Discretely Listening to Commercial Aircraft Radio

[Darkwing]

Is there anyway (outside of bringing my Sportys radio with me) to listen
with an ipod option or similar small radio to listen to live communications
on a commercial flight? FYI, I'm not flying United, I know you can listen on
there.

[B A R R Y[_2_]]

Darkwing wrote:
> Is there anyway (outside of bringing my Sportys radio with me) to listen
> with an ipod option or similar small radio to listen to live communications
> on a commercial flight?

Tried it... You can't hear much.

[John[_1_]]

On Dec 1, 7:28*pm, B A R R Y > wrote:
> Darkwing wrote:
> > Is there anyway (outside of bringing my Sportys radio with me) to listen
> > with an ipod option or similar small radio to listen to live communications
> > on a commercial flight?
>
> Tried it... * You can't hear much.

I tried it with an aviation band scanner and didnt have a lot of luck
either. I flew on United for the first time in years and (re)found
that channel on the entertainment system and didnt listen to another
thing for the rest of the trip.

John

[Darkwing]

"John" > wrote in message
...
On Dec 1, 7:28 pm, B A R R Y > wrote:
> Darkwing wrote:
> > Is there anyway (outside of bringing my Sportys radio with me) to listen
> > with an ipod option or similar small radio to listen to live
> > communications
> > on a commercial flight?
>
> Tried it... You can't hear much.
>
>I tried it with an aviation band scanner and didnt have a lot of luck
>either. I flew on United for the first time in years and (re)found
>that channel on the entertainment system and didnt listen to another
>thing for the rest of the trip.
>
>John


Guess I will just read a magazine.

[F. Baum]

On Dec 1, 3:06*pm, "Darkwing" <theducksmail"AT"yahoo.com> wrote:
> Is there anyway (outside of bringing my Sportys radio with me) to listen
> with an ipod option or similar small radio to listen to live communications
> on a commercial flight?
Just curious why you would want to listen to ATC. Its just the same
mumbo jumbo you hear everytime you go flying. The big plus with flying
commercial is to get your drink on and relax.
FB

[Morgans[_2_]]

"John" > wrote

I tried it with an aviation band scanner and didnt have a lot of luck
either. I flew on United for the first time in years and (re)found
that channel on the entertainment system and didnt listen to another
thing for the rest of the trip.

Yep. Given that the antenna wire and radio are well shielded to keep the
signal in the antenna wire until it gets to the antenna sitting on the
outside of the plane, and that you are sitting in a giant faraday cage, you
are pretty much guaranteed to not pick a signal up, unless your arms are
long enough to reach out the window and get a line of sight to the
antenna...<g>
--
Jim in NC

[[email protected]]

On Dec 1, 3:06*pm, "Darkwing" <theducksmail"AT"yahoo.com> wrote:
> Is there anyway (outside of bringing my Sportys radio with me) to listen
> with an ipod option or similar small radio to listen to live communications
> on a commercial flight? FYI, I'm not flying United, I know you can listen on
> there.

My travels on commercial stuff is pretty limited but if I remember
correctly both Delta and United have ATC on channel 9 on the
entertainment selection. They will enable it about 10 minutes into the
flight and terminate it before landing... Hey.. we are pilots,, who
would not want to listen to it ??

Ben

[Morgans[_2_]]

> wrote

My travels on commercial stuff is pretty limited but if I remember
correctly both Delta and United have ATC on channel 9 on the
entertainment selection. They will enable it about 10 minutes into the
flight and terminate it before landing... Hey.. we are pilots,, who
would not want to listen to it ??

***********************

I always wondered why they did not let us listen to takeoff and landing ops.
That's the best part! <g>
--
Jim in NC

[[email protected]]

> I always wondered why they did not let us listen to takeoff and landing ops.
> That's the best part! <g>

I remember flying United into LAX late one night many years ago. I
was listening on channel 9 as we approached the airport at about 6,000
feet. Suddenly I hear ATC call our plane with something like:

"United 123, traffic your altitude one mile, descend _immediately_ to
four thousand !!"

I turned to my seatmate and said, "Hang on". A instant later, the
nose dove over and we all went weightless. Never had that happen in
a commercial liner (on purpose) before or since.

A half minute later, the captain comes on the PA system and casually
explains, "Ah, we're sure lucky tonight. Air traffic control just
gave us a quicker approach to the airport, so we'll get there sooner"

A cooler fib, I've never heard.

[Marco Leon[_5_]]

> wrote in message
...
>> I always wondered why they did not let us listen to takeoff and landing
>> ops.
>> That's the best part! <g>
>
> I remember flying United into LAX late one night many years ago. I
> was listening on channel 9 as we approached the airport at about 6,000
> feet. Suddenly I hear ATC call our plane with something like:
>
> "United 123, traffic your altitude one mile, descend _immediately_ to
> four thousand !!"
>
> I turned to my seatmate and said, "Hang on". A instant later, the
> nose dove over and we all went weightless. Never had that happen in
> a commercial liner (on purpose) before or since.
>
> A half minute later, the captain comes on the PA system and casually
> explains, "Ah, we're sure lucky tonight. Air traffic control just
> gave us a quicker approach to the airport, so we'll get there sooner"
>
> A cooler fib, I've never heard.

Cool story. I would imagine that they tend to stop the in-cabin ATC channel
because of situations like that and the fact that the perpensity to screw up
increases during the take-off and landing phases.

[Paul kgyy]

I've often been able to hear ground ops at both ends on United though
interrupted by useless cabin announcements on how to tie a seat belt.
And often ATC is better entertainment than Hollywood video.

[Darkwing]

"F. Baum" > wrote in message
...
On Dec 1, 3:06 pm, "Darkwing" <theducksmail"AT"yahoo.com> wrote:
> Is there anyway (outside of bringing my Sportys radio with me) to listen
> with an ipod option or similar small radio to listen to live
> communications
> on a commercial flight?
>Just curious why you would want to listen to ATC. Its just the same
>mumbo jumbo you hear everytime you go flying. The big plus with flying
>commercial is to get your drink on and relax.
>FB

Because when it comes to aviation I am an addict.