121.5 Question

[Stavro35]

As someone mentioned earlier I've heard ATC in the Seattle area request that a pilot attempt to make contact with another on 121.5. Soon there after I've heard one commercial pilot in communication with another on 121.5 said pilot comes up on the assigned frequency and all is right with the world.

 

[immelmen]

I fly for Continental. Our planes have SELCAL and ACARS. Thankfully we don't have to monitor any ARINC voice freq's.

Yeah, we have both as well, which is why I always wonder why they are so bent on keeping com 2 on company freqs.

....as an aside: Im guessing, since you commute, you understand me when I say there are few things I hate more in this world than Newark on day four in the winter

 

[Chris-KH2PM]

Oh man, I'll be passing thru EWR on the 22nd. Fun, fun..expect the un-expected! Can you say 'overs'?!
LOL

I'll take a look at the FOM and see but I'm pretty sure there's nothing about a requirement to monitor a voice freq such as ARINC. I haven't had to do that in about 14 years.

Headed for the sky in about an hour. IAH to ATL.

 

[immelmen]

So, I figured out the mystery with com2 alway having to be on ops. Our SELCAL is slaved to com2...pain in the ass.

 

[captaincraig44]

So, I figured out the mystery with com2 alway having to be on ops. Our SELCAL is slaved to com2...pain in the ass.

'Least you got SELCAL and don't have to listen to every single transmission on ops . . .

 

[Chris-KH2PM]

'Least you got SELCAL and don't have to listen to every single transmission on ops . . .

I checked the FOM (Flight Ops Manual) and as I recalled it says we only have to monitor VHF voice if the ACARS or the VHF radio associated with it is inop.

Heard some activity up in the Northeast on 121.5 Sunday. Apparently a GA pilot transmitted MAYDAY and went down in a field and some other pilots were trying to relay his position to a local FAA tower.

There are worse things than listening to VHF ops freqs..try listening to static filled HF for your callsign when the SELCAL check doesn't work! Crossing the NAT tracks or out in the western Pacific on HF we had to get an HF SELCAL check from ARINC. If the test failed we had to listen for awhile and try another check. Those were the days.

 

[immelmen]

'Least you got SELCAL and don't have to listen to every single transmission on ops . . .

Yeah, that would suck. We don't have to monitor ops...Com 2 just has to be tuned to it for the SELCAL to work, but the radio can then be deselected on the audio panel so you don't have to hear all the calls for bags of ice and marshalers.