Enough is enough. Just stop. Guard.

ZapBrannigan

If it ain’t a Boeing, I’m not going. No choice.
Ok ladies and gentlemen,

Enough is enough. For years we have listened to the escalating sophomoric chatter on guard. It is only getting worse. We are a captive audience, forced to listen to this garbage. Worse yet, ATC is listening as well. At the very least these childish back and fourths block the frequency for someone who might really need it. They prevent it from being used to locate aircraft who have missed a handoff. But I think most importantly, it is an unprofessional distraction that paints us - all of us - in a bad light.

I would like to call upon all of you, Captains and First Officers alike to do something simple. If your flying partner is screwing around on guard, tell them to knock it off. It's childish. It isn't funny. We can joke around all we want in the cockpit, but transmitting our amateur comedy for the world to hear is destructive.

If someone mistakenly calls ops on guard. Just let it go. Nobody needs to have a hair trigger to correct them. They will figure it out when they don't get a response. But just as bad as those that are spring loaded to shout "guard" are the copycat comedians that have to chime in too, ultimately ending in some stupid crack about Delta or "Dad".

Grow up. And demand the same level of maturity from those you fly with. If you agree, copy and share this post to your social media. Hopefully we can put an end to this practice.

/rant


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I sometimes correct the person as a courtesy. If they call ops on guard, I'll read back their flight number and *politely* tell them to check their frequency. Same thing with the occasional GA pilot that accidentally transmits on Com2 instead of Com1. Just yelling "Gaaaaaarrrddd" at them doesn't do anything to actually help the situation.
 
I sometimes correct the person as a courtesy. If they call ops on guard, I'll read back their flight number and *politely* tell them to check their frequency. Same thing with the occasional GA pilot that accidentally transmits on Com2 instead of Com1. Just yelling "Gaaaaaarrrddd" at them doesn't do anything to actually help the situation.
I think they're fair game after two attempts. First call and no response your mindset should be "what am I screwing up?"

I personally don't do it, but whatever. If it bothers you, turn the volume down until it stops.
 
I must be the one lucky guy that rarely hears anything on Guard besides the random beacon going off in the mountain areas.
 
I must be the one lucky guy that rarely hears anything on Guard besides the random beacon going off in the mountain areas.
Same here, flying out west it's usually silent except for the occasional airliner looking for another airliner to give them a center frequency. Once in a while someone will call ops or something on guard, but someone will say "hey *blank* you're transmitting on guard" and leave it at that.

It's out in the Midwest where things seem to be a circus.

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I must be the one lucky guy that rarely hears anything on Guard besides the random beacon going off in the mountain areas.

Yep, mostly happens East of the Mississippi, with the exception around large hub airports, Never heard any asshattery in Europe, Africa, Asia, Central or South America. Might be because certain regionals don't fly that far? I dunno.
 
That isn't a helpful statement.

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Only times in 20 years of airline flying I witnessed asshattery was at ASA. Two captains, who I asked, "How old are you?" And two FOs, who I told I'd break their finger if they pulled that crap again.

Who do you think is doing it? All I know is I don't hear it where certain regionals and LCCs don't fly.
 
Only times in 20 years of airline flying I witnessed asshattery was at ASA. Two captains, who I asked, "How old are you?" And two FOs, who I told I'd break their finger if they pulled that crap again.

Who do you think is doing it? All I know is I don't hear it where certain regionals and LCCs don't fly.
It's everywhere.

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That isn't a helpful statement.

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Its truf... Know three ASA pilots by name who do it on the regular. One guy who makes fake PAs posing as a Delta pilot going to New York (no flight number of course) and lists his carrier landings, years of experience of course...
 
Ahh, my self-imposed hiatus is up.

However...

I keep mine deselected but I'm often bothered by the fact that one day I'm going to end up in a situation where I should have been monitoring guard.

I turned it on in the first time in months on my last trip (pairing, rotation, whatever you want to call it to avoid getting triggered) and from about Illinois and all points east it was basically people stepping on one another chirping "work work work", "geeeeARD", etc.

Good grief people, shut the hell up. You may hear the guy trying to call ops passing through 15,000 feet, but when you key the mic at FL390, you're scuttling the frequency for everyone within your line-of-sight.

If my copilot started his comedy routine over 121.5 I'd figuratively choke him out. I don't care if it was "BroBroBro, it was no big deal at Brand X, lighten up".
 
Ahh, my self-imposed hiatus is up.

However...

I keep mine deselected but I'm often bothered by the fact that one day I'm going to end up in a situation where I should have been monitoring guard.

I turned it on in the first time in months on my last trip (pairing, rotation, whatever you want to call it to avoid getting triggered) and from about Illinois and all points east it was basically people stepping on one another chirping "work work work", "geeeeARD", etc.

Good grief people, shut the hell up. You may hear the guy trying to call ops passing through 15,000 feet, but when you key the mic at FL390, you're scuttling the frequency for everyone within your line-of-sight.

If my copilot started his comedy routine over 121.5 I'd figuratively choke him out. I don't care if it was "BroBroBro, it was no big deal at Brand X, lighten up".
Welcome back, Derg! The living room wasn't the same without you. But thanks for letting us hang out and drink your beers while you were away.
 
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