Enough Already: Quit Playing Around on Guard

Former air traffic controller explains the risks of using the guard frequency unnecessarily.

Jason Judy

Thursday, January 01, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

Air traffic controllers [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

A former air traffic controller, now a pilot, emphasizes the severe safety risk posed by pilots misusing the emergency frequency (121.5, "guard") for non-essential chatter or jokes.
This frivolous behavior frustrates controllers, often leading them to mute the guard frequency, and causes many pilots to stop monitoring it, thus hindering critical coordination and potentially preventing genuine distress calls from being heard.
The author advocates for disciplinary action against offenders and urges pilots to use the designated air-to-air frequency (123.45) for non-critical communication, ensuring the guard frequency remains clear for emergencies.

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I retired from a 26-year career as an air traffic controller (ATC) in September 2023. I didn’t even take a day off before starting my new career as a Part 91 corporate pilot. I was so excited to get out of the dark control room and go enjoy the views. I was definitely going to miss the intensity of doing ATC every day, but I was ready for the change.

Since then, I have had countless people ask if I had always wanted to be a pilot and finally fulfilled my dream.