Pistonbroke, I cant understand how you regard monitoring Guard (what should be a quiet freq if it wern't for all the practice PAN calls out there) as requiring 'spare capacity' Come on, it's not that hard. The freq should only be used for real problems. I monitor it all the time, and have heard a number of real calls, long before the ground agencies have picked them up.
D&D could surely oranise a dedicated test aircraft to ensure they get appropriate training couldn't they?
As for all all the comments about getting lost and needing the service - simple answer- more nav training to ensure the chance of getting lost in the first place is remote! Who are all these pilots flying around and not knowing where they are anyway?
"twisted.." made an interesting comment, and perhaps I missed something in my training, but going IMC without the appropriate radio aids then needing ATC help to get out of it? I always thought you checked the Wx BEFORE flying, and made a sound airmanship "D" as to whether ot not you and yor A/C were fully equipted to go flying in such conditions.
Leave 121.5 for real problems, not practice ones.
Deep blue ocean, calm blue sea...