I have to say I turn off 121.5 when close to UK airspace during the day as there seems to be a lot more than 1% of the time taken up by practice calls (maybe I'm just unlucky). Having missed several clearances in the LTMA/Daventry area because someone fired off on the other frequency just at the wrong moment, I think I'm better concentrating on ATC. I don't do this anywhere else in the world as at least there is no
official use of this channel.
The statistics may be in favour of the GA pilot but I think this misses the point in terms of distraction. With experience, you get to be able to monitor two, maybe three ATC frequencies simultaneously because you develop the ability to filter out communication not of interest to yourself. A 'company call' on 121.5 by mistake is short-lived and easy to disregard but I haven't yet acquired the knack of blocking out minutes of amateur RT. (Not meant to cause offence!) Somehow you find yourself giving attention to it when you don't want to.
Maybe we should ban all practice calls except for during NOTAM'd periods. 2-3pm on Sunday afternoons should suit those concerned.
