Makes perfect sense. The US and Russia have Sarsat/Cospas satellites
that monitor international distress frequencies (121.5, 234.0, 406
MHz) and alert regional search centers. This system can detect and
report much faster than random aircraft monitoring enroute. See
http://www.faa.gov/ATpubs/AIM/Chap6/aim0602.html.

73 de Benton, W4PE

On Mon, 18 Oct 2004 21:06:29 -0300, "Bob McBeth"
wrote:

"Fractenna"
http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/1...eut/index.html

One thing doesn't make sense.

If it was emitting on 121.5 MHz, then why was it first picked-up by a
satellite, as opposed to the dozens of aircraft that would have been passing
overhead in the time before the satellite passed over ?

The Truth !! - as filtered through journalism students sigh.