Airline Ground Ops

[rbuxton]

I moved recently to a spot very close to Dulles Airport (northern Virginia) and have searched out a few unlisted freqs for airline ground ops. There are a lot of airlines at Dulles that do not have any licensed freqs. Can anyone steer me in the direction of what an airline company might use for a radio system/freq at an airport?

 

[nd5y]

Do a proximity search for FCC licenses.
https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?action=fccProx&lat=38.95844&lon=-77.45528&r=2&s=e
Not all of those will be airline ground operations.
Also an airport that size probably has one or more private trunked systems on the airport or nearby that some of the airlines use for some or all operations.

 

[Chris-KH2PM]

Here's an example using United's multi-state DMR system that covers Dulles and other hubs.

https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=8309

And a basic FCC/FRN licensee search:

https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?frn=0001688472

 

[rbuxton]

Thanks. I've found the easy ones with license searches and monitoring to confirm them. Even found one in use that is not licensed.



I suppose it's a matter of keep searching and listening for something new.



I'm not sure if the airlines would use a local business system but I'll look there next.

 

[freqhopping]

Most likely on the Aeronautical Radio DMR system.

KLM and Air France seem to use the same channel.
Most of the channels are encrypted though occasionally there are clear comms.

 

[majoco]

I think you have to distinguish between the ATC tower controlled ground radio where he will direct incoming aircraft to a gate and the company ops who look after the aircraft once it is stationary at the gate - and vice versa when the aircraft departs. ATC will use radio in the 118-136MHz band but companies are liable to use a trunking network either exclusively or with other airlines - refuellers, catering, baggage handling, directions for the passengers may all be on the same network. Never know them to be encrypted, there's nothing secret.

 

[ladn]

I moved recently to a spot very close to Dulles Airport (northern Virginia) and have searched out a few unlisted freqs for airline ground ops. There are a lot of airlines at Dulles that do not have any licensed freqs. Can anyone steer me in the direction of what an airline company might use for a radio system/freq at an airport?

Have you also considered the use of leased radios? In that case, the license may be in the name of the radio leasing vendor rather than the airline or FBO.

 

[dave3825]

You sometimes have to go with what you hear. Some licenses are expired but are still in use. Some do not reflect dmr when in fact they are dmr. Some are leased and to find out about those, it's sometimes easier to search the freq you hear stuff on as opposed to searching the company name or airport name. . You can search here and at http://www.interceptradio.com/fcc.php

Also posting questions in your states forum might help you out as well. And search that airport in your states search function..

 

[BM82557]

A search I use for digital modes is - https://digitalfrequencysearch.com/Search/FMPFrequencyFile.php

 

[freqhopping]

Which specific airlines is OP wondering about?

 

[rbuxton]

Which specific airlines is OP wondering about?

Every one that is not in the database.

 

[ecps92]

See what NAC you get on 172.9000 [TSA] if that close to Dulles.

I moved recently to a spot very close to Dulles Airport (northern Virginia) and have searched out a few unlisted freqs for airline ground ops. There are a lot of airlines at Dulles that do not have any licensed freqs. Can anyone steer me in the direction of what an airline company might use for a radio system/freq at an airport?

 

[rbuxton]

See what NAC you get on 172.9000 [TSA] if that close to Dulles.

Will check and advise.

 

[freqhopping]

Contracted companies handle a lot of the activities. Most can barely be understood because English not their first language.

Swissport International Ltd. - Network

https://www.aviationpros.com/press_...ntial-strike-that-could-impact-holiday-travel

See what NAC you get on 172.9000 [TSA] if that close to Dulles.

It's 001 as entered in the database.

 

[JetWayOps]

I moved recently to a spot very close to Dulles Airport (northern Virginia) and have searched out a few unlisted freqs for airline ground ops. There are a lot of airlines at Dulles that do not have any licensed freqs. Can anyone steer me in the direction of what an airline company might use for a radio system/freq at an airport?

Historically airport landside terminal operations had a group of UHF allocated frequencies, I can't pin them down but the FCC CFR for Private Land mobile industrial/Business has them listed. Air to ground company frequencies and FBO's are 122.825 MHz, 122.875 MHz, 128.825 MHz to 132.0 MHz and 136.5 MHz to 136.975 MHz. ACARS is mixed in there too. Lately not only airline hub operations but Airport operations pretty much cover the entire RF spectrum in analog and in various digital modes including "E". The dreaded 8.33 khz step size assignments are alive and well now also. 99% of this is covered in the Wiki and various State databases. Good luck and take care.