121.500 traffic observation

[jaymatt1978]

Just need to start this with I have been scanning for 25 years in the NYC area, this includes aviation scannig, I scanned 9/11 and admit I was late to scanning the ATCC stuff. I have since moved to Cape May, NJ a few years ago and experienced some pretty cool stuff, like military aviation. I've had military aviation frequencies in my scanner for years only been hearing them consistently since I moved down to the southern end of NJ. The same goes with 121.5000 I was scanning up by NYC for 25+ years maybe heard it once or twice A YEAR, in southern NJ I hear it a few times a month! They aren't emergencies either, just requests for frequencies. Just wonderi ng if this is more common in some parts of the country over other parts

 

[RaleighGuy]

Listening to ZDC in the Raleigh area, I hear it every so often when they don't get responses from pilots and need them to change freqs.

 

[gcopter1]

As far as emergencies go, well, it's very rare to hear an actual one, much less on 121.500. Yes, like you, I've heard pretty much mundane traffic on it.

 

[gcopter1]

Bear in mind, when an actual emergency goes by, most often, aircraft are in radio contact with ATC. Statistically speaking, seldom when there's no radio contact with ATC, specially, such as in the case you mentioned in 9/11, when aircraft where in ATC radio contact or in controlled airspace. A transponder code, is usually more effective, IMHO.

 

[KO4RJX]

Listening to ZDC in the Raleigh area, I hear it every so often when they don't get responses from pilots and need them to change freqs.

I can second this. I scan all ZDC frequencies in NC plus 121.500. The only traffic I have ever heard is when an aircraft can’t be reached on the assigned sector frequency (usually it’s another aircraft calling on behalf of Washington center) or an aircraft attempting to contact Washington center because they aren’t answering.


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[mancow]

I once heard pilots using it to talk to a general aviation pilot who had crashed. They were relaying traffic from him to ATC.

 

[AZ645]

What about 123.450 is this more interesting monitoring?

 

[eorange]

The same goes with 121.5000 I was scanning up by NYC for 25+ years maybe heard it once or twice A YEAR

That's really unusual. I can hear 121.5 traffic pretty frequently if I decide to park there. Usually it's just the word "guard", or a pilot mistakenly using the freq for something else and then getting corrected. In past years I've heard CAP warn pilots who were straying into restricted airspace during a TFR.

Maybe you were getting desensed being in the middle of NYC?

 

[andy51edge]

Come fly with my cynical butt....haha

In any case I frequently hear 121.5 used for juvenile purposes. "Meow", "guuuuuuuuuuuuuard", "hey get off the Delta Air Lines company frequency". Only once in a blue moon, you'll hear center or another aircraft relaying trying to get a NORDO aircraft on the right frequency.

This rant is simply to say that, guard is worth putting in the scanner bank, but don't waste your time parking it there.

I'm mostly just venting because I have to listen to this juvenile nonsense, every day at work. Please allow me to step down from my soapbox.

 

[ATCTech]

I feel your pain andy51edge. In my 34 years at ATC TechOps at CZYZ in Canada I spent many hours over years investigating exactly what you're referring to in partnership with colleagues from the FAA from ZMP all the way around to ZBW and at FAA regional sites and HQ in Washington DC. We had coordinated audio recordings and other data from sites all over the lower Great Lakes region and here in Canada of what you describe, some very specific to location, others clearly being transmitted from altitude, and a handful on a repetative and content-specific basis. Some pilots just don't get the message. I can't reveal results of those investigations or the type of data beyond audio we collected, but I can say the frequency is closely monitored for malicious activity in a number of ways. I was honored to be recognized with an award in the Airways Safety category by ATCA at their annual awards banquet in Washington D.C. a fews years back specifically for my efforts in one particular problem affecting 121.5MHz that involved electronics in specific aircraft capable of iniitiating interference on the frequency. There are people out there in the background chasing these things, trust me.

 

[KO4RJX]

Come fly with my cynical butt....haha

In any case I frequently hear 121.5 used for juvenile purposes. "Meow", "guuuuuuuuuuuuuard", "hey get off the Delta Air Lines company frequency". Only once in a blue moon, you'll hear center or another aircraft relaying trying to get a NORDO aircraft on the right frequency.

This rant is simply to say that, guard is worth putting in the scanner bank, but don't waste your time parking it there.

I'm mostly just venting because I have to listen to this juvenile nonsense, every day at work. Please allow me to step down from my soapbox.

“guuuuuuuuuard” made me think of this bit of goodness.


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[trentbob]

I'm a long-time Aviation listener as part of my usual list that I scan. In the Philly area VHF guard it's pretty active. Some horse play but someone always comes back immediately and admonishes people.

I like the area wide Helo Unicom and news Chopper Unicom frequencies the best.

