crab
as a non commercial civil pilot over 2000hrs time i can honestly say i have never heard of guard or any need to switch to 121.5 at any time unless in a EMERGENCY
i would also add that if pilots used there one and only com to switch to 121.5 you would get a lot of mistaken calls as lots of pilots forget to change freq after changing from one tower to another especially student pilots and some xperienced ones too
would you send out sar to a pilot who has a stuck ptt or who keeps sending a carrier but no speech or you cant hear him properley because he is on the ground asking for infomation using the wrong freq.
i agree that a standard com freq like in the usa may be a better way for all of us to contact each other but thats not the caa way
we have uhf for mil vhf for civvy, maybe the reason you listen in to 121.5 is that you use uhf for your standard coms and you have spare vhf not being used
there is no legal requirement in uncontrolled airpace to have a com
quote
It is self protection and mutual support but it seems that is not what the aviation community wants because they baulk at having to spend a few quid on a decent/second radio.
a second radio for a boat is a few hundred pounds a second com installed in a aircraft cost at least £3,000 some times much more
steve