Where would one search in the FCC database for ATC Xmiter locations?

[BinaryMode]

Reason I ask is that I monitor the civilian and military guard frequencies 24/7 and sometimes when I hear ATC needing to wake up a sleeping pilot I check the computer in front of me running adsbexchange to see where the plane is at. Unbelievably, and more times than not, the radio transmission I hear was directed at a plane some 200 miles from me. So I'm betting simulcast is being used here and I'd like to know where my scanner is picking up the ATC radio site near me.

 

[AirScan]

You can find the RCAG transmitter sites using the Radio Reference ARTCC Database.

I'm curious where you are located and if you are also hearing the aircraft on 121.500 when they are at far distances like 200 miles ? Can you hear the controllers on any other Center frequencies ?

 

[krokus]

The FCC doesn't regulate the FAA's sites, that is done by the NTIA. (Like all federal agencies.)

 

[AirScan]

You can also download RCAG locations from the FAA NASR Site. Under Legacy (TXT) Data, select ARTCC Facilities (AFF).

 

[andy51edge]

FAA NASR RCAGs - Google My Maps

Data Effective July 11, 2024

www.google.com

I have taken the NASR data and created a Google My Maps layer. Be warned the data is about a year old, but the data does change relatively slowly. Edit: my process to update this was easier to execute than I remember. Anyways, the data is now current as of the 11 July 2024 data cycle.

 

[nd5y]

I have taken the NASR data and created a Google My Maps layer.

The FAA site data has a lot of bad locations. I did that last year and moved most of the sites to their actual locations when possible. You can download FAA.zip at Aircraft - The RadioReference Wiki

 

[merlin]

Flying a citation from Jackson Wy. to LAX, got handed off to LA approach control after Salt Lake. A bit over 200 miles.
Final vector for 25L was 200 miles. (looong final.)
You can get all the information you need from TCA charts, updated at least every 50 days.

 

[andy51edge]

Flying a citation from Jackson Wy. to LAX, got handed off to LA approach control after Salt Lake. A bit over 200 miles.
Final vector for 25L was 200 miles. (looong final.)
You can get all the information you need from TCA charts, updated at least every 50 days.

I love how SOCAL approach gives you an approach clearance so far away. It makes it so easy.

 

[alcahuete]

Flying a citation from Jackson Wy. to LAX, got handed off to LA approach control after Salt Lake. A bit over 200 miles.
Final vector for 25L was 200 miles. (looong final.)
You can get all the information you need from TCA charts, updated at least every 50 days.

200 miles out is still very deep in LA Center's airspace. LAX to LAS is 205 miles. The approach clearances are fairly far out from that direction, but certainly no vectors to 25L from out near Vegas, and most definitely not from Socal Approach at that distance.

 

[BinaryMode]

Thank you all for the responses! Much appreciated.

 

[merlin]

200 miles out is still very deep in LA Center's airspace. LAX to LAS is 205 miles. The approach clearances are fairly far out from that direction, but certainly no vectors to 25L from out near Vegas, and most definitely not from Socal Approach at that distance.

More like rout to sunny then straight in to south 25L . Busy day too.

 

[andy51edge]

The common arrival going into LA from the East-North-East is the ANJLL4 (pronounced angel), the last fix on the arrival is CRCUS (pronounced Circus) which just so happens to be an initial approach fix on the instrument approaches to all four runways landing west. So all we have to do it connect the approach to the arrival at CRCUS.

With all that said, LA center will start spacing out arrivals further out than normal. The handoff from LA center to SOCAL approach normally occurs 100+NM out from the field. SOCAL approach will assign the runway and normally clear us for the approach at that time. LA is the only place I can think of where you are cleared for the approach 100NM away from the runway. LA has so much traffic coming in from the east that they can structure their airspace that way. Arrivals from other directions can be fit into the gaps in traffic closer to the field.

 

[alcahuete]

Yep! It's a beautiful thing. All the traffic for the other airports is already below and off to the side of the LA arrivals (except when R2501 is stupid hot). Not sure how long y'all have been flying, but if you remember, even the CIVET arrival was a descend via, long before descend via was really a thing. LA Center worked the aircraft all the way to short final (124.05 airspace belonged to ZLA). Even back then, you would be put on ILS 25L out near or past R2501.

Great airspace design.

 

[andy51edge]

Yep! It's a beautiful thing. All the traffic for the other airports is already below and off to the side of the LA arrivals (except when R2501 is stupid hot). Not sure how long y'all have been flying, but if you remember, even the CIVET arrival was a descend via, long before descend via was really a thing. LA Center worked the aircraft all the way to short final (124.05 airspace belonged to ZLA). Even back then, you would be put on ILS 25L out near or past R2501.

Great airspace design.

That was before my time. I've only been in the airline game for 6 years now. So "descend via" was very common by the time I started.