Fo all of those that think autotriangulation is available in more than about 1/5 of UK airspace, please remamber that below 3000ft, it is only available south of Manch and East of Cardiff. That is what they tell you when you visit.
With the UK weather the average VFR PPL will train in the 1500 to 3000ft band for most of the time. Thus according to D+D's own information, autotriangulation is not available.
Isn't it ironic that the best safety service is not available over the most inhospitable areas of the UK while it is most available in the SE corner where the land is low lying, lots of emergency services available, relatively flat open terrain and plenty of navigation aids and radars with low level coverage!
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Final 3 Greens,
if you cannot understand the difference between being unable to confirm your exact position and being lost, you are a fool
Ah the old "I have not left planet Earth so I am not lost because I know that is planet earth down there. I haven't got a clue which bit but I am not lost because I know that is planet earth".
Other wise known as denial.
I have been lost, I have been temporarily unsure of position, I have been unable to confirm my exact position. However, I describe all those as simply not knowing where I am.
The big problem I have with your "training fix" is that;
a) It was not a training fix. You could have been told to standby while some other pilot who was slightly lost was given their full attention. During that time by your own admission you could have infringed that controlled airspace you were close to; and
b) Your call is recorded as a training call. That means that it is added to the list of nusance calls as far as other's who monitor 121.50 are concerned (Commercial pilots, towers, approach units, ACCs, Military units). It is also not on the list of flights who were helped by D+D. If everyone who needed help called for a practice, the evidence would show that no one really needed help and the service could be deemed surplus to requirments.
D+D is there to serve a miltary purpose - military D+D. That is why they have a lovely board with the latest info on all the military fields but little or no up to date info on the common civil GA ones up on their board. Since they are there anyway, and they can make some money out of it, the military traditionally have provided a service on 121.50. Make no mistake about it, if the military get into a muddle and are using D+D to sort it out, civil emergencies will have to wait. All the eggs in one basket system.
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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.
Why oh why whould you leave a frequency that has excellent radar coverage in that area, has probably given you a squawk and even if not is aware of you to talk to a unit that knows nothing about you and will take a little bit of time to sort you out?
If I was in that situation I would ask Farnborough for help or failing that, call the appropriate approach radar frequency.
I am sure that 1 radio call works better than;
4 or 5 radio calls, a telephone call, a discussion regarding what to do and then perhaps another frequency change and the whole identification process all over again!
Is 121.50 so popular because pilots for example flying in the vicinity of Heathrow are afraid to call Heathrow if they think thay are by accident within the Heathrow zone?
If this is the case or the case is that Heathrow would not welcome the call is there anywhere else on the world that this also happens?
Regards,
DFC