121.5 & Airliners

[Nolaminar]

The only time that 121.5 is monitored is over the ocean or very remote areas.
While I can't speak for ALL Carriers, I am pretty sure that none listen in on
121.5 while over the continental US.
Bob Gaines
Retired
Delta

[Nolaminar]

Just got latest information, and now learn that 121.5 is monitored by
airliners..
Disregard first transmission.
GA

[Lord Struthers]

A secter frequency might be handy if there's a repeater on one of the hills
nearby.

[Eric Greenwell]

Nolaminar wrote:
> Just got latest information, and now learn that 121.5 is monitored by
> airliners..
> Disregard first transmission.
> GA

[Duane Eisenbeiss]

"Nolaminar" > wrote in message
...
> Just got latest information, and now learn that 121.5 is monitored by
> airliners..
> Disregard first transmission.
> GA

Bob, Didn't listen on 121.5 when I was still flying either (except when
asked to by ATC). What is this "latest info" that you have.

Duane

[Eric Greenwell]

Oops. That was supposed to say...

Good - I can remember that!

Eric Greenwell wrote:

>
>
> Nolaminar wrote:
>
>> Just got latest information, and now learn that 121.5 is monitored by
>> airliners..
>> Disregard first transmission.
>> GA
>
>

[Reb Byrne]

Duane and all,

Here's what I sent to Bob offline. Hope the spammers don't get my
address.... :)

Bob,

Since 9-11 monitoring 121.5 has become a high interest item by the FAA.
Apparently they tried to use it to contact some folks and they weren't
listening. Anyway, we now look for it on line checks and judging from the
chatter
I'm hearing on it (American XX contact center on xxx.xx, etc) and the fact
that
they're getting answers I'd say it is being monitored more often than not.

Reb Byrne
2D
FedEx F/O and S/O LCA

I can tell you we do not monitor 121.5 at Continental on domestic flights as
a rule. If center asks we will but that's about it.


"Nolaminar" > wrote in message
...
> Just got latest information, and now learn that 121.5 is monitored by
> airliners..
> Disregard first transmission.
> GA

[Lord Struthers]

I don't ever recall listening on what the military folks called "guard
channel", maybe once center made a request.

[Mark Zivley]

Something to remember if you suspect that a pilot is down/lost might be
to solicit help monitoring 121.5 from commercial traffic in the area via
a request through ATC for a geographic area. Just a thought.

Nolaminar wrote:
> The only time that 121.5 is monitored is over the ocean or very remote areas.
> While I can't speak for ALL Carriers, I am pretty sure that none listen in on
> 121.5 while over the continental US.
> Bob Gaines
> Retired
> Delta

[MKEENE221]

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

[MKEENE221]

I should also mention that I've heard ATC warn aircraft that if they did not
change course, they would be shot down.

Mark

[ZASoars]

FYI - 121.5 was used with success at the 15m nationals in Tonopah a year ago. a
pilot who had outlanded and could not be located by the organization was found
via a relayed transmission via an airliner .It's worth a try !

[SNOOP]

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

[Cliff Hilty]

We also had a good ending in AZ. a few years back
: A visiting pilot in a libelle was trying a 500k flight
and after all of the locals were back, his wife and
us were wondering what had happened to him. They had
alternate plans one of wich was to call her mothers
house and leave a message. When she checked that he
had not been heard from. As we started to worry we
decided to call Prescott FSS to report him missing.
When we contacted them to our surprise they informed
US were he was. He had landed out at a remote location
and his cell phone did not work and no land line was
available it was close to dark and to keep us from
worrying he contacted an airliner on 121.5 and had
them relay to FSS that he had landed and was OK. A
happy ending, we knew were the feild was and sent his
much relieved crew on her way to pick him up!



At 14:12 17 November 2003, Zasoars wrote:
>FYI - 121.5 was used with success at the 15m nationals
>in Tonopah a year ago. a
>pilot who had outlanded and could not be located by
>the organization was found
>via a relayed transmission via an airliner .It's worth
>a try !
>

[MKEENE221]

>I can't believe, oh yes I can, that there are crews out there not
>monitoring

Thanks for checking Mick. It's difficult to monitor at all times. In the
terminal area or even on a busy center frequency, listening to two
conversations causes too much confusion and must be turned off.

Oh and can't forget the times when it wakes me up from my nap at 390. That's
really annoying! :<)

Mark

[C.Fleming]

At Delta, we are REQUIRED to monitor 121.5. The company made this policy
following 9/11.

Chris Fleming, 'L9'



> wrote in message
...
> I can tell you we do not monitor 121.5 at Continental on domestic flights
as
> a rule. If center asks we will but that's about it.
>

[Herbert Kilian]

When flying United I like to listen to the ATC channel on the
in-flight audio. On a recent flight to Atlanta they told Center about
receiving an ELT transmission, they obviously were monitoring 121.5

Herbert, J7

(ZASoars) wrote in message >...
> FYI - 121.5 was used with success at the 15m nationals in Tonopah a year ago. a
> pilot who had outlanded and could not be located by the organization was found
> via a relayed transmission via an airliner .It's worth a try !

[Andy Durbin]

"C.Fleming" > wrote in message >...
> At Delta, we are REQUIRED to monitor 121.5. The company made this policy
> following 9/11.
>
> Chris Fleming, 'L9'
>


Chris,

How many vhf coms are standard fit on Delta airplanes? Don't you have
one on ATC and the other on company if only 2 are installed?


Andy (GY)

[Mark James Boyd]

>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



As far as I know this NOTAM is still in effect:

!FDC 1/0329 (and FDC 1/0330 Int'l version) FDC U.S. NATIONAL
AIRSPACE SYSTEM INTERCEPT PROCEDURES. UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
ALL AIRCRAFT OPERATING IN THE U.S. NATIONAL AIRSPACE, IF
CAPABLE, WILL MAINTAIN A LISTENING WATCH ON VHF GUARD 121.5
OR UHF 243.0. IT IS INCUMBENT ON ALL AVIATORS TO KNOW AND
UNDERSTAND THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES IF INTERCEPTED. REVIEW "AERONAUTICAL
INFORMATION MANUAL" SECTION 6, 5-6-2 FOR INTERCEPT PROCEDURES.




AIM section 6-2-5 says, in part:

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.




Despite the NOTAM and the AIM encouragement, I'd suspect
airliners don't monitor 121.5 at all times, because the
Captain and FO are using all available
radios for needed traffic (meaning they are NOT
"capable" of monitoring 121.5 as well), and the NOTAM's
purpose is "just in case the airliner is intercepted."