE 'VOID TIMES' ARE VERY SHORT AND HARD TO COMPLY WITH. AS THE NEAREST ZTL XMITTER IS ABOUT 50 MI AWAY, DEPARTING ACFT HAVE A HARD TIME CLBING HIGH ENOUGH TO AN ALT WHERE THEY CAN COM WITH ZTL. THE RPTR SUBMITTED THIS RPT BECAUSE THE ZTL CTLR 'WAS REALLY SHORT' WITH HIM. THERE HAS BEEN NO FURTHER ACTION TAKEN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.