Frequency for jabbering on

SixPapaCharlie

SixPapaCharlie

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We are flying a couple planes on a family trip this weekend.
I am in a plane that would make edFred proud

Bare bones. It has a sundial and some sort of ladle for navigating and wooden cross you point toward the north star and shove in your eye

Jacobsstaf.jpg




Ok, so it has 1 single radio very similar to what the professor made on Gilligan's Island.

Dad will be in the good plane with multiple radios. Ideally we want to have a frequency we can chat on in case I think of an awesome joke about balls.

I know there is a freq. set aside for dudes to talk about fishing. I googled and couldn't find it. I was thinking about just pulling up something odd like 121.4 which I don't think would have a lot of people on it. :dunno:

He would monitor this frequency on comm2 and I could switch over real quick and communicate w/ him and if he had some thing to say to me he could click his mic 3 times (we would both be on center) or make a subtle, unique sound that would be my cue to switch to that frequency.

So far this is what we have come up with for a cue for me to switch over to that frequency


The real reason behind this question is we are bringing along 4 people that have flown small hops, 1 requires Dramamine but does ok, one sometimes is a rock-star but gets nervous if it is crazy bumpy so it may go smoothly but there may be a need for us to stop and take a break, 1 this will be his 2nd flight in a small plane. The other is Mrs 6PC so no issue there

At any rate, it would be beneficial having a means to
1. get the others attention somehow so I can switch over
2. communicate preferably a low chatter line as being on FF and monitoring another channel w/ lots of chatter can be bothersome.


If not using the commonly accepted chat frequency how do you pick one?
Any reason he couldn't just say "Bryan switch" on the center freq. to get my attention?
 
murphey said:
122.75
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do a lot of people use it?
I personally don't care. Dad is concerned he will miss something important from center if people are being verbose on the "chat line"

He has minor hearing issues and struggles with filtering stuff sometimes.
 
123.3 iirc. I think it is in the AIM somewhere.
 
122.75 is used for air to air communication and traffic advisories around here. How cluttered it is will depend on your area. Around here if you aren't hearing 2-3 other planes it's either night time or your radio is broken.
 
As for the frequency switching, why not just do a two-ship flight with your dad in lead, so he'll always be with ATC on 1 and with you on 2. That way you can just be on 22.75 the whole time without constantly switching...
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
go to fingers....:popcorn::rollercoaster:
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or 121.5 - that way it'll just be you, the FAA, and the airliners jabbering...

Listened to an airliner describing a medical problem on board on the last trip. Some guy kept asking the airliner if they needed assistance and other folks would tell that guy what was going on (airliner was probably talking on two frequencies and didn't know it). After the initial "on no, somebody has a problem" it was funny to hear the airliner say something which was immediately followed by Mister Good Sam asking if they needed help. Finally after some on air coaching by some other airliner (I assume) Mister Good Sam shut up.
 
123.45 is all I've ever used to shoot the breeze. It's so common you often hear 'fingers' on the radio when two company pilots meet on a center freq.


Folks spew regs on this all the time but at some point what really is becomes the norm and this is an example.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
What is "fingers"
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Checkout_my_Six said:
123.45.....fingers
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:thumbsup:

A lot of people use, as Captain apparently does, it but it's against the regs to do so as Palm said.

Don't get caught using it, a few around here have and have been fined. There's a Sabreliner plant in our area and Fingers is reserved for flight testing. Someone actually needs it here.
 
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Checkout_my_Six said:
123.45.....fingers
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That frequency belongs to two major aircraft manufacturers for their flight test operations, and if they hear you on it, they get really annoyed because it interferes with their very costly operations. Potentially, it's an FCC violation. Stick with the one legal freq 122.75.
 
kkoran said:
It is, but it's designated for aviation instruction, glider & hot air
balloon use.
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What are they gonna do chase you down and get a tail number?:lol: If there is no glider activity 123.3 is usually quiet.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Curious, I assume Boeing is one, who is the other?
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I'm not sure it "belongs" to the mfgrs. The regs I've read simply say it's reserved for flight testing. I think there's something about use over the ocean too.

MD used to use it all the time when they were still in STL. I used to listen to them flying fighter jets as a kid on one of dad's EMS scanners. Sabreliner still uses it in this area...or at least did until the recent buyout and lockout.
 
