Scanning In-Flight (again)

[N_Jay]

When They Get On My Plane And Want To Scan I Tell Them Ok Except On Descent For App.
Capt Aa
Atp,cfii,mels,helicopter,glider,
727.737,757,jetstar,

Not if your employer who is the "operator" says "NO"!

 

[toydriver_det]

Well I'm not sure who that was directed at, but if it was me then I apologize for discussing something that apparently has been discussed frequently here before.....

There a few people here that think it is their job to decide which posts are ok and which are not. No biggie. The original start of THIS thread was to discuss what has been done and not if it is right or wrong or legal or not.
What makes this all funny to me is the first time I flew back in the late 50's or early 60's was with my Sunday School teacher in a little single engine out of what used to be Big Beaver Airport in Troy. Not only did we not have cellphones, gps or scanners he did not even turn his radio on! I remember asking him about the radio and he said he never used it and if he needed it he would have to dig behind the seat to find the headset!
What a change in just a few years.

 

[mjw357]

Lately however, I've read that such logic doesn't necessarily apply. According to cell phone company technicians, 8,000 is the recognized cut off altitude. Above this, the cell phones simply won't work. Why? Most metal-covered airliners act as a shield. Only at a window can you start to eliminate that effect. Don't forget the cell phones put out less than one watt usually. Second, ever notice all the cell phone tower sites? Those antennas are highly directional, with each of those three parts covering about one-third of the 360 degrees around the site, AND, they are angled downward slightly. The signal from the sites is very weak above the site.

Ever see 'Air Force One' with Harrison Ford? I had to laugh when he pulled that little flip phone out and called the White House from the cargo hold.

 

[N_Jay]

Ever see 'Air Force One' with Harrison Ford? I had to laugh when he pulled that little flip phone out and called the White House from the cargo hold.

Worse yet, it was suposed to be a SAT Phone.

 

[mkewman]

when i started this thread, i meant to get people's experiances of scanning in flight. but screw it. it all just went to hell in a hand basket.

 

[thepilot21]

What makes this all funny to me is the first time I flew back in the late 50's or early 60's was with my Sunday School teacher in a little single engine out of what used to be Big Beaver Airport in Troy...

I like to tell about my first experience flying. I was about 6 years old, and my family planned to go out on a Saturday for a festival that Christian school and church were having out in the country northwest of Columbus, somewhere in the Plain City area I guess. They were going to have a pilot or two giving airplane rides from a grass strip that was suitable on the property. It would cost 5 dollars (this was about 1983) for the ride for each of the 3 passengers in the Cessna 172. Mom and Dad told me I could go and Dad would go with me if I saved the money for it. So I did, and we went. One of the best experiences of my life.

Now, as a pilot, one of the greatest things I've been able to do with my license since I got it is take friends for rides. I strongly believe in allowing people to have a pleasant first-hand experience with it. It's something they never forget. If I was in a better position to be involved with the EAA, you better believe I'd do my best to help with the Young Eagles program. That is truly one of the best things they can do. Those kids will never forget it, and some of them will be pilots one day because of it.

Next time I post I'll mention a little bit about my airborne scanning.

 

[thepilot21]

when i started this thread, i meant to get people's experiances of scanning in flight...

A main thing I've had with scanning aboard a Cessna 172 and a Piper Archer is dealing with extra wires and audio. How to hear your scanner? A headset is standard fare for pilots in that type of aircraft, so the what I've done most of the time was put on a small earbud, and then put on the headset. It really works quite well overall. The earbud does get uncomfortable sometimes, especially if it is pressing on the wrong part of my ear. The David Clark headset (a very nice and comfortable set I might add) is pressing on the ear, so if you don't get the earbud in just the right spot that's best for you, it hurts. Then there's the extra wire to deal with going from your head to the radio in between the legs. All I've used airborne is a BC245XLT.

For hearing the radio, if the earbud is working right and positioned right, hearing it is perfect. Of course, you're only getting it on one side, which can be a help, to know if it's the aircraft radio you're hearing. But if it was on both sides, you would get used to it anyway. Which brings me to an experiment I did a couple of times. In an effort to try something slightly more professional, I bought a Y 1/8 in. mono cord from radio shack, and then a 1/8in to 1/4in adaptor, to feed my scanner audio into the audio cord of the two headset cords. Unfortunately, while it worked partially - I could hear my scanner very well in my headset - the Archer's system didn't take too well to the idea. The two-way aircraft radio worked just fine, but it screwed with the intercom and I couldn't talk to the passenger if there was one. There was something else, but I don't remember what it was. It was a nice experiment, but apparently it went beyond what the intercom/radio system could handle. The problem goes deeper into wiring schematics than I know about.

 

[thepilot21]

Worse yet, it was suposed to be a SAT Phone.

lol, yeah, I've seen that one. Entertaining movie overall. I like all the Tom Clancy storylines, although of course sometimes a few parts of the movies are a little cheesy, getting the president and family to the C-130 in mid-air just in time, and the picture of the Boeing 747 crashing.

What is a SAT phone? I figured maybe there was an onboard relay which linked that phone to a satellite or ground station or something.

 

[CapStar362]

most SATCOM phones can interface directly to a satellite. there are models though that require a secondary link.

 

[CapStar362]

well, i have found out that it is a Delta Airlines policy not to allow scanners.


anyone wanna join up with me and convince DAL to change this?

 

[N_Jay]

well, i have found out that it is a Delta Airlines policy not to allow scanners.


anyone wanna join up with me and convince DAL to change this?

LOL
:roll:
First find a major airline withOUT that policy. :roll:

 

[Mark_Space]

What fun seeing this topic beat to death again. Try Googling newsgroups on this subject and see the hits you'll get!

