Originally Posted by sfergson727

I hate to be a stick in the mud, getting in the way of the folks who think it is funny to clutter up 121.5 with non-essential communications. That said, as a pilot for a major 121 airline, I find it extremely irritating to have vital communications from ATC blacked out by the folks who seem to think 121.5 is a joke. We are required to monitor 121.5 for a variety of safety reasons, and I find myself often having to turn it off, as more than once the chatter has interfered with my ability to hear an ATC transmission to us. Frequency changes, clearances to land, etc have been made unreadable by people playing games. As I said and you all know, we monitor guard for safety reasons, and that is compromised when we have to turn it off.

All I ask, is before you engage the mike switch on 121.5 to imitate a cat, dog or “guuuaaarrd”, or any other countless mundane item, please think about the very real possibility that you are blocking the ability for someone else to not receive an ATC clearance/instruction.

thanks, fly safe and rant off.

Scott