PLT FLEW LONG OVERWATER LEG WITH NO HF RADIO INSTALLED IN ACFT. KING AIR 200.

Narrative

A TRIP TO BERMUDA TOOK PLACE FROM OCT/FRI/99; UNTIL OCT/SAT/99. UPON ARR I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ACFT DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE HF CAPABILITY THAT IS MANDATORY FOR THE ATLANTIC ROUTES AT THIS REGION. AS THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP TO BERMUDA I WAS UNAWARE OF THIS REQUIREMENT; SINCE THERE WAS LITTLE OR NO INFO PROVIDED (AIM; FARS). ALSO; I WAS LEAD TO BELIEVE BY THE 'GIANT KILLER' CTR CTLRS THAT I COULD COMPLETE THE TRIP BEING VFR UNDER NEW YORK'S AIRSPACE. PRIOR TO THE RETURN I HAD A BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH THE SUPVR OF THE OCEANIC ROUTES AND LEARNED THAT THIS AIRSPACE IS CLASSIFIED AS POS CTL AIRSPACE AND VFR OP IS NOT AN OPTION. MY EFFORTS TO INSTALL A PORTABLE HF RADIO OR EVEN LOCATE HAND-HELD FAILED SINCE THERE WAS NO TECHNICAL SUPPORT ON THE ISLAND. FOR THE LEG BACK FROM BERMUDA I TALKED WITH ZNY AND EXPLAINED MY POS AND HEARD THEIRS AS WELL. AS A RESULT I LOST COM WITH CTR FOR 45 MINS EVEN THOUGH I WAS CAPABLE TO TALK TO OTHER ACFT THAT RELAYED INFO TO US. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS FOR THIS OCCURRENCE WAS INADEQUATE PREPARATION FROM MY PART AS WELL AS ABSENCE OF INFO (AIM; COMMERCIAL CHART; FLT SVC SPECIALISTS).