Skeptic
There seems to be a simply staggering lack of understanding here about the reason and legality of training fixes and practice pans.
Yes, much of it from you unfortunately.
A training fix or a practice pan on 121.5 is surely nothing more than a means of an instructor demonstrating to a stude how the D & D cell can locate you and direct you if unsure of position
Training fixes and practice pans are quite different.
Practice pans are practice emergencies, as a practice mayday does not exist.
Training fixes are the use by the D&D cell of VDF triangulation to locate the position of an aircraft.
Surely use of this facility is restricted to training flights and genuine emergencies only?
No, practice pans are either used to train pilots or controllers. So a normal GA flight can be used to give the ground people practice in running their procedures and this is one of the reasons that the CAA encourage PPLs to ask ATC units if they would like to run a practice pan exercise.
Training fixes can be used for training purposes, but are also available to all aircraft on all flights.
If you're terminally lost and out of all other ideas then by all means use 121.5 to restore your plot
You have missed the point of training fixes. In the UK being terminally lost is simply not acceptable, as there is a lot of controlled airspace; Training fixes are intended to prevent people being terminally lost and encroaching. Prevention is better than the cure.
Bear in mind that Professional aviators are sometimes required to monitor 121.5 and spurious use of this lifesaving frequency is not only very public, but also potentially very distracting to those who use it for the correct purposes
Please read and understand UK air law and ATC procedures before making statements like this - you are incorrect in implying that this is an incorrect use of the frequency in the UK.