© Frankljunior | Dreamstime.com – Air Traffic Control Tower And An Airplane Photo
This has become a popular question with our CC Skywave™.
According to Wikipedia, Airband, also referred to as Aircraft or Aviation band, is a group of frequencies in the VHF radio spectrum that are allocated to civil aviation radio communications. VHF is a short range, line of site transmission. Our radio covers 118 – 137MHz for Airband. In most countries a license is required to operate airband equipment but that appears to apply only to transceivers, not receivers. In some countries it is illegal to listen to or monitor the Airband without authorization (even in the UK).
The language that is used to communicate on this band can be a challenge to follow. Ken Hoke’s article on Stuff Pilots Say, gives some great insight into the meaning of the seemingly cryptic language used on Airband.
The primary purpose of Air traffic control worldwide is to prevent collisions, organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and provide information and other support for pilots. It was difficult to find any “history” of airband but it appears that it was first used extensively after World War I and after 1921 at Croydon airport in London. Navigation and air traffic control have changed over time and many areas use higher frequencies and RADAR and other more sophisticated systems. The Airband radio frequencies still continue to play a part though, especially in ground communication with pilots. It is used almost exclusively in small airports that don’t have control towers. We have one customer who plans to use the CC Skywave for monitoring the ground to pilot communication at the local air races.
As to why we decided to include Airband in our radio? Here is Bob’s answer:
“When you are in a big airport you are sometimes subject to the whims of security and circumstance. TSA does a great job but when the process gets a little tense I yearn for more information. I want to know everything that will affect my tiny domain. When you listen to aviation band you can usually figure out more by reading between the lines on what pilots and the control tower are talking about. Sometimes you gain a sense of power and wisdom as you do with any knowledge.”
For more information on what you might hear or how to listen, visit the links below.
http://radio-scanner-guide.com/radioscannerguidepart3c-civilaircraft.htm
http://www.wikihow.com/Listen-to-Your-Local-Air-Traffic-Control
Tell us your best airline story in the comments below.
I was fifteen and returning to my parents in Michigan from a ski racing camp in Vermont. It was Christmas Eve. I stood by at LaGuardia and got a Capitol Airlines Viscount to Detroit. La Guardia was deserted except for a very few people at 6:30 on Christmas Eve. A bus and a taxi got me home by 9:00. My parents re VERY surprised.
Best airport to leave from is Atlantic City NJ. Walking distance from parking lot to terminal. Bad news is greasy smell from sandwich shop permeates the waiting area.
When I was a kid in the 60’s my Dad used to take us to the Mpls airport and would park at a viewing spot on Post Rd. We would bring pop and popcorn and watch planes land and take off for hours. If they would have had a radio like the Skywave then, my Dad would have been in heaven!
I got bumped up to 1st class once years ago. I was sitting next to a woman the entire trip, talking, etc. Found out after the flight that it was Fay Dunaway – hadn’t noticed!
A friend, a helicopter pilot, was flying on a commercial flight from Anchorage to Kodiak Alaska. He told me it was so windy that the ground speed was 10 knots (~11 mph) and the slots and flaps could not deploy and continually were forced to be retracted to their inflight positions. The wind was reported at over 100 knots (~115 MPH).
When I fly I like to listen to the pilots’ comments to the tower, on the in flight radio settings.
When I was stationed in Kodiak Alaska a helicopter pilot told me of his flight back from Anchorage. He was flying commercial and the landing “took forever”. The wind was recorded at over 100 MPH. His ground speed was about 10-15 MPH. He said it was so windy the flaps on the jet kept retracting as they were “so close” to the maximum speed for them to be lowered for landing.
I remember having to share one window with several other Air Force Brats for three days gazing at the Pacific Ocean flying out of California to Hawaii to New Zealand to Australia. Luckily all of kids were civil to each other. Maybe it was the roaring of the engines that kept us behaved.
In 1967 I had one of the first airband portable ‘transister’ radios. I was a young man and recently married – actually working as computer ‘geek’ for an airline. So…a ‘date night’ for us often meant picking up some to-go food, then parking by the edge of E-W runway, turning on the airband and listening to the pilots as they landed and took off while we were munching A&W burgers and rootbeers.
When I worked for the Government of Canada’s Airports branch, I helped out at a small airport whose secretary was ill. As a few coworkers and I sorted out the piles of misfiled correspondence, we listened to the aircraft communications on the radio. A lady pilot asked if the controllers could do something or other for her, I forget what it was but I remember their answer. “We can do anything. We’re controllers,” the man in the tower said. I couldn’t help but laugh at that remark.
