Airline Company Frequencies

[N4JNW]

Ok, so I've always wondered.. What all goes on on Airline Company frequencies? I've seen them listed, and never known what they were, what they were for, or what was said on them. Are they very chatty?

What's the DL on them?

 

[kicktd]

From what I understand (haven't tuned into one yet) it's your standard Mechanic info, wx info, dispatch info etc. I have a friend who works as a dispatcher for a company that does private charters so I'll see if I can ask him see if he would know more info on what to expect.

 

[N4JNW]

Thanks!

 

[Bucko]

You will hear anything from problems with the aircraft or wanting to talk to maint to a sick passenger having to divert to another airport to land. I have several programmed in so yes they are chatty at times.

 

[N4JNW]

Are the company frequencies the same anywhere you go? Like say is Delta's company frequency the same in.. Cincinatti as it is in Dallas or Los Angeles?

Or do they change with the city? I'm going to have to program in a few of these and listen in for myself.

Also, are they only used while the aircraft is on the ground at the gate, or during taxi, or are they used in flight as well?

 

[kicktd]

They are used in flight as well as on the ground

On another note I've noticed that some planes that are ACARS equipped will use ACARS to "talk" to their airline.

 

[Bucko]

What I listen to they are in the air but I do hear them once and a while at our local airport while they are on the ground. As for the freq the same everywhere, that I don't know but I doubt it.

 

[ryangassxx]

what do you mean by company frequencies... a major airline operating in a good sized airport will generally be operating on MANY frequencies... There's ramp, fueling, provisioning, operations, baggage services, customer service, and THEN the air bands..

What are you trying to hear?

 

[edweirdFL]

I hear the AC calling the airport ground operations about 20 minutes out. They find out what gate they are going to, and tell the folks on the ground how many wheel chairs and unaccompanied minors they have to unload.

When they are about 10 minutes off the ground on their trip away from the airport, they call back with the times they were off the gate, and off the ground, and something to do with fuel burned.

ACARS is an option for sending these messages in many cases.

The freqs for a company don't seem to be the same everywhere, and if it's the routine traffic I mentioned, it's not too chatty. When there's some kind of exception, it can be.

Ed

 

[ryangassxx]

I hear the AC calling the airport ground operations about 20 minutes out. They find out what gate they are going to, and tell the folks on the ground how many wheel chairs and unaccompanied minors they have to unload.

When they are about 10 minutes off the ground on their trip away from the airport, they call back with the times they were off the gate, and off the ground, and something to do with fuel burned.

ACARS is an option for sending these messages in many cases.

The freqs for a company don't seem to be the same everywhere, and if it's the routine traffic I mentioned, it's not too chatty. When there's some kind of exception, it can be.

Ed

Yep.. This radio is actually a company specific radio.. When they are radioing the ground it's actually the airline operations they are contacting not the airport personnel.. When they say how many wheelchairs they have.. They are actually talking about passengers requiring either a wheel chair or assistance once they arrive. In the airline industry these people are refered to as "wheel chairs". Usually there will be a contracted company in charge of meeting these people at the gate with a wheel chair or assistance. In most cities it's a company called "Prospect".

You must monitor those frequencies regularly to know all that..

 

[Newark777]

"Wheelchair" ACARS messages are some of the more common ones I receive, so while I don't monitor the company frequencies, I would bet a lot of it goes through ACARS.

 

[ryangassxx]

how do you set up an acars monitoring setup?

 

[Newark777]

how do you set up an acars monitoring setup?

I use ACARSD, a free ACARS decoder:

http://www.acarsd.org/

There's tons of information on that site, the Wiki here, and these forums on how to set it up. Very simply, you plug the scanner into the microphone jack and start the program up.

 

[ryangassxx]

wow this is cool... I was expecting you to run off a list of all the crap I would have to buy. This is something I can do right now!

 

[Gilligan]

They are used in flight as well as on the ground.

Are you referring to the UHF freqs being used up in the air? I know they usually have a repeater for every airlines at the airport but I've never seen any handhelds used on the planes (and it would have to be simplex anyway). Please specify....

