I flash sometimes on a dark night over Africa or water !
Same as I might say g'day to a stranger as i pass on a foot path.
I don't chat on 121.5 and I don't care if you don't flash back.
I guess the habit started years back when long distance truckers driving across the Nullabor Plains in Western Australia used to call up the media and report UFO's.
Perhaps we could train to do it !