Narrative:

In a flight of 2, taxiing to takeoff, my radio became intermittently unreadable . I was trying to correct this problem by rotating frequencys. Unable to communication I signaled my flight of 2 other aircraft with hand signals to indicate that I could not communication with the tower, and for him to talk for me as a flight of 2. He did so and I received thumbs up. The tower gave us clearance to taxi in position for takeoff. My other aircraft gave thumbs up and I followed him in to position for a flight of 2 takeoff. We held until given clearance. My other aircraft gave me thumbs up and took off. I gave normal spacing then took off. I am a tail dragger with limited visibility over the nose so I waited until he was far enough ahead before my roll was started. Because of my limited visual sight, my attention was on the other aircraft, therefore, I missed seeing the red light from the tower to hold. I was told later by my other aircraft that after the tower cleared us to taxi into position and then given him cleared for takeoff. He got no indication that they were going to hold me from a normal flight of 2 takeoff. It is my opinion in view of the manner in which this procedure was handled by the tower and according to my partner in this flight of 2 that the tower operator was frustrated with another aircraft in the area and therefore gave us a questionable procedure. I am completely aware of part 91.129 however my flight of 2 other pilot is very experienced, and I had established visual signals with him. I received a visual thumbs up taxi into position for takeoff. I received a visual signal that he was cleared for takeoff and that I was thumbs up to go with normal spacing, I had no further reason to expect a red light from the tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NORDO TFC, SMA, PERFORMS AN UNAUTH TKOF.

Narrative: IN A FLT OF 2, TAXIING TO TKOF, MY RADIO BECAME INTERMITTENTLY UNREADABLE . I WAS TRYING TO CORRECT THIS PROB BY ROTATING FREQS. UNABLE TO COM I SIGNALED MY FLT OF 2 OTHER ACFT WITH HAND SIGNALS TO INDICATE THAT I COULD NOT COM WITH THE TWR, AND FOR HIM TO TALK FOR ME AS A FLT OF 2. HE DID SO AND I RECEIVED THUMBS UP. THE TWR GAVE US CLRNC TO TAXI IN POS FOR TKOF. MY OTHER ACFT GAVE THUMBS UP AND I FOLLOWED HIM IN TO POS FOR A FLT OF 2 TKOF. WE HELD UNTIL GIVEN CLRNC. MY OTHER ACFT GAVE ME THUMBS UP AND TOOK OFF. I GAVE NORMAL SPACING THEN TOOK OFF. I AM A TAIL DRAGGER WITH LIMITED VISIBILITY OVER THE NOSE SO I WAITED UNTIL HE WAS FAR ENOUGH AHEAD BEFORE MY ROLL WAS STARTED. BECAUSE OF MY LIMITED VISUAL SIGHT, MY ATTN WAS ON THE OTHER ACFT, THEREFORE, I MISSED SEEING THE RED LIGHT FROM THE TWR TO HOLD. I WAS TOLD LATER BY MY OTHER ACFT THAT AFTER THE TWR CLRED US TO TAXI INTO POS AND THEN GIVEN HIM CLRED FOR TKOF. HE GOT NO INDICATION THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HOLD ME FROM A NORMAL FLT OF 2 TKOF. IT IS MY OPINION IN VIEW OF THE MANNER IN WHICH THIS PROC WAS HANDLED BY THE TWR AND ACCORDING TO MY PARTNER IN THIS FLT OF 2 THAT THE TWR OPERATOR WAS FRUSTRATED WITH ANOTHER ACFT IN THE AREA AND THEREFORE GAVE US A QUESTIONABLE PROC. I AM COMPLETELY AWARE OF PART 91.129 HOWEVER MY FLT OF 2 OTHER PLT IS VERY EXPERIENCED, AND I HAD ESTABLISHED VISUAL SIGNALS WITH HIM. I RECEIVED A VISUAL THUMBS UP TAXI INTO POS FOR TKOF. I RECEIVED A VISUAL SIGNAL THAT HE WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND THAT I WAS THUMBS UP TO GO WITH NORMAL SPACING, I HAD NO FURTHER REASON TO EXPECT A RED LIGHT FROM THE TWR.

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.