121.5 ELTs banned

On Jun 22, 3:47*am, Scott wrote:
5Z wrote:
Just saw this in my inbox:

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news..._202760-1.html

The Federal Communications Commission took the general aviation world
by surprise when it said in a recent report ...... "Were we to
permit continued marketing and use of 121.5 MHz ELTs ... it would
engender the risk that aircraft owners and operators would mistakenly
rely on those ELTs for the relay of distress alerts," the FCC says.
AOPA said today it is opposed to the rule change.

OK, maybe the satellites don't monitor the 121.5 units anymore, but
haven't commercial airliners been required to monitor 121.5 at all
times? *I would think there are enough flight routes in the USA that
almost all areas would be in range of an overflying jetliner to pick up
the signal...

You can Google for past discussions on r.a.s. where 121.5 MHz
monitoring has been discussed ad nauseum. Basically many airlines,
corporate flight departments, military (where equipped) and other
aircraft do guard 121.5 Mhz.

An aircraft monitoring 121.5 MHz may hear an 121.5 Mhz ELT - but if
that ELT is 121.5 MHz only it has no way to work out where the ELT is
located. You then have to launch a SAR operation to try to triangulate
that signal. We need to stop putting that silly workload on SAR
organizations and replace 121.5MHz ELTs with 406 MHz ELTs and PLBs.

Probably worth to keep reminding people that since a 406 MHZ ELT and
406 MHZ PLBs also transmit a 121.5 MHZ homing beacon if you think a
fellow pilot may be in distress you can listen for that sweep tone
sound on 121.5 Mhz. In the USA the PLB will also have a morse code
"P" (dit dah dah dit) added to the signal -- the FCC wanted that
because they thought there would be lots of false PLB activations,
that seems to have turned out not to be the case. At least that will
let you know id somebody has activated an ELT or PLB (the morse code
"P" will let you know for sure it is a PLB). Assuming the pilot is
smart and has a 406 MHZ PLB or ELT then their position has already/is
being worked out by COSPAS-SARSAT and your job is to contact the
county sheriff or similar authorities and let them know a pilot is in
distress and has activated their ELT or PLB.


Darryl