Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 100; Flight Crew Total 15000; Flight Crew Type 350
Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings
First of all; I do not know what the local time was at PKMJ. The time/date noted above are Zulu time. Attempting to depart PKMJ. Destination was ZZZ. Cell phones do not work there. Was unable to use HF to pick up oceanic clearance. Aircraft Y also on the ground was having the same problem. I tried to use a satphone to pick up clearance. Discovered no one answers the published 'last chance communications' phone number. I tried to use ACARS and was advised (via ACARS) that they couldn't give us a clearance that way. As a note; the ACARS message stating they couldn't issue the clearance was longer than the clearance would have been. I overheard PKMJ radio advise the Aircraft Y to attempt to get a clearance using an 800-number by satphone. Apparently; no one told San Francisco that most satphones won't dial 800-numbers. PKMJ radio advised us that SFO wanted us to depart and attempt to pick up a clearance in the air via HF or satphone. We were given a primary and backup HF frequency. We departed and immediately started trying to pick up a clearance via HF. The primary frequency did not work so we attempted to establish contact on the backup frequency. It worked!! We had to climb to 9;500' to establish communications; but we had finally started communicating with SFO. The SFO radio operator then tried to get us to call back on the primary frequency (that we had already unsuccessfully tried). She also advised us that our takeoff clearance was canceled. I could see my First Officer getting very frustrated. I intervened and advised SFO that we were already airborne and that we were not changing frequencies again and that we wanted our clearance to ZZZ. It took a while; but we finally got our clearance. I later had our Dispatch attempt to call the 800 number several more times. I tried several more times; even at later dates. No one ever answered. This has the potential for some serious safety issues. We were close to having to return to PKMJ for a seriously overweight landing. On the return leg from ZZZ to PKMJ; which was going to continue to ZZZ1; I requested a functioning phone number in case our HF problem recurred. I got a different number. The same HF problem came up. We called the 'new' phone number and someone actually answered. When we explained our needs; the first thing we got was the 'use the HF' lecture. When we explained our HF problem; we got disconnected. We finally got through via HF; but clarity was terrible. Someone needs to advise SFO radio that this is the 21st century. There is a reliable means for backup communications for clearances and position reporting called 'satphone'; but it only works if someone answers the phone and actually wants to help. The other problem is that PKMJ has a very small ramp. There can be a lot of people moving around on it; especially if an Aircraft Y is loading/unloading. HF radio operating manuals caution the operator to not transmit if there are people in proximity of the aircraft. It's almost impossible to comply with this restriction. I wonder how many times ramp personnel and passengers have been unknowingly exposed to HF RF energy from this process.
Reporter stated the problem would have gone away if someone just answered the phone.  Pilot did not want to use HF due to people around the aircraft at the time and elected to use telephone.  Call using SATCOM was eventually successful; but ATC was adamant that the correct procedure was to use HF.  Pilot stated if no one is going to answer the last resort phone number why publish it.  Pilot ruled out that it was not his aircraft having a problem and called dispatch. Dispatch also received no answer to the phone call.  B737 crew also had similar communication problems.  Pilot has flown into PKMJ 3 times and has had problems 2 out of 3 times.
Pilot reported HF/SATCOM communications issues when departing PKMJ (Marshall Islands) airport.