Two one seven four Whiskey. That was my tail number flying out of Sacramento. Loved the freedom of flying a small plane.
My dad worked at McDonnell Dounglas/Boeing (merger in 1998) for over 30 years, was laid off in December 2014 (the plant is closing) So, my story is my dad helped build air planes. He worked on the DC-10/KC-10, MD-80, MD-95, MD-11, and the great C-17 🙂 The one time I have flown I had the pleasure of flying aboard an MD-80 to St. Louis in July of 1998, and on the way to St. Louis I sat on row behind the wings. When my dad was on the MD-80 assembly line he and his crew built the leading edge of the wings, so I was blessed to see and experience the fruit of his labor. I have been able to say I flew in am airplane my dad helped to build.
In the late 50’s I flew with my mother and dad in our family owned Stinson. It was a four passenger and I was riding along in the back-seat just behind my dad who was piloting. We were on a cross country flight; and I was beginning to doze off listening to the hum of the engine noise. All of a sudden, things went stark quiet. I abruptly sat up, startled. Then the engine came back to life. The Stinson was a high-wing, tail dragger and had two gas tanks with one in each wing. Dad was busy talking to mother when he noticed he was getting low in the gas tank he was currently drawing from. Without looking, he reaches up and flips the switch to the other tank or what he assumed was the gas switch. It was the master switch killing the engine in mid flight. He responded quickly, hitting the master switch back to ‘on’ and the engine restarted in mid-air. The master switch was positioned just above the gas switch. Fortunately, we did not throw a cylinder in the restart.
Boarding an airplane that is going to land at Kahului Airport in Maui is the best trip every time.
Alaska has been the best overall for me.
I purchased the am/fm pocket radio two years ago, wish I had this one now…
I was traveling through Lima Peru, and the bomb sniffing dogs stopped at my bag and were fixated at the contents! The security officers determined the dogs could smell my cat who normally used the bag for a bed before my trip. I guess these well trained dogs still would chase a cat given the chance.
It was Christmas Eve in Antarctia. Waiting for the last airplane (LC-130) to arrive from Christchruch, New Zeland. It’s an 8 hour flight if the weather is good. About an hour before the landing. Singing was heard on the radio. Sounded like 12 day of Christmas. “5 Killos of Mail, 4 Engines Turning, 3 Wheels Downed and Locked, 2 Radios chattering and 1 Skyway in Sight”.
One of many good times with U. S. Navy.
when I was in high school I was lucky enough to meet a man who owned airborne electronics. He invented the electronic propeller governor for the beach v35 bonanza. They had a hydraulic propeller govenor which when it failed killed a lot of people by letting the prop go to open pitch. The electronic version invented had a failsafe mode to prevent this from happening. I was fortunate enough to work with him for several years out of Sonoma County Airport. These were some of the best times of my life. I’m now 50 years old and live in Grants Pass Oregon near the Grants Pass Airport I would love to get my license if and when its financially available to me. Having this new radio would allow me to listen to the planes coming in and out of Grants Pass airport I would certainly love thatC crane has the best electronic products I have ever purchased and I’m so happy to have found them as a company
As a boy, I always wanted to be a pilot….to fly a plane. Due to limited economic resources, I stayed away from it, until sometime in my professional career, the time arrived. The best moment in my life….when I was able to break the “law of gravity”, and I did my first “solo flight”, taking off on board a Cessna 150. What a feeling, superb sensation, and a tremendous accomplishment. After that, my logbook has 2,381 hours, of enjoyable flying time around the Caribbean Islands, 1800 hrs. on a 1979 Mooney 201. Really enjoyable….the very best.
My favorite airline story is landing in Edwards airport after leaving Vietnam. I arrived alive in Jan. 1969.
my best airline was united airlines. the best airports have been the smaller ones ,such as santa Barbara,santa monica, & my favorite has to be texas a&m. I remember when I was in college taking communications classes etc., I was telling the stewardess how nice it would be if I could be upfront w/ the pilot&co-pilot while in midair. to my surprise,the pilot came from the cockpit over to my seat & invited me to sit in the “jump seat” where other pilots & others needed a lift to their destination to where they had to be or wherever they needed to be. well, I learned the way airline communication was spoken,etc., it was the nicest and best learning class I ever had. long story short,i wrote my final paper on the experience I had & these days,that would never happen again. a once in a life time experience. from there, I was hooked on radio communicatios and operations. I would love to win this radio so that I could listen to all & see how things have changed. that would be my dream come true.
