[libertylover]

using the emergency "Mayday" channel in the belief they were not being monitored

??? I thought that channel was always monitored. If not, what's the use?

[Lurker]

Thank Gd for the stupidity of our enemies.

L

[TigersEye]

If you keep asking schmart questions like that
the gooberment is going to put lead in your drinking water.

[pajama pundit]

Mayday Channel - otherwise known as Guard channel in US (VHF 121.5 and UHF 243.0). In the military the UHF guard channel is always monitored along with any other frequency you are talking on so that if someone is in distress (and transmitting on the emergency channel) then any military aircraft in range can hear them and contact the appropriate air traffic control (or rescue) facility. Many commercial aircraft also monitor the VHF emergency channel (mayday/guard channel) along with air traffic control facilities. So it is rather stupid to think that you can carry on a conversation over guard channel and not expect many ears to be listening. And if you are transmitting over guard (mayday) and are not talking about an emergency of some sort, then either people are going to tell you to shut up because you are interrupting normal air traffic control conversations, or they are going to be naturally suspicious.

[Chickensoup]

Did they catch them? Are they prosecuting them? Are they executing them?

Or is this another catch and release operation?