Guard (121.50) frequency support

[Keith Smith]

The Guard frequency 121.50) will be supported as of May 29. This is an emergency or last resort frequency that is used in real life for pilots to contact ATC, or for ATC to try to reach pilots.

In real life, pilots are encouraged/required to use a 2nd radio to monitor guard. We don't yet support the use of multiple radios at the same time, so monitoring guard won't be required, but if you've lost comms with ATC, or need assistance and don't know who to call, you'll be able to make use of the Guard frequency in those cases.

Long term, we will support multiple radios on the pilot side, and we will give ATC the ability to monitor and transmit on Guard separate to their main frequencies, but this is a good start.

[Keith Smith]

An example of when you might use guard would be if ATC neglects to change you over to the 'next frequency' while you're descending for an approach into one of the desert airports. You may well lose contact with ATC at some point as a result. If that happens, you can try LA Center on Guard, 121.50 to obtain a more appropriate frequency.

If you're VFR on a XC trip, not talking to anyone, and you have an emergency arise, rather than trying to look up an appropriate freq, you can go straight to 121.50 (as you would in real life) and transmit on Guard to establish contact with ATC.

Our implementation of Guard will take you to the LA Center or Oakland Center controller(s), but we can get you over to TRACON or tower frequencies as needed. Note, if you are fairly low and far away from the nearest Guard transmitter, you may not be heard, but if you climb higher, you're like to eventually get coverage.

[Ryan B]

Great now I can scream when my Piaggio has a double engine failure!