I used to think that the new standby comm radio frequency monitoring was a great feature. That was until I actually tried to use it. On the surface, it sounds like a great idea. Especially for mission limited aircraft. And, for the most part, it still is. But, if you're typically flying in busy airspace, as I do in Southern California, then it's not a feature you can count on for typical flight missions. A little background: TRACON in SoCal really appreciates all pilots flying in Southern California be in communication with them. They deal with busy radar screens and get a little stressed out when having to call out unknown traffic that affects you and your safe flight. They would rather be able to communicate with both pilots (sometimes more) and vector you away from in each in a coordinated manner. I know this because I regularly talk with several controllers and they say it's one of the worst things they have to deal with. Any flight to another airport will require you t...
If you're in a hurry, buy an airplane!