121.5 -- Anybody llistening?

airdale

airdale

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airdale
The AIM "encourages" us to monitor 121.5. 6.2.5.d.1

I am curious how many people do this regularly. I don't, just because I usually have my comm radios both tuned to ATC and ATIS frequencies at departure and destination and don't think to retune enroute.

It seems like the demise of 121.5 satellite monitoring makes in-flight monitoring more important for the safety of little airplane drivers, since most of our airplanes don't yet have the 406Mhz. ELTs. An FAA and/or AOPA PR "push" on this subject would probably be a good idea, no?
 
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all the time if I have two...except in the terminal area
hear and report elts regularily too
 
Flew a check out with a dif. instructor than usual. He set it (121.5) on one of the two comms. I hadn't thought of that before.
 
My COM2 spends most of its time being ignored. I should set it to 121.5 and listen to it more often.
 
Like Dave, I always do except in terminal area.

I have to use my 430 to monitor, because the Narco (Comm 2) is designed such that 121.5 is never squelched. It's OK, because the Narco works well.
 
I will monitor it some of the time. But I also use it to check ASOS weather, spy on nearby facilities that might have conflicting traffic (like a unicom freq) or use it in parellel with my other radio (I know that is not really sensible). In my role as big brother, I find that responding to 121.5 is not real popular. With so many of us monitoring, sometimes we step on each other. Other times, it is hard to tell if the subject is in your area of responsibility. Sometimes I am the only one willing to answer.
ApacheBob
 
Always. My comm 2 (SL30) can monitor a frequency and automatically mute it if it receives something on the active. Works quite well...
 
SCCutler said:
because the Narco (Comm 2) is designed such that 121.5 is never squelched.
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There's a fix for that. I'd rather monitor on the Narco as it's audio quality is far less crisp.

I monitor it regularly... then again, I fly around the DC ADIZ (aka force-down zone).
 
I used to not, but I've started doing this more recently. It hasn't done me any good, but I've heard other people who should have been listening.

Once you get airborn, it makes more sense. Although I'm always on flight following (or an IFR flight plan), so for me it's probably just more redundancy. Never a bad thing. :)
 
I've not monitored it very often. I've been asked by ATC to listen a couple times. On our school planes, Comm 2 is always on the school's unicom.
 
Ken Ibold said:
Now there's a sentence you don't read too often!
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What can I say, it has been very good, so far.

wsuffa said:
There's a fix for that.
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In the user manual, it is called-out as standard behavior; you know a way to change it?

wsuffa said:
I'd rather monitor on the Narco as it's audio quality is far less crisp.
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What I have discovered, is that the Narco's audio quality is essentially indistinguishable from the Garmin's, and its transmission power (effectively) is a little greater. I suspect that is more likely antenna placement than anything else.

I would not spend much $$$ to fix it if it broke, but for now it is (1) operational, and (2) paid-for. If it dies, of course, I'd probably want an SL30, because they are such sweet radios.
 
The FAA is already recommending it:

AIM 6-2-5

d. Inflight Monitoring and Reporting.
1. Pilots are encouraged to monitor 121.5 MHz and/or 243.0 MHz while inflight to assist in identifying possible emergency ELT transmissions. On receiving a signal, report the following information to the nearest air traffic facility:
(a) Your position at the time the signal was first heard.
(b) Your position at the time the signal was last heard.
(c) Your position at maximum signal strength.
(d) Your flight altitudes and frequency on which the emergency signal was heard: 121.5 MHz or 243.0 MHz. If possible, positions should be given relative to a navigation aid. If the aircraft has homing equipment, provide the bearing to the emergency signal with each reported position.

Bob Gardner
 
I have a scanner in the car, and one of the presets is 121.5. Does that count?

The (single) NARCO MK12D that I have defaults to 121.5 when it first powers up. But I usually don't listen when flying. I probably should, though, as long as I'm not getting flight following.

I know that many part 121 operators monitor it, because TWICE while listening in the car, I've heard them give their pre-landing passenger announcements on 121.5!!! I couldn't believe it! I guess I live within earshot of that 15-20 minute zone away from JFK-EWR-LGA.
________
buy silver surfer
 
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I know NOTAMS issued more than four years ago are old news, but this one is still in effect:

4/4386 SPECIAL NOTICE...ALL AIRCRAFT OPERATING IN UNITED STATES NATIONAL AIRSPACE, IF CAPABLE, SHALL MAINTAIN A LISTENING WATCH ON VHF GUARD 121.5 OR UHF 243.0.

Always a good idea to monitor in any event.

Jon
 
4CornerFlyer said:
I know NOTAMS issued more than four years ago are old news, but this one is still in effect:

4/4386 SPECIAL NOTICE...ALL AIRCRAFT OPERATING IN UNITED STATES NATIONAL AIRSPACE, IF CAPABLE, SHALL MAINTAIN A LISTENING WATCH ON VHF GUARD 121.5 OR UHF 243.0.

Always a good idea to monitor in any event.

