Narrative:

As we approached grann northbound at FL310 we saw flashes ahead and radar indicated thunderstorm activity. At first, it looked like we would clear it or be in ZNY airspace with VHF communication by the time we needed to deviate. But it grew rapidly and we had to deviate while still in oceanic airspace, but with no time for the slow and aggravating commercial HF relay game to try for deviation clearance. We couldn't raise ZNY on VHF, but another air carrier's aircraft relayed for us. ZNY tried to get us deviation clearance from oceanic, but it wasn't happening fast enough. We stated we would deviate east on captain's emergency authority/authorized and started the turn. ZNY came through with the deviation clearance just then and all came out ok. We confirmed with ZNY that they did not consider our actions to be use of emergency authority/authorized since the clearance did come through in the nick of time, but I am filing this report just in case somebody hears about or asks us about the use of the emergency word on the radio. HF relay through commercial radio is so antique -- let's get direct communication with oceanic somehow and end this nonsense.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR A300 FLC COMPLAINS THAT THE PRESENT SYS OF RELAYING COM TO OCEANIC ATC CTL THROUGH COMMERCIAL HF RADIO IS TOO SLOW. IN THIS CASE, THE FLC WANTED PERMISSION FOR TSTM DEV, AND RELAYED THROUGH ANOTHER, CLOSER TO LAND, ACR IN TIME TO OBTAIN A CLRNC.

Narrative: AS WE APCHED GRANN NBOUND AT FL310 WE SAW FLASHES AHEAD AND RADAR INDICATED TSTM ACTIVITY. AT FIRST, IT LOOKED LIKE WE WOULD CLR IT OR BE IN ZNY AIRSPACE WITH VHF COM BY THE TIME WE NEEDED TO DEVIATE. BUT IT GREW RAPIDLY AND WE HAD TO DEVIATE WHILE STILL IN OCEANIC AIRSPACE, BUT WITH NO TIME FOR THE SLOW AND AGGRAVATING COMMERCIAL HF RELAY GAME TO TRY FOR DEV CLRNC. WE COULDN'T RAISE ZNY ON VHF, BUT ANOTHER ACR'S ACFT RELAYED FOR US. ZNY TRIED TO GET US DEV CLRNC FROM OCEANIC, BUT IT WASN'T HAPPENING FAST ENOUGH. WE STATED WE WOULD DEVIATE E ON CAPT'S EMER AUTH AND STARTED THE TURN. ZNY CAME THROUGH WITH THE DEV CLRNC JUST THEN AND ALL CAME OUT OK. WE CONFIRMED WITH ZNY THAT THEY DID NOT CONSIDER OUR ACTIONS TO BE USE OF EMER AUTH SINCE THE CLRNC DID COME THROUGH IN THE NICK OF TIME, BUT I AM FILING THIS RPT JUST IN CASE SOMEBODY HEARS ABOUT OR ASKS US ABOUT THE USE OF THE EMER WORD ON THE RADIO. HF RELAY THROUGH COMMERCIAL RADIO IS SO ANTIQUE -- LET'S GET DIRECT COM WITH OCEANIC SOMEHOW AND END THIS NONSENSE.

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.