Personally, I never ask the Flight Attendant if I can or can't. I just chose a window seat (whenever possible), and tuck my BC296D by my side, with a discreet ear bud for audio. Air Canada, BTW, has lengthy instructions on the use of electronic devices in flight. If my memory serves:

1. No use of cell phones after the seatbelt light has been turned on prior to take-off, in flight, or until the seatbelt light has been turned off on arriving at the terminal.

2. Laptops or PDA's with wireless devices must have them turned off at all times.

3. "At no time may peripheral devices such as printers be used."

4. "To use any other device, please consult your flight attendant." IMHO, why bother them; they're busy enough as it is

 

[n6766j]

Scanning in flight

i know this topic has been talked about way too much, but i just called the TSA, and they told me that as long as the scanner doesn't transmit, it's allowed inflight.

now i'm not sure if they even have any say in this...

but that's what they said.

i know there's something in the wiki about this but has anyone actually scanned inflight?

Been a pilot for over 30 years and never saw so much as a twitch from ANY navigation equipment when the scanner was on. I monitor from take-off to touchdown on short flights and the departure and arrival phase on longer ones. I use a discreet monural ear phone and usually have the scanner antenna plastered up aginst the window (under a blanket) for best reception. Even though I pre-program freqs, I have used the search mode and heard some of the most country-bumpkin dispatching the world has ever heard...too funny.

I also listened to air traffic control tell my Alaska Airlines cockpit crew that a piece of aircraft found on the runway at Ontario might be from our MD-80. The pilots slowed down, dropped the flaps and gear and to everyone's amazement, an F-14 from NAS Miramar flew all the way around the aircraft looking for anything that was out of place or missing. We landed without incident. What great fun!

I pack my scanner in my carry-on or on my belt and TSA never says a thing! ...except "Please step back through and remove any metal objects from your pockets and TAKE OFF YOUR BELT!")

 

[N_Jay]

Been a pilot for over 30 years and never saw so much as a twitch from ANY navigation equipment when the scanner was on. I monitor from take-off to touchdown on short flights and the departure and arrival phase on longer ones. I use a discreet monural ear phone and usually have the scanner antenna plastered up aginst the window (under a blanket) for best reception. Even though I pre-program freqs, I have used the search mode and heard some of the most country-bumpkin dispatching the world has ever heard...too funny.

I also listened to air traffic control tell my Alaska Airlines cockpit crew that a piece of aircraft found on the runway at Ontario might be from our MD-80. The pilots slowed down, dropped the flaps and gear and to everyone's amazement, an F-14 from NAS Miramar flew all the way around the aircraft looking for anything that was out of place or missing. We landed without incident. What great fun!

I pack my scanner in my carry-on or on my belt and TSA never says a thing! ...except "Please step back through and remove any metal objects from your pockets and TAKE OFF YOUR BELT!")

Do you fly IFR?

 

[CapStar362]

well, while i was bunked out in Columbus OH this week, i asked the pilot if i could see his P&P Operations manual, specifically the PED section. sure enough, its listed as FAA "Can Be Used at >10000 Ft" but DAL Ops "Never Allowed" after that we got into disucssions about this website and he said he would come here and check us out. after a nice discussion about various things.... me never have being a jump seat passenger, and me possibly convincing my boss to let him jump seat in my SA-365C2 Dauhpin II Helo for a few hours, he let me ride jumpseat from Columbus to Cinncinati.

 

[JLHDU]

well, while i was bunked out in Columbus OH this week, i asked the pilot if i could see his P&P Operations manual, specifically the PED section. sure enough, its listed as FAA "Can Be Used at >10000 Ft" but DAL Ops "Never Allowed" after that we got into disucssions about this website and he said he would come here and check us out. after a nice discussion about various things.... me never have being a jump seat passenger, and me possibly convincing my boss to let him jump seat in my SA-365C2 Dauhpin II Helo for a few hours, he let me ride jumpseat from Columbus to Cinncinati.

Sweet, wish they would bring back FAM flights for us...With the whole contract thing, I not gonna be a fun couple of years.

 

[CapStar362]

well, being i am a pilot myself, and factoring in that the FAR says that only licensed pilots, FAA inspectors, certain law enforcement personell, Operator mechanics and Operator inspector personell may ride as a jump seat passenger at the captains discretion

 

[vagrant]

Pre 9/11 I brought my scanner on board a SouthWest flight across the U.S. and and used the earbud. It was fun to hear the ATC & pilots. I never asked anyone, but didn't feel my old Bearcat 2500xlt would cause a problem. I didn't hide it either. Actually, I used a suction cup mount and stuck it on the window with the antenna attached. I did turn it off and stow it during takeoff/landing. I didn't want a flight attendant giving me the eye and taking it away. I did hear plenty of skip though on the Citizens Band. I remember that.

United does have a channel to hear the pilots/ATC. At least for International flights on a 747 & 777 that I know of. I do remember reading in one of the fliers in the seat pocket that scanners were forbidden by United to be used on board.

I would enjoy using my GPS & scanner during the flight though. I'm not sure how much I'd pick up over the Pacific, but it's something to do.

 

[CapStar362]

yeah thats fun..... watch a empty Pacific Ocean go by on your GPS Screen. :lol:

only thing i can think of is listening to the MRN band for the asian shipping companies

 

[mix-man]

Well.. I hate to jump in here cause I normally stay away from heated discussions... but this is regarding the cell phone topic... Why are they rebanding the 800mhz range now? Nextel... theres been stories of just the damn phone coming near some scanners, and the scanner losing its memory... I've watched my monitor flicker really bad when they ring... I've heard my subwoofer makeing loud poping noises cause of it.. IMHO I think if a lil cell phone can do that then what could they do to other more important electronics?