 

[AZ645]

Come fly with my cynical butt....haha

In any case I frequently hear 121.5 used for juvenile purposes. "Meow", "guuuuuuuuuuuuuard", "hey get off the Delta Air Lines company frequency". Only once in a blue moon, you'll hear center or another aircraft relaying trying to get a NORDO aircraft on the right frequency.

This rant is simply to say that, guard is worth putting in the scanner bank, but don't waste your time parking it there.

I'm mostly just venting because I have to listen to this juvenile nonsense, every day at work. Please allow me to step down from my soapbox.

I imagine over the North Atlantic or Remote areas it must become a party line of requesting ride reports, sports scores and contract talks?

 

[poltergeisty]

Since the motto is aviate, navigate, communicate, I really wouldn't expect much on 121.5 even if there was an emergency. Maybe a few blurbs. In an emergency you are working the (ockpit faster than a one-legged man in a butt kicking contest. As an example, just listen to the flight 1549 Miracle over the Hudson comms. You hear Sully speak to ATC but it's only very brief verbiage. I don't even think they went to 121.5. Sully thought perhaps he'd land at Teterboro but it became apparent very quickly that wasn't happening.

From what I'm reading here, it sounds like some pilots have taken 121.5 to mean channel 9 on a CB. LOL

 

[alcahuete]

I don't even think they went to 121.5.

Why would they? They were talking to ATC and remained on the ATC frequency as they should. Not going to get any help on guard. 121.5 is more or less used in emergencies by pilots who are not on an IFR flight plan and are not receiving VFR flight following. Aside from that, emergency comms. take place on the ATC frequency.

 

[poltergeisty]

Whether you're IFR or VFR it doesn't matter. Point being, if you key the mic on 121.5 either tower or a FSS is gonna hear you. Second point is that if you're in an emergency there may not even be any time to communicate (last part of that phrase I posted above). The only voice that may be heard is in the orange box.

 

[alcahuete]

Whether you're IFR or VFR it doesn't matter.

Yes, it absolutely does matter. If you are IFR, you are going to be talking to ATC. If you are getting VFR flight following, you are going to be talking to ATC. If you are just flying around on your own VFR, you're not talking to ATC. You are not going to switch from the ATC frequency to Guard during an emergency. You're already talking to ATC. Why would you ever risk changing frequencies and hope that a tower somewhere or FSS hears you? There is no FSS or tower that is going to hear you out in the middle of the desert, trust me. You are just relying on other aircraft hearing you on 121.5 at that point.

But like I said, you are not going to switch from the ATC frequency to 121.5. Makes absolutely zero sense.

 

[danesgs]

Speaking of area wide chopper Unicom and TV unicom, does anyone know the regularly used freqs. for TV traffic reporters flying in the DC area? IE NBC4, FOX news et al?

 

[trentbob]

Speaking of area wide chopper Unicom and TV unicom, does anyone know the regularly used freqs. for TV traffic reporters flying in the DC area? IE NBC4, FOX news et al?

I would be glad to share what I listen to at all times...

As far as that 123.45, that is one that I monitor at all times. It is a fixed Unicom that is designated for remote areas and over the ocean but can be chosen by two pilots to talk to each other.

As far as the designated frequencies you'll find in the database attached to the alphabet Networks, it's my experience that they are not used that much anymore for actual dispatch of news and traffic reports but there are a few left, other systems are used and not widely shared. Here in Philly we have one fox station that still uses a news desk and dispatches helicopters on a 450 megahertz frequency. I'm semi-retired now and don't even bother to listen to traffic reports hahaha. We may have one other station that still uses the old 455 megahertz frequencies.

Now for the good stuff and I have a feeling that this is pretty universal on the East Coast. These are very active frequencies I listen to everyday.

Of course the VHF guard and 243.00 MilAir Guard... any helicopter entering or flying in the general Philadelphia area announces themselves on helo Unicom 123.025... there are two news helicopter Unicom frequencies that are used all day everyday, there can be up to four helicopters talking to each other over a News Scene. News A- A875 which is 135.875 and B which is 135.975.

The fixed Unicom frequency for the Philadelphia area is 122.75. We also have a military fixed Unicom 126.2 and 134.1 mainly used for McGuire Air Force Base.

SAR is 123.1, CG it's the standard, 345.0, 237.9, 326.15, 379.05.

If anybody's interested I have a lot more from the Philly area regarding medcom Etc.

The ones I've listed here I monitor every day on my 536 which seems to work better than the SDS and I use several VHF hi, UHF, 7- 800 megahertz ground planes pretty high up on the roof.

Hope this helps somebody.

 

[Tech792]

Here in NJ/NY, during POTUS TFRs, fighter jets can be heard on 121.5 calling stray aircraft that ventured into the restricted area.