New to Air Band Monitoring. Looking for guidance!

[kk4dnl]

I have a few questions about monitoring the Air Band. These questions are kinda all over the place so I will just list them below.

1) Is their a glossary of AIR jargon so I can understand what some of these acronyms/ lingo mean ?

2) What frequencies should I scan to get the most enjoyment? One second I am hearing two guys have a conversation about some local air ports or terrain and the next I am hearing Air Lines jargon that I do not understand.

3) What is the range of a aircraft transceiver? Is it possible to hear communications 75+ miles away?

4) I am using a Uniden Bear Cat BC355c scanner. Should I just program into my unit a few key air band freq?

5) I have gotten into decoding data transmissions on HF with a shortwave receiver is their any data frequencies in the air band that one can decode with a computer and receiver.

6) How often can one hear military air operations on a receiver?

 

[737mech]

Air Band Scanning

1) There's a ton of info on aircraft communication. Callsigns are usually tail numbers for general aviation, airlines go by airline and flight number, some airlines use their own callsign (for example Virgin America uses REDWOOD. America WEST once used CATUS.) The runways are always magnetic compass heading (Runway 14-32) so landing from the south you would land 32 with heading 320. If you hear something you're not sure of google is your friend.
2) Look at the database above for your area, ground/tower/airline ops/fbo freqs are good you hear visitors asking for services and fuel.
3) Your range will vary it depends on your antenna. A good outside antenna will hear aircraft beyond 75 miles. My most distant catch was 150 miles.
4) Yes go to the database above or try AIRNAV.com and put in your local airport. The freqs you'll need are there. Also take a look at the approach files they have the waypoints you are hearing the pilots say. That will help you understand where the planes are.
5) Decoding can be accomplished look for info on ACARSD.
6) With that scanner you won't hear much military they talk in the UHF band 225-400.

 

[profiledescent]

When using the data base, note the 12.5khz freqs format. Example, "134.47" is actually 134.475. The 5 has always been dropped in communication, and it seems that is becoming th case in data base entries. However, you will need to program the full frequency into your scanner to hear it clearly.

 

[nd5y]

1) Is their a glossary of AIR jargon so I can understand what some of these acronyms/ lingo mean ?

See FAA Aeronautical Information Manual Chapter 4 Section 2 (Radio Communications Phraseology and Techniques)
http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/ATpubs/AIM/aim0402.html#aim0402.html.1

AIM home page is Aeronautical Information Manual

 

[ATCTech]

To be particular, that's 25 kHz steps actually.... 134.400, 134.425, 134.450, 134.475, 134.500 etc.

Bob

 

[haleve]

VHF Aviation Frequencies

After years of listening to descents, climbs & vectors for hours on end on VHF & selcall checks on HF, I settled on enjoying the real exciting & sometimes humorous side of VHF civil aviation monitoring by listening to the company frequencies between 128.825 MHz to 132.0 MHz & 136.5 MHz to 136.975 MHz, I tried monitoring the 225.0 MHz to 399.975 MHz military aviation band but way too many frequencies to monitor & the transmissions were way too brief to even bother.

The best radios I found successful for aviation monitoring were the PRO-2052, BC785XLT & the ICOM R-8500 with RG-8X and/or LMR600 coax fed Larsen VHF ground planes.

 

[kk4dnl]

See FAA Aeronautical Information Manual Chapter 4 Section 2 (Radio Communications Phraseology and Techniques)
http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/ATpubs/AIM/aim0402.html#aim0402.html.1

AIM home page is Aeronautical Information Manual

Thanks I am going to print it out now. Big help!

 

[kk4dnl]

1) There's a ton of info on aircraft communication. Callsigns are usually tail numbers for general aviation, airlines go by airline and flight number, some airlines use their own callsign (for example Virgin America uses REDWOOD. America WEST once used CATUS.) The runways are always magnetic compass heading (Runway 14-32) so landing from the south you would land 32 with heading 320. If you hear something you're not sure of google is your friend.
2) Look at the database above for your area, ground/tower/airline ops/fbo freqs are good you hear visitors asking for services and fuel.
3) Your range will vary it depends on your antenna. A good outside antenna will hear aircraft beyond 75 miles. My most distant catch was 150 miles.
4) Yes go to the database above or try AIRNAV.com and put in your local airport. The freqs you'll need are there. Also take a look at the approach files they have the waypoints you are hearing the pilots say. That will help you understand where the planes are.
5) Decoding can be accomplished look for info on ACARSD.
6) With that scanner you won't hear much military they talk in the UHF band 225-400.

Thanks for the info! Did not know about the magnetic heading and runways. I wondered where they got the numbers from.
I have been on AIRNAV a few times. Thinking about printing off a map of my local area.

 

[nd5y]

I forgot this one Pilot/Controller Glossary (P/CG)

 

[kk4dnl]

I was searching for some Air band Frequencies to program into my scanner and came across on here in the database section a few Atlanta ARTCC Frequencies. The frequencies I have in question are all of the Athens Ga (Atlanta) ARTCC channels? Where are these frequencies transmitted from? And are they worth listening too? And where can I find a resource that shows all of the common Civilian freq?

 

[nd5y]

The frequencies I have in question are all of the Athens Ga (Atlanta) ARTCC channels? Where are these frequencies transmitted from?

According to the datbase the Athens RCAG is located at the airport in Athens GA. Look up 33.953889, -83.323056 on google earth or a map web site.
The actual controllers would be in the Atlanta ARTCC. I don't know off hand where that is located.

And are they worth listening too?

Only you can decide what you think is worth listening to.

And where can I find a resource that shows all of the common Civilian freq?

Aircraft - The RadioReference Wiki

eCFR — Code of Federal Regulations

 

[kk4dnl]

According to the datbase the Athens RCAG is located at the airport in Athens GA. Look up 33.953889, -83.323056 on google earth or a map web site.
The actual controllers would be in the Atlanta ARTCC. I don't know off hand where that is located.


Only you can decide what you think is worth listening to.


Aircraft - The RadioReference Wiki

eCFR — Code of Federal Regulations

Thanks that answers all of my questions!