121.5 & Airliners

Mark, I'm checking with a FT. Worth FSS specialist on the published
requirement. I'm also going through the SFAR's to find the guidelines.
I do know that AC(advisory circular) 99-1C addressed just exactly what
happened to us post 9-11, with regard to procedures. We are required
to "guard" an ATC or FSS frequency. It does not state specifically
121.5, but that would be the natural choice.

We were thirty minutes out of EWR, when we were turned away that
morning. We chose Parkersburg West VA. as our get out of the sky
point. Three days later when we were let back in the system, one of
the requirements was to monitor 121.5. We received this from the NBAA
(national business aircraft association).

I was led to believe early in my career that if you have a #2 radio
then it should be on 121.5, and you should monitor it, in case we do
something stupid like, accidently turn down the volume on our #1
radio,or miss a frequency change. Then ATC can contact you on 121.5
which is always standing "guard". This is also where we would hear the
glider pilot making a distress call, or asking for a relay back to
"Hobbs Air" or whatever. If we aren't monitoring then we miss a chance
to assist a fellow pilot in trouble. Switch places with the guy in
trouble. Wouldn't you want him to be monitoring 121.5, while sipping
on his coffee, in his air conditioned jet.

I can't believe, oh yes I can, that there are crews out there not
monitoring, especially with the on going threat of a missle up the
hind quarters, if we do something wrong. I'd hate to go on the chief
pilots carpet, after being intercepted by an F-16, and tell him that I
didn't know I was suppose to be monitoring 121.5, which is where ATC
was trying to give me a simple frequency change. Ouch!!


(MKEENE221) wrote in message ...
From my experience, I can say that all commercial flights do not monitor 121.5,
but enough of them do that a downed or stranded aircraft would have a good
chance of contacting one.

By the way, did the FAA lift the requirement for monitoring 121.5? If they
did, I don't recall seeing it. Even now, on 121.5, I still hear ATC calling
aircraft with whom they've lost communications and to warn aircraft about
possible airspace incursions .

Mark