Jon
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Yeah, I was going to point out that NOTAM too. On long XCs I'll sometimes monitor, but not usually for local stuff. If I hear any references to it or ELTs on ATC's freq, I'll usually make a point to dial it in.
 
airdale said:
The AIM "encourages" us to monitor 121.5. 6.2.5.d.1

I am curious how many people do this regularly. I don't, just because I usually have my comm radios both tuned to ATC and ATIS frequencies at departure and destination and don't think to retune enroute.
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When departing cross country, I set com1 with my home field primary and approach standby. Com2 is set to 121.5 primary, and my arrival field ATIS/AWOS, etc standby. So yes, I always monitor, and have had to report several beacons. I don't know what the results of those reports were, but I sure hope some guy is up there monitoring if *I* ever need help.
 
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I must admit that I don't listen as often as I should. I fly a bunch of long cross country flights and I need to be more diligent.

Thanks for the reminder and prompt.
 
The Russians have a satellite that monitors several frequencies, including 121.5. In several instances the Russians picked up the signal and pinpointed it before anyone in the States picked it up.
 
... NOTAMS issued more than four years ago ...
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Thanks. I thought I remembered that there was an actual requirement but all I could find was the AIM reference. I didn't remember that it was in a NOTAM.

I sure hope some guy is up there monitoring if *I* ever need help
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Me, too. That was the point of the post.

The other point was to suggest that it should be promoted more. Maybe ATC should announce a free $100 bill once a week on 121.5 and the first guy to answer gets it. :)
 
I do -- all the time other than when listening to the destination ATIS/AWOS on the #2. It's entertaining as well as potentially life/ticket-saving.
 
pretty much all the time
 
airdale said:
The other point was to suggest that it should be promoted more. Maybe ATC should announce a free $100 bill once a week on 121.5 and the first guy to answer gets it. :)
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I love it. Reverse User Fees!:yes:
 
airdale said:
Thanks. I thought I remembered that there was an actual requirement but all I could find was the AIM reference. I didn't remember that it was in a NOTAM.
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Unfortunately, for the past seven years, the FAA has replaced the standard regulatory framework with emergency rulemaking.

Regulations are supposed to be first proposed, with a comment period and modifications based on user input, then published prior to taking effect. Emergency rulemaking bypasses all that.

It's hard to believe that an emergency temporary regulation is still in effect so many years later, but this isn't the only one.

The DC ADIZ exists in NOTAMS, not in FAR 91. The business about not flying over football games and nuclear plants and Disney World too. And international operations are affected by NOTAMS in which the various agencies of government can't seem to agree on what the rules are (eg what transponder code do you need to cross the Canadian Border?)

A little off the subject from the 121.5 question, but that's one reason to monitor: so they can call you to tell you what "temporary" rule you're violating.

Jon
 
bobmrg said:
...
(d) Your flight altitudes and frequency on which the emergency signal was heard: 121.5 MHz or 243.0 MHz. If possible, positions should be given relative to a navigation aid. If the aircraft has homing equipment, provide the bearing to the emergency signal with each reported position.
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It just occurred to me that what I would have is bearing and distance to the next waypoint on my portable GPS, which is often a VOR, but I'd have to invert it to give the bearing to me. OK, I could get it on VOR/DME. FROM, right? :redface:

I have(had) been keeping 121.5 on the unused COM, but my audio panel has a bug where if I'm monitoring the other radio I get a feedback warble when I transmit. I'm sure the other end can't hear it but I always end up flipping the switch to get rid of the noise in my ears.
 
It just occurred to me that what I would have is bearing and distance to the next waypoint on my portable GPS, which is often a VOR, but I'd have to invert it to give the bearing to me. OK, I could get it on VOR/DME. FROM, right?
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Total waste of time. That "bearing and distance" text was written for the VOR/airway days.

IMHO, just report your lat/long when you have a good ELT signal. To frost the cake, report lat/long when you first heard the ELT, lat/long when the signal seemed to be the strongest, and lat/long when the signal dropped below the squelch threshold. If you want to go completely nuts, go down to 1000 AGL (if safe) and try to find the lat/long where the signal is strongest. Don't bother to look for a downed airplane; they are damned hard to spot and you have your own airplane that needs flying.

If the ELT doesn't quit, all the CAP S&R flight needs is to get to a place where they can receive the signal. The DF equipment will take it from there. But if the ELT quits then the additional information could be very helpful.
 
I monitor 121.5 when I'm not monitoring something else... and I remember to switch frequencies. I don't think I would worry about nobody monitoring in the event that you go down somewhere because I think most airlines monitor and signals can be heard a long ways at 30-40,000 feet.
 
Everskyward said:
I monitor 121.5 when I'm not monitoring something else... and I remember to switch frequencies. I don't think I would worry about nobody monitoring in the event that you go down somewhere because I think most airlines monitor and signals can be heard a long ways at 30-40,000 feet.
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The airlines don't monitor 121.5 unless ATC ask them to.
 
Rotor&Wing said:
The airlines don't monitor 121.5 unless ATC ask them to.
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Seems like most of the airplanes I hear reporting ELTs are airlines. In addition, the airline guys who have come to work for us are the most diligent in switching the frequency to 121.5. Maybe it's because most of these pilots came from a specific airline which was required by company policy to monitor.
 
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