A B747-200 CARGO FLT CREW IS ALLEGED TO BE OUT OF COM WITH ZDV AND ZLC FOR A PERIOD OF 1 HR 30 MINS WHILE BTWN FAF AND OAL ON A FLT TO SUU; CA.

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FLT TO SUU (TRAVIS AFB). UPON LNDG AT SUU; MY FLT DISPATCHER INFORMED ME THAT THE WESTERN AIR DEFENSE SECTOR CALLED; ASKING WHY WE WERE NOT IN COM WITH ATC CTLR FOR 1 HR 30 MINS BTWN ZDV AND ZLC. WE WERE NEVER NORDO; DIDN'T SQUAWK 7600; NOR DID WE RECEIVE ANY GUARD CALLS TO CONTACT ZLC. DURING THE TIME IN QUESTION; THE FLT WAS ENRTE DIRECT FQF UNDER ZDV CTL. WE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED AUTH TO DEVIATE S OF COURSE FOR WX; CLBING TO FL410; AS I RECALL. 15 MINS LATER; WE RPTED CLR OF WX AND ZDC CLRED US DIRECT COALDALE (OAL). DURING THIS PERIOD; WE PASSED A PRESCRIBED COMPANY POS RPT VIA CEDAR RAPIDS. THE FLT PLAN ETE FOR FQF WAS 3 HRS 27 MINS (ETE AT OAL WAS 4 HRS 53 MINS); GS = 430 KTS. WE HAD 1 MORE ZDV FREQ CHANGE. AFTER A PERIOD OF SILENCE FOLLOWING CHK-IN WITH DENVER; I ASKED MY FO (PNF) TO CONTACT DENVER FOR A RADIO CHK. THE FO SPENT 15 MINS ATTEMPTING FIRST DENVER AND THEN ZLC FREQS. ABOUT 30 MINS LATER; CEDAR RAPIDS CALLED US VIA CELL CALL AND INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT ZLC; WHICH WE CONTINUED TO DO. WHILE ON HF WITH CEDAR RAPIDS; THE CAPT PROVIDED AN ASSIST TO COMPANY ACFT REQUESTING A RADIO RELAY TO RECEIVE A REDISPATCH MESSAGE FROM DISPATCH; WHICH I FACILITATED WHILE MY FO ROLLED THROUGH THE LIST OF FREQS (FOR CTR) ON THE HI ALT ENRTE CHART. I ESTIMATE WE WERE AWARE OF A LACK OF CTR CONTACT FOR A PERIOD OF APPROX 30 MINS; NOT 1 HR 30 MINS AS SUGGESTED BY THE WESTERN AIR DEFENSE SECTOR. THE FLT FOLLOWED THE FILED FLT PLAN; SAVE THE WX DEV 15 NM S OF COURSE. AT NO TIME WAS ANY SENSE OF URGENCY NOTED BY THE CREW. A GUARD CALL WOULD HAVE BEEN HEARD BY ONE OF MY CREW. NOTE: MY #3 VHF RADIO HAD 121.5 ENTERED AND MY COM VOLUME ON IT WAS LOWER THAN #1 (CTR FREQ) AND #2 VHF (ATIS; STATION GND FREQ; USED BY FE). THE LONG LEGS ASSOCIATED WITH INS DIRECT ROUTING MAY LEAD TO A DEGREE OF COMPLACENCY WITH REGARD TO RADIO FREQ CHANGES SINCE THEY OCCUR LESS SELDOM UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. HOWEVER; I DID NOTE TO MY CREW WE HAD NOT SPOKEN WITH A CTR CTLR FOR SOME ELAPSED TIME AND WAS ATTEMPTING SUCH CONTACT WHEN ADVISED TO DO THE SAME. ON MY NEXT FLT; I WILL HAVE 127.45 ON MY 'EXTRA' RADIO IN ADDITION TO CTR FREQ AND GUARD.