Groundfloor: "The "practise pan" bit I don`t buy as 121.5 is the actual emergency freq not a practise freq"
The R/T manual (CAP413) says that this is acceptable usage: it doesn't matter if you 'buy it' or not.
If making a practice call though listen first just to be sure there isn't a real emergency going on.
I have never used 121.5 for real and I hope I never have to. But come the day I need for real it I want it to be clear with no interruptions: except of course from a more dire emergency than mine.