Why did the airforce not make a phone call to CX Ops, arrange an ACARS message and solve the problem in 60-90 seconds? Too high tech to find a phone number or just not nearly as much fun as blasting around supersonic and making the headlines?

The Hungarian Airforce/ NATO to call IOC?

Get your hand off it.

Correct! - Are we supposed to apologise for having had rip snorting fun at the taxpayers expense? :E

Yes, I can see a Hungarian general sitting on hold listening to 'We Can Fly'....:ugh:

all HK based crew so midnight body clock or later...not surprising getting 90 hours jammed down their throats even in a 'leave days' month...
can't continue without more of this happening..
and IOC ?? really? anybody?

'We can lie'

"all HK based crew so midnight body clock or later..."
A lunchtime departure from ZRH puts them into Hungary 45 minutes later, so it's barely evening body clock time. No chance they were "controlled resting".

I think BA was intercepted over Hungary a few months ago as well. The 121.5 volume can get set low by accident. I have started making sure to check it along with the radar(yes, I have found it off) as one of the first things when coming back from crew rest.

You're a legend in your own lunchtime jammed stab. I've taken to ensuring the frigging thing is turned right down whenever possible. Primarily so I don't have to listen to all that ping pong ball In the mouth ****e over China.

Excellent post, both witty and coherent. :ok:

STP

Cheers. Literally !!

Well, perhaps that was you then over Hungary. If there is a problem with excessive chatter on 121.5, I just turn it down so that it is hardly audible and won't interfere with ATC. But if it is really quiet on ATC such as a screwup by being on the wrong frequency, I can hear them calling me on 121.5. A Hungarian pilot I know told me that their fighter pilots get so little flight time that they are extremely keen to get a chance to fly in formation with any Cathay or BA guy that likes to turn 121.5 down to inaudible.

The freighter fleet don't seem to have as many problems like this. I wonder why?

Sadly I haven't seen Hungarian airspace in a coons' age. So, no, it wasn't me over Hungary. That would be our illustrious senior fleet leading by example. Again. And again.

Senior fleet!?! Hahaha. No such thing at CX.

Yes, because listening to 121.5 on secondary, and changing freq between FIRs on primary, requires 1000s of hours of heavy jet time.
In most parts of the world that's part of PPL training, not sure how it's done in HK though....

CP

re: The key word is "training".

Without that, well...

Maybe it is, but experience is what will make you think "radio's been a bit quiet, who should we be talking to?", and thus trap these errors.

We all make errors, even the multi thousand hours pilot. It's how we catch and correct those errors that count. That's where experience comes in.

Pilots might have had no idea about current sensitive situation Turkey Syria Border just now. That is the problem when your management is not your friend.