AggieMike88 said:
By the way, 123.4 is the frequency US Aviation Academy will use as "Academy Traffic" for the practice areas between Denton and Gainesville. It's not published anywhere, but it's good to know when your transiting the area at low level.
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like I am going to understand a thing they are saying ;)
 
Bill Jennings said:
Curious, I assume Boeing is one, who is the other?
Click to expand...

That freq is available to ALL flight testing.... I use it since I usually fly with other experimentals and since all EAB flights are considered tests, we are good to go...;)
 
ClimbnSink said:
What are they gonna do chase you down and get a tail number?:lol: If there is no glider activity 123.3 is usually quiet.
Click to expand...

By the same token, if there is no emergency activity 121.5 is usually quiet. You just have to filter out all the killjoys saying "on guard!"
 
JeffDG said:
Do you have any idea how difficult it is to DF a source moving at 110 kts?
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With two detectors, and a cell phone, pretty easy. If I know it's 110 knots and in a straight line, I can triangulate from one position with one detector. Easily good enough to correlate with a radar track if you **** someone off enough.
 
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ClimbnSink said:
Do you have any idea how hard it is to use DF gear in a hot air balloon?:lol:
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Ever used a cheese block?

Ever triangulated a position?

Homing is not the only technique.

You would do better on the ground to have fixed bearings. Every flight test facility has ground stations.
 
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F01LA said:
By the same token, if there is no emergency activity 121.5 is usually quiet. You just have to filter out all the killjoys saying "on guard!"
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Have you ever heard glider pilots on 123.3? They sound like teenage girls 'I'm over the pizza place climbing at 1.5 wearing a white floppy hat.' 'Roger I'm over the mall also wearing a white floppy hat.' There is no safety or commercial impact to using 123.3 for air to air.
 
ClimbnSink said:
Have you ever heard glider pilots on 123.3? They sound like teenage girls 'I'm over the pizza place climbing at 1.5 wearing a white floppy hat.' 'Roger I'm over the mall also wearing a white floppy hat.' There is no safety or commercial impact to using 123.3 for air to air.
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HA!
Translate please.
 
F01LA said:
By the same token, if there is no emergency activity 121.5 is usually quiet. You just have to filter out all the killjoys saying "on guard!"
Click to expand...

I monitor guard for emergency transmissions. I don't appreciate being forced to hear to guys chatting away when they could just as easily be on 122.75. I've never said "on guard!" because I know they know they're on guard...it's not an accident. So, pointing it out on the radio would achieve nothing.

123.45 does have some Oceanic purpose, had no idea it was for flight testing, too.

122.75 is an air to air frequency, use it.

Have to agree with one of the other suggestions, go as a flight of two, that'll simplify the comms a great deal.
 
... well, there is this:

http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Order/6050.32B Chg 1.pdf


U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
National Policy​

6050.32B
5/15/2008​

...

908. SPECIAL USE OF 123.45 MHZ. Within the United States (including Alaska, Hawaii, and United States possessions) 123.45 MHz is authorized to be used only for non-government flight test operations, not air-to-air communications. However, the frequency 123.45 MHz is designated as an air-to-air VHF communications frequency to enable aircraft engaged in flights over remote and oceanic areas out ofrange of VHF ground stations to exchange necessary operational information and to facilitate the resolution of operational problems. This special use is in compliance with ICAO Annex 10, Volume V, Section 4.1.3.2.1.
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OK so flight of two step by step?

Leaving a controlled field, what is the process beginning w/ Taxi request
If anyone has the energy, I would like the step by step from that point up until landing which will probably be a controlled field (haven't decided on lunch yet)
 
coma24 said:
I monitor guard for emergency transmissions. I don't appreciate being forced to hear to guys chatting away when they could just as easily be on 122.75.
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I think you missed his sarcasm. (at least I hope he was being sarcastic...that's the way I took it)
 
Identify yourself as a flight of 2 on the initial callup. Lead makes all the radio calls, #2 just monitors and squawks standby. This allows #2 to transmit on 122.75 (which lead would also monitor).

There are formal procedures you can use to make sure that #2 swaps from ground to tower, to departure at the same time as you . I believe you say something along the lines of "6PC flight, push 135.50", and #2 would respond "2" as acknowledgement, then you both make the swap, then lead checks in on the new frequency. I'm just not sure if that push command is issued on the primary frequency or on the secondary frequency (have never done it).

From an ATC perspective, you're ONE plane. This is why #2 squawks standby, to prevent a bunch of collision alerts.

Someone who's actually done it will probably post more info :)
 
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