My best story was when I was at O’Hare trying to board my flight. The agent informed me I had no seat on the flight in spite of what my boarding pass indicated. As I am a frequent flyer, I decided to call the airline in front of her and the agent on the phone said I did indeed have a seat and asked to speak to the agent at the gate. The gate agent refused and held her ground – no reason given. I went to customer service at the airport, convinced them to go to the gate and the agent was given a ‘direct order’ to let me board. Maybe it was my after shave. Still baffles me to this day.
My most memorable story was flying Alitalia to Milan, Italy, with my friend who had tourette syndrome, a bizarre disorder of repetitive movements and odd sounds. The flight attendants were kind and treated him with respect, which meant so much to him and to myself.
Being in sales all my life, many airlines and airports. Flying on AA from Laguardia in NY to Buffalo, we left the gate joined the line and soon were zipping down the runway. Suddenly everything came to a halt as we heard and saw an incoming flight pass over our heads and land! Pucker time to say the least. Slight error on someones part, never found out who.
I was flying from Volk Field in Wisconsin to Ramstein in Germany about 1986 in a C-140, which has no windows. The refueling stop was Lajes Field in the Azores. The jets were idled back as we came to land when suddenly they went into full acceleration mode and we headed straight up. Later learned a cow had wandered on the runway in front of the plane and the landing was suddenly aborted, scaring the heck out of everybody on the plane.
The airband in a radio is 108-136 MHz
Technician being sent out of state for repairs. Had a head cold. Private jet and air strip at company headquarters. Pilot with a wild hair. It was a really fun take off and flight. Even made my head feel better. However he thought it would be fun to drop like a rock on the landing too and the pressure – I thought my head was going to explode. I couldn’t hear anything. Did my job for the next few days and thought I was going to die. Requested different pilot for return trip. LOL Definitely my most memorable trip. Exhilarating yet painful! haha
I love aircraft and flight. One favorite memory from my youth is of riding in a small Bell “bubble” helicopter. Another memory was a ride in a Lake Buccaneer…got sick both times.
My most memorable flight was a rough one. We were in Australia. It was a night flight from Gladstone to Brisbane. A thunderstorm came up, wrapping us in fierce tentacles. From the window it was either pitch-black or blinding white strobes of lightning. The stewardess was sitting against the bulkhead facing rearward. Initially I took comfort in the fact that she seemed at ease. She was chatting away and seemed unconcerned that we were bouncing around. And then it got worse. She stopped chatting. The plane would drop away leaving you flung outward against your lap belt. Then it would slam back up on some unseen current. We were thrown violently from side to side. Several times it felt like we had come to a complete shuddering halt—shaking like a giant paint mixer. Thank God for skilled pilots, a well-built aircraft, and His providential care.
BY FAR,the best airline is DELTA. super friendly,super pretty and super attentive airline stewardess’s BAR NUNgobon
Hard to pick just one so here is a couple of my favourites – first is the view from the one can get from the window and three stick out to me. First was flying into Vancouver, BC and seeing the view of the ocean, mountains and clear blue sky just amazing. Second was coming to Edmonton Alberta from London England and as we flew over Greenland the pilot told us to look, again amazing to see the coast and icebergs and glaciers from 40,000 feet and finally was when I flew into Cairo and the pilot said look out to see the pyramids – by far the most amazing site flying – looked out and the sun was setting and in view was the great pyramids of Giza and Sphinx and the desert in the background as we approached the airport – took my breath away!. The most exciting flights where on small when i did some work in africa, the landing strips, airports where how to say very very interesting and once we almost crashed as we started to decent into N’Djamena in Chad and the one engine failed in a dramatic manor, we dropped a few thousand feet, plane was going up and down and all around – thought for sure that was it but the Canadian pilot landed the dash 8 without incident but it was a fast and bit of a hard landing. Best thing was after safely landed captain emerged from the cockpit and said – “well that wasn’t supposed to happen” we all burst out laughing from our deer in the headlight look and silence.
I fly a lot and enjoy it a lot.
