Simulate a partial comm radio failure; reciever only. See how long it takes for
the problem to get diagnosed, and see if the crew tries listening to the VORs
for messages.
I'm not sure if this is a valid exercise, as I'm not familiar with the
intricacies of the avionics on air carrier aircraft, but from my perspective
(approach control), monitoring VORs for voice transmissions is a lost art.
ESPECIALLY for those pilots enamored with GPS!
If I'm off the mark, I'm sure some one will let me know.
Brian J. Fallon
NATCA Safety Representative, NY TRACON
Associate Editor, The NATCA Voice
http://www.natcavoice.org