Originally Posted by Flybywyre
The point is.....................there is nothing wrong in making practice pan calls on 121.5
As you would be informed if you took the trouble to visit D & D at West Drayton.
FBW
Well said !
I'll dip my toe in these shark infested waters without hiding behind a "nom de plume" so please don't flame me. I was fortunate to be able to visit D&D a few weeks ago and discuss the impact of student practice PANS. The additional workload is negligible. Practice calls are welcomed in that they de-mystify 121.5 to the point that the student, low-hours PPL or 20,000 hours training captain in his home-built project when caught out in the haze with a failed GPS will resolve the issue quickly when there is a risk of infringing a zone. The calls also give the controllers the opportunity to verify the kit outside of a prescribed test checklist (my view, perhaps not theirs).
If the day comes I am talking to Farnborough and look across to the airfield and wonder why I see lots of Virgin tails, I'll make the call immediately and send the West Drayton boys and girls a few slabs of beer for getting me out of the cr@p.
The main gist of what I have read so far is that the jet drivers object to listening to practice PANS on 121.5. A quick answer is to have a dedicated practice frequency however that is not going to happen for the reasons already given above. Can I suggest that you put up with the occasional practice PAN knowing that if I blunder into the London CTR, I know how to get out PDQ.