thomasbillman1
Member
can you hear air traffic on a scanner while you are in flight by just searching the air band?
You MAY hear traffic from the plane you are on but don't expect to hear conversations until you are very close to an airport.can you hear air traffic on a scanner
I take it you are referring to a scheduled airline so my response would be not to use a scanner at all.can you hear air traffic on a scanner while you are in flight by just searching the air band?
I thought it was Federally illegal to have a device capable of receiving scheduled commercial flights while onboard a scheduled commercial flight. Couldn't tell you were I read that...
No, it is not....but, as to transmitting it is not "illegal" per se, but will more likely than not constitute a violation of that airline's policies and result in your gear being stowed away by the flight attendant(s)/ captain until you are terra firma. To wit; I have had radios that were capable of transmitting, but used for monitoring causing a stir with that particular radio ultimately being locked in the cockpit until landing.I thought it was Federally illegal to have a device capable of receiving scheduled commercial flights while onboard a scheduled commercial flight. Couldn't tell you were I read that...
There is nothing illegal about possessing a scanner or two-way radio on or near an airplane. It's just against airline policy to use it in flight. There is no easy way (to an untrained eye) to distinguish between a passive scanner that is harmless and a two-way radio that COULD be used to interfere with aircrafts radio.
If you're caught using a scanner by a flight attendant, you're not going to Patriot Act jail, you're just going to be told to turn it off...if they care at all.
There is nothing passive about a radio. ALL radios emit rf signals that can interfere with onboard aircraft systems
whether it's a transmitter or receiver. As a pilot and aircraft owner, I will not let anyone onboard my aircraft without
having them turn off their cell phone because it DOES interfere with my communications equipment. And yes,
a cell phone is a two way radio.
I was about to ask that very question. What type of avionics equipment would be interrupted by cell phones? Stuff made 30 or 40 years ago?I suggest you update your avionics. Anything anywhere near modern is immune to interference from a cell phone.
If we're that susceptible to RF interference, then airplanes would never ever fly.There is nothing passive about a radio. ALL radios emit rf signals that can interfere with onboard aircraft systems
whether it's a transmitter or receiver. As a pilot and aircraft owner, I will not let anyone onboard my aircraft without
having them turn off their cell phone because it DOES interfere with my communications equipment. And yes,
a cell phone is a two way radio.
I remember approx 20 years ago when Delta, United, U.S. Air, Continental, and American in their on-board entertainment consoles had the pilot comms as a listening choice. Instead of music, news, etc. I would listen to that on the flights. I do not know the answer referring back to spanky15805's statement, but my speculation is probably "yes" and I would speculate that this came forth as part of the Patriot Act or some Homeland Security Initiative.
I remember that it was some time after 9-11-01 that pilot comms suddenly disappeared from the entertainment options.
There is nothing passive about a radio. ALL radios emit rf signals that can interfere with onboard aircraft systems
whether it's a transmitter or receiver. As a pilot and aircraft owner, I will not let anyone onboard my aircraft without
having them turn off their cell phone because it DOES interfere with my communications equipment. And yes,
a cell phone is a two way radio.
My brothers Piper is that old, more like 50yrs. With just a few new digital gauges and ipad of course. We fly with our cell phones on, sometimes I try to make it a game to see when the bars go in and out and connect to a cell site. Unfortunately typically as soon as we take off, get a few hundred feet above the trees, the bars drop that fast. That whole thing about cell towers not exactly positioned for inflight service LOL. But sometimes you can be a few thousands in the air and if near a mountain top cell site it will pickup a couple bars again. Its pretty cool. One specific area, you can be like 5,000 feet on the horizon it will pickup what I think is this mountain cell site quite a ways away just at the right spot on the horizon to connect and send a text LOL. Never heard or seen anything weird, no blips thru the headset ya know like when old phones thump tv speakers nor did the magnetos suddenly go haywire lolI was about to ask that very question. What type of avionics equipment would be interrupted by cell phones? Stuff made 30 or 40 years ago?
Yes, of the aircraft you are on. To possibly receive other aircraft, or any other type of signal, one would need to place the antenna at a window. Even then reception is not that great due to the metal body of the aircraft blocking signals from other directions. AM/FM broadcast radio to higher frequency GPS signals are greatly reduced based on my testing when flying over the Pacific, Atlantic and U.S.A. as a passenger. ( Holding an electronic device next to a window may freak people out, so keep that in mind )can you hear air traffic on a scanner while you are in flight by just searching the air band?
You may want to let the EU knowThere is nothing passive about a radio. ALL radios emit rf signals that can interfere with onboard aircraft systems
whether it's a transmitter or receiver. As a pilot and aircraft owner, I will not let anyone onboard my aircraft without
having them turn off their cell phone because it DOES interfere with my communications equipment. And yes,
a cell phone is a two way radio.
can you hear air traffic on a scanner while you are in flight by just searching the air band?
I thought it was Federally illegal to have a device capable of receiving scheduled commercial flights while onboard a scheduled commercial flight.
If we're that susceptible to RF interference, then airplanes would never ever fly.
Thankfully all modern airline aircraft have good RF shielding in their electronics. So if one guy who forgets to turn off their cell phone, it will not bring down the airplane. If one guy in the back happens to have a scanner running, it will not bring down the airplane.
Source, I am an airline pilot and I have never seen a case of RF interference for myself (ignoring radio altimeter issues caused by gunk on the antenna itself).