Question

[SCScanner61]

I was just wondering if, to be able to listen to aircraft, you have to be really close to the airport/airbase? I live about 20 minutes from both and I don't think that's close enough because I never hear anything. All I do is set the scanner to scan what says "aircraft" and let it go. It never picks anything up though. I'm guessing I have to be really close but I'm just asking to make sure. If this helps, I live in Charleston, South Carolina and my local airport is the Charleston International Airport and the Charleston Air Force Base is nearby.
Thanks in advance!

 

[rbts]

I was just wondering if, to be able to listen to aircraft, you have to be really close to the airport/airbase? I live about 20 minutes from both and I don't think that's close enough because I never hear anything. All I do is set the scanner to scan what says "aircraft" and let it go. It never picks anything up though. I'm guessing I have to be really close but I'm just asking to make sure. If this helps, I live in Charleston, South Carolina and my local airport is the Charleston International Airport and the Charleston Air Force Base is nearby.
Thanks in advance!

Air traffic communications are line of sight, so yes, you have to be relatively close to the airport to hear the tower or approach and departure. Airnav.com is a good site to get the frequencies for KCHS. Good luck.

 

[markinillinois]

Aircraft comms is probably the most misunderstood and unappreciated aspect of the two-way radio hobby. There's far more to aircraft comms than just what takes place at an airport.

Go outside your house on a clear day and look up. Every single one of those white streaks that you see going across the sky is an airline flight, a business jet or a military aircraft and they're all talking to air traffic controllers in ARTCC high sectors above 24,000 feet. Your location in South Carolina would enable you to hear hundreds of flights a week from the northeast that's headed to/from Florida alone.

You live in Jacksonville ARTCC airspace. If you'll make the effort to find the frequency for just one sector near you, it won't take long at all to hear the surrounding frequencies being read back by pilots.

ARTCC high sector frequencies will be located within the 118.000-128.825 and 132.025-135.975 range and I'd suggest the latter grouping first. The 126 frequencies in the 128.850-132.000 range are airline ops only.

ARTCC high sectors and airline ops frequencies is about the only thing I've listened to since 1973. If there wasn't anything to hear, I wouldn't be doing it.

I don't live near you, but if I can help you further, feel free to e-mail me.

Mark Holmes
Marion, IL
markinillinois@webtv.net

 

[SCScanner61]

Thanks.