Originally Posted by
SilsoeSid
I haven't said don't monitor 121.5 if that's what you do.
What I have said is that having a box failure and not knowing about until you are called on 121.5 or intercepted; is a different case to allowing yourself to (regularly) run out of radio range of your current ATCU while on a regular route.
The first is out of your control, the second, is simply poor airmanship.
Without meaning to be disrespectful in any way, judging by your bio, you have absolutely minimal knowledge of airline operations, and much of what you suggest is ridiculous to anyone with knowledge of such operations.
What I quite rightly said, is monitoring VHF 2 is a line of defence against a VHF1 failure. That is good airmanship.
If my box 1 fails, instead of every 3 minutes when I haven't heard a call (common over for instance the North Sea) asking for a radio check, if ATC can't make contact with me, for instance for a heading change, they will call a few times and then make a call on guard, something I will immediately hear, and very shortly after diagnose a VHF 1 failure.
Of course, operating on a London Freuency I wouldn't expect a 3/4 minute lull, and would be checking the box is working.