 

[kicktd]

Here are some typical ACARS messages I get pertaining to contacting the airline:

Typical Delta Airlines message giving info on what's needed to be done upon landing

ACARS mode: B Aircraft reg: .N960DL
Message label: 80 Block id: 1 Msg. no: M20A
Flight id: DL1725
Message content:-
3703/24 KMSY/KATL .N960DL
/DS KATL/ERT 1309/CHR /MNR 01/RED N/MED N/SEC N/LNG N/LAV Y/CAB Y

And here are some more "exciting" medicals that you can get, makes your heart beat faster when you get 'em live that's for sure. Of course I X'ed out the flight numbers.

ACARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: .N181AN
Message label: 5Z Block id: 1 Msg. no: M19A
Flight id: AAXXXX
Message content:-
OS MIA /FTMPAX WENT INTO CONVULSIONS - STABLE NOW -REQUEST MED ATTENTION ON ARRIVAL MIA - NO PHYSICIAN ABOARD

ACARS mode: 2 Aircraft reg: .N21144
Message label: 5Z Block id: 0 Msg. no: M58A
Flight id: XEXXXX
Message content:-
:0115: DISP
FYI WE HAVE A POSSIBLE
MEDICAL SITUATION...
60 YR OLD FEMALE
FILLING OUT MEDLINK
CHKLST NOW. DOCTOR IS
ON BOARD. ADVISED TO
ADMIN O2 AND GIVE WATER
TO HER

 

[ryangassxx]

Here are some typical ACARS messages I get pertaining to contacting the airline:

Typical Delta Airlines message giving info on what's needed to be done upon landing


And here are some more "exciting" medicals that you can get, makes your heart beat faster when you get 'em live that's for sure. Of course I X'ed out the flight numbers.

I just got started on it.. haven't gotten anything exciting like that yet.. I'm actually having a problem right now though if anyone has the answer to it.. For some unforseen reason, i'm no longer receiving.. not sure why.. I periodicaly unplug the audio from my scanner just to veryfy that there are blits of data being received, but i'm no longer getting them on screen with the program.. what's going on? It just sorta stopped all by it self at some point...

 

[werinshades]

I just got started on it.. haven't gotten anything exciting like that yet.. I'm actually having a problem right now though if anyone has the answer to it.. For some unforseen reason, i'm no longer receiving.. not sure why.. I periodicaly unplug the audio from my scanner just to veryfy that there are blits of data being received, but i'm no longer getting them on screen with the program.. what's going on? It just sorta stopped all by it self at some point...

What airport are you close to? I'm right by Midway and have all the ground operations frequencies programmed in for Southwest, AirTran, ATA, Signature, Atlantic Aviation. They all use VHF-Air frequencies to comunicate between Flight Crew-Ground Operations. Once the crew makes notifications, they then contact Ramp Supervisors, Baggage handlers etc. via UHF repeatered frequencies. Southwest has 5 channels assigned specifically. They usually announce "742 is in range for Bravo 15" as an example. Once they hit the ground and the Fight crew advises Ground Operations that their on the ground, then they make the announcement on all 5 of their UHF frequencies "742 is o nthe ground for Bravo 15". If you're by O'Hare , their is another list up there as well. Having knowledge of the airport in question helps out as well.

 

[ryangassxx]

What airport are you close to? I'm right by Midway and have all the ground operations frequencies programmed in for Southwest, AirTran, ATA, Signature, Atlantic Aviation. They all use VHF-Air frequencies to comunicate between Flight Crew-Ground Operations. Once the crew makes notifications, they then contact Ramp Supervisors, Baggage handlers etc. via UHF repeatered frequencies. Southwest has 5 channels assigned specifically. They usually announce "742 is in range for Bravo 15" as an example. Once they hit the ground and the Fight crew advises Ground Operations that their on the ground, then they make the announcement on all 5 of their UHF frequencies "742 is o nthe ground for Bravo 15". If you're by O'Hare , their is another list up there as well. Having knowledge of the airport in question helps out as well.

Thats funny... You probably listen to me at work because some of that radio chatter is me.. I work ramp for southwest at midway.. I bet you hear all kinds of crazy stuff on the ramp radio (you're not supposed to hear that)..

 

[werinshades]

Thats funny... You probably listen to me at work because some of that radio chatter is me.. I work ramp for southwest at midway.. I bet you hear all kinds of crazy stuff on the ramp radio (you're not supposed to hear that)..

I'm sure I do, just watch when you drive those luggage carts around so you don't hit us as we're responding to those "airline emergencies"...