When I was young I lived across a large field and I would lay on my back and watch the B52’s, Fueling plane’ etc, come into to land about 15 miles away. and land at the Air Force Base’ They were soo large. The base has now closed but has other functions. I live in a different location now near 2 airports. I had a Shortwave radio that had an air band freq. and heard pilots taking to staff. Not very clear and the radio died after a month but it was exciting. I see the Medivac helicopters fly over my house as well as those planes going to the Air base and wonder what they are saying. I wonder where they came from and where they are going..
Favorite time was Pan Am’s new route to Bombay as I went with HS friend and his family. 1987 flight was half empty and everything was so casual and laid back those were the days!
I don’t know as i can say that it was my best but at the time it was the scariest. .I was flying from Minneapolis to Memphis on a new air bus, i was sitting right behind the first class wall in coach. My row and the two subsequent rows behind me had just been given our so called meals and drinks when all of a sudden the plane just dropped the food cart hit the celing of the plane and landed just into the first class section making a big mess, the flight attendants lost their footing, people lost it they were throwing up etc.. fairly new to flying I thought that was it. .and the smell of puke recirculated through that plane the whole flight. Good thing most everyone still had their seat belts on and no one was seriously hurt. . That was a Northwest flight quite a few years ago. .late 80′ early 90’s if I remember right.
A few years ago at Pearson Airport, Toronto Canada I was listening to the tower frequency and heard a communication between pilots and the tower saying they had a situation on board and that they had to land asap. Apparently a bomb threat was the issue and I was close to the airport and saw the place e being evacuated on the runway away from all structures. It turned out to be a false alarm but without my expensive scanner radio I would not have even know there was any issue at all. A radio with this band would be awesome to have. Thank you for giving me a platform to tell my story.
A few years ago at Pearson Airport, Toronto Canada I was listening to the tower frequency and heard a communication between pilots and the tower saying they had a situation on board and that they had to land asap. Apparently a bomb threat was the issue and I was close to the airport and saw the plane being evacuated on the runway away from all structures. It turned out to be a false alarm but without my expensive scanner radio I would not have even know there was any issue at all. A radio with this band would be awesome to have. Thank you for giving me a platform to tell my story.
Heh. I remember coming home from the Caribbean. What was supposed to be a connection home through NYC turned out to go through Tampa Bay instead. And then Chicago. O’Hare. It was… longer and later than the original plan.
My airport story is that I was in line to get on my plane at the gate, about 10 yrs ago I would say, this elderly woman was in a wheel chair and she was wheeling herself, she was dropped off at the airport to fend for herself, in the regular boarding line. I advised her that she could go around the line for the handicapped line and I wheeled her over to it, and helped her board the plane, it was very rewarding and heartwarming, she was so happy.
My best flight story was for my 8th birthday. We had a local airport nearby that allowed free birthday rides, so I got to ride up front next to the pilot and actually fly the plane! I knew the way home from the airport, so I buzzed my house while my mom was in the backyard waving to me as we flew over. It was an experience I will never forget! My first experiences with listening to aircraft communications was when I received a Zenith Transoceanic Radio for Christmas while I was in junior high school. I saw this one band designated for aircraft, so I slowly tuned through it, hoping to hear something. All of a sudden, the first voice I hear is coming from O’Hare airport control tower, as it is directing a plane in for a landing. The aircraft’s response was faint as the pilot acknowledged the control tower. I watched the sky to look for a plane, but nothing was in sight. It was amazing to me that I could hear both sides of the conversation! I have been addicted to scanning ever since then. Later on, I worked for Radio Shack for a number of years, so of course among my purchases were police scanners that also covered the aircraft frequencies. 35 years later, I am still listening and enjoying the aircraft band.
A ham buddy who flew 747’s was also active while “aeronautical mobile” on the planes HF radio. As he’d be coming back in he’d call his wife, also a ham, on the two meter repeater with his hand held we all used.
Would have loved to have had access to the Air Band while sitting for 2 hours on the tarmac in Minneapolis waiting for the crew to fit a new door onto the cargo hatch.
I remember being settled in for a long flight on a large airplane, the kind that have 10 or 12 seats across. I was traveling with several of my high school students. A lady came down the aisle,stopped at my row, looked directly at me and said “You are in my seat.” A fligt attendant was only a few steps behind her and looked at me and said “Come with me please.” She walked me all the way to first class and left the grumpy lady in a seat among my students. I missed them………….not!
