need help listening to air frequency between ATC an Airplane

[lzeroual]

It seems that I can only hear the tower control when scanning for air frequency .

What is the frequency airplane (commercial or private plane ex: Cessna) use to transmit ????

I usually hear the tower on the following : 118.500 , 124.400 and 134.700 but I can't not hear the reply ???? so I'm assuming the airplane is transmitting on a different frequency unless they use some short of trunking system???

doe anyone have a clue on how I can listen a two way conversation betwen the ATC and Air plane and vice versa???

 

[JoeyC]

The ATC and the aircraft transmit on the SAME frequency. Interesting you can hear the controller but not the plane. It is usually the opposite. Airplanes at high altitude can be heard on modest antenna systems sometimes for hundreds of miles. If you are having trouble hearing planes on the ground (unless you are very close to the airport) that is normal also. I believe the towers, tracons and centers transmission patterns are upward into the air, where as an airplanes is downward. Not sure about this, but it would make sense since there is little reason anybody but the ground controller at the airport would need to talk to a plane on the ground.

 

[lzeroual]

maybe i'm just hearing the plane , i dont really know but it's usually only a one way conversation i dot hear the rep;y
i live close to Hanscom Field and Stow airport

 

[kb5udf]

Plane on the ground?

As a frequent Air Traffic monitor, I observe that usually, if I can hear
the controller and not the plane, it's because I'm listening to the tower
talking to a plane on the ground. This channel is usually referred to,
appropriate enough, as "ground control." If you do a bit of scanning in the
air band, you will probably come across a continous broadcast
called ATIS(air traiffic information service). This station will often
tell you one or more frequencies the airport in question uses. Also, you
can usually look up on the net quite easily all the frequencies commonly
used by your airport.

Jean B.

 

[JoeyC]

Actually, its ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service )

Also, www.airnav.com is a good place to find those freqs.

 

[lzeroual]

ATIS

so if i tune to one of the ATIS frequency i should be able to puck up a two way conversation ????

 

[crayon]

Re: ATIS

so if i tune to one of the ATIS frequency i should be able to puck up a two way conversation ????

nope.

Goto the link that JoeyC provided and find your airports that you want to listen to.

Next, compare frequencies from what is listed there to what you are currently using. If you find any extras, start scanning those and see what you get!

 

[lzeroual]

Listening to plane

I have done it but i have not noticed any change
I do think that i get the Plane and The tower while scanning but i never can get a two way conversation .

I do get the ATC on 124.400 and Minuteman on 118.500

 

[JoeyC]

Unless you are listening to FSS or clearance delivery, you aren't usually going to hear any "conversations". You'll hear short exchanges of ATC giving instructions and planes acknowledging them, or planes making requests and ATC giving clearances. Only in the dead of night or on a very isolated route will you hear conversations. Also, if you can't hear the controller from your listening vantage point, you will always be missing at least half of it. Since I don't think you know whether you are hearing planes or ATC, give me an example of some things you are hearing. The lingo is rather limited and to the point, so theres usually no question about who you are hearing.

 

[INDY72]

The only actual conversations you hear in regards to aviation will be on multicom, or unicom between planes,.. good freqs to hear talk on are 122.925, 123.450, 122.975,... Other than that, Comms between ATC, TRACON, Tower, etc,.. and aircraft will be as stated, general directions/commands, and acknoweledgements, or requests, and answers.......

Remember that these will be fast,.. rarely do you hear a long drawn out set of comms,.... EXAMPLE:

Southwest 443, Jackson Approach, requesting VFR for runway 21 North. Roger Southwest 443, Clear for VFR on runway 21 North, turn to 110, and descend to 1500 for final. and so on.

 

[lzeroual]

so far was I'm able to pick up on my scanner is like " UPS1 go to 1000 feets" something like that
Last night there was a lot of activity on 133.425 but it's still a one way conversation , so I'm assuming that it's either the Plane getting instruction from the Tower or the opposite ,I did see a lot of plane in the sky (I think I'm within the flight path of Hanscom Minuteman Airport) and a lot of time the conversation was clear but hard to understand because they use a lot of lingo

 

[PJH]

You also have to remember that like large public safety systems, the ATC's also have remote RF sites... I can think of 3 sites right now that are 50+ miles from my airport.

 

[CSL126]

Also keep in mind that some of the aircraft that are military aircraft may be transmitting on a UHF frequency. Or atleast that's the case here in Tuscaloosa. I'll hear the same radio traffic from the TRACON go over the civil and military frequencies. Just a thought...

 

[JeffS]

Hello There,

>The ATC and the aircraft transmit on the SAME frequency. Interesting >you can hear the controller but not the plane. It is usually the opposite.

Here near Minneapolis I hear a plane talking on 121.200 while the ATC is talking to that plane on 121.600. I am monitoring a QSO as I type using two diffreant radios. There are a variety of frequency pairs in use in this area and it is not uncommon to hear only one side of a QSO on a particular frequency. I am within 10 miles of several airports and 20 miles from the MPLS/St. Paul international airport.

 

[JoeyC]

Re: need help listening to air frequency between ATC an Airp

Here near Minneapolis I hear a plane talking on 121.200 while the ATC is talking to that plane on 121.600. I am monitoring a QSO as I type using two diffreant radios. There are a variety of frequency pairs in use in this area and it is not uncommon to hear only one side of a QSO on a particular frequency. I am within 10 miles of several airports and 20 miles from the MPLS/St. Paul international airport.

If you are hearing one end of the conversation on 121.2 and the other on .6 it is most likely because you have one controller working 2 sectors that are patched. This is frequently done in the late hours or weekends when air traffic is not at its peak. If you can hear the ATC on .6 and the plane is on .2 but you cannot hear the ATC respond on .2 its because you are out of range of the .2 remote transmitter.