I am lifetime Gold medallion with Delta. They once offered me a trip for two at their expense to go to Seattle to be part of the ceremony for the purchase of their first Boeing 777. By luck the pilot for Delta who would fly the B 777 for the first time, after transfer of title (done in the air), was a personal friend of mine. By luck I couldn’t go, I had to fly, on Delta, to Amsterdam.
As a person who has had a lifetime long love of the airline industry my best airline story happened right after American Airlines took over AirCal. I had just over 10,000 frequent flyer miles on American. They offered, for 10,000 miles, a round trip anywhere along the west coast. Wanting to get the most out of my miles I checked out the routing for flights between Modesto, CA (about 70 miles from my home in the San Francisco Bay Area) and Seattle. I found the ideal route for an airline enthusiast!
I left my home in the San Francisco Bay Area about 4:00 a.m. on 9/15/87 for Modesto (the drive was about 45 minutes) away). From Modesto I flew American Eagle flight 5130, a Swearingen Metro (registration N2683B, operated by Wings West), to San Francisco. The next flight was American 2759 operated by a former AirCal 737-159 (N472GB, the 99th one built) from San Francisco to Seattle.
After taking the bus into downtown Seattle and staying there for three or so hours I returned to the airport for my next two flights. These were American 2718, former AirCal 737-293 (N463GB,the 40th one built) from Seattle to Los Angeles via San Francisco. The final flight of the day was American Eagle 5082 (a Swearingen Metro operated by Wings West and registered N352AE) from Los Angeles to Modesto via Fresno. The sunset I saw on the segment between Los Angles and Fresno segment was fantastic. During the brief stop in Fresno we waited near the runway as a couple of Air National Guard fighters took off.
I arrived back home the same day about 10:00 p.m. very tired but, at the same time, very satisfied after doing a once-in-a-lifetime series of flights. I had flown about 2100 miles, stopped in an airport that was only about 20 miles from my home not once but twice, and enjoyed a fantastic sunset.
I wish I had an airline story to tell see I have never been in a plane before. All of my family lives in the same state as I do. But I love airplanes.
I like to say that “I am not where I want to be in aviation but, I also am not were I was”. I would like to earn a private pilots license some day. I still study and weather premitting go out to KDET and KDTW to look listen and observe aircraft landing and taking off. I have been at KDET to witness gears up emergency landings and to see the airport closed after a banner towning aircraft crash. I have scene the G-IV which OPRAH travels in when she came to town to the corporate aircraft of the Big Three and vagas casino’s. I just might have to take a look at that new CC air band radio because my old SPORTCAT 180 is not what it used to be.
Last summer I taught my 10 year old grandson Colin to fly a 36 inch wide wingspan Styrofoam glider on a Lake Michigan beach. I had more fun that afternoon than I’ve ever had on an airplane or in an airport lounge.
I was about 14 years old with my dad at a 1200′ sod strip fly-in (breakfast, I think) near Stoughton, Wisconsin. My dad loved small planes and was passing the love on to me. I was standing next to the strip with my dad and a group of men watching the planes land. When in comes a low wing single engine plane, a little low, no, a lot too low. There was a telephone or power line (1960’s) at the end of the field. You guessed it, the plane hit the cable, right on the prop hub. The cable snapped and what you probably didn’t guess was, the plane landed, no other problems! After he landed he taxied back to the parking area. Several of us (perhaps the whole gang and them some) meandered over to the plane. The pilot was with his wife and 2 kids. The pilot was visibly shaken (I bet you could have guessed that). His hands were trembling. We all examined the prop hub; smashed in, dead nuts on the center but no damage to the prop. I remember seeing his wife feeling the dent. I wish I could remember what her comments were. I think the pilot made some comment about the line should have been marked. I’m not sure if it made the news. I’ll never forget it.
Now that I completed this story I have second thoughts. My wife has a cousin with a 2 place home build. One time he started it (propped it) with too much throttle with little or no brake. It started going down his strip. He followed the plane down the strip holding on to the wing. Finally he gave up on trying to get in. The plane took off, turned 180 degrees, and crashed in the ditch……..
Then there was the time my uncle was flying a B-24 (B-17?) over Germany…..
My best flight was my first – 12 years old, flying alone from NYC to New Orleans to spend the summer with my grandmother. It was probably Delta. I has a window seat, and the sky the whole way was filled with big beautiful cumulus clouds. All I did was stare out the window and enjoy the view.
My best airport story is when I flew “Hueys” in Vietnam. Landing at the Pleku airport. At that time it was the largest number of aircraft landing and taking off of any in the world! It was a nightmare