Meowing on Guard- can it be stopped?

[Ghery]

Could this be done using a scattering of inexpensive raspberry Pi computers connected to a SDR (software designed radio) receiver? Or would it take something more technically capable? I'm just a pilot, not a tech experience , so I'm not really sure.

SDR stands for Software Defined Radio, not software designed radio. Other than that, I agree with everything you stated.

 

[GoFly]

Wasn’t there a story of a pilot transporting a cat that got out of the cage and began tearing up the inside of his airplane, then attacked him? Supposedly, he opened a window and the cat went out at 5k ft or so. Imagine that would be a pretty long meeoooooooooowwww.

 

[Ed Haywood]

Wasn’t there a story of a pilot transporting a cat that got out of the cage and began tearing up the inside of his airplane, then attacked him? Supposedly, he opened a window and the cat went out at 5k ft or so. Imagine that would be a pretty long meeoooooooooowwww.

Back in the day, there was a Cessna accident where a cat escaped a cage and got into the tail cone, causing aft CG.

 

[SFDukie]

Once, a skywest pilot in the flight levels heard my emergency call on 121.5
An alert controller monitoring the frequency summoned a USCG c130, which dropped me a raft.

As objectively as I can assess my survival odds without that emergency call being answered, they were roughly 50/50

I understand the importance of 121.5. In my bones. Without it, my son might be fatherless, his soccer team in elementary school coach less, his scout troop without a transportation coordinator, and the university of California might have an inferior instructor instead of me.

 

[hindsight2020]

Once, a skywest pilot in the flight levels heard my emergency call on 121.5
An alert controller monitoring the frequency summoned a USCG c130, which dropped me a raft.

As objectively as I can assess my survival odds without that emergency call being answered, they were roughly 50/50

I understand the importance of 121.5. In my bones. Without it, my son might be fatherless, his soccer team in elementary school coach less, his scout troop without a transportation coordinator, and the university of California might have an inferior instructor instead of me.

Do you have a link/article/write-up to the rescue story? Always up to read up on water ditching stories from the source.

 

[bbchien]

You only need to get a few of them a demand letter for a HIMS psychiatry evaluation. That'll stop all of them, FAST.

 

[Brad Z]

SDR stands for Software Defined Radio, not software designed radio. Other than that, I agree with everything you stated.

I think I got autocorrected.

 

[billsgs126]

Wasn’t there a story of a pilot transporting a cat that got out of the cage and began tearing up the inside of his airplane, then attacked him? Supposedly, he opened a window and the cat went out at 5k ft or so. Imagine that would be a pretty long meeoooooooooowwww.

I guess that would be life number seven . . ..

 

[billsgs126]

I think I got autocorrected spell-wrecked.

FTFY

 

[billsgs126]

You only need to get a few of them a demand letter for a HIMS psychiatry evaluation. That'll stop all of them, FAST.

So, are you saying that the FAA won't make FBOs put litter boxes in their restrooms because some pilots identify as cats?

 

[Brad Z]

By not enforceable, do you mean because unless someone from the FSDO is in the plane, they'd never know if you did it or not? Very true, but what about all the people that do it maybe because it is required, or maybe just monitor 121.5 because it makes a lot of sense.

And should I take it that you don't think it's a problem for those acting like 6 year old's while flying and "meowing" all they want? (I didn't scroll back to find your other comments, so I really don't know your position on this.) Personally I think having to even discuss this is a total waste of time, but then here we are. A couple of people that fly for the airlines have told me a lot of Capt's have started cracking down and telling young right seaters if they do it they'll be reported to the Chief Pilot and never fly with them again. And I have to admit I don't hear it *as* much as before. So BRAVO to those Capt's.

I was referring to the requirement to monitor the guard frequency. I have a hard time imagining the FAA opening up an EIR on a pilot who wasn't monitoring 121.5, unless a whole lot of other bad stuff happened too.

Regardless, I started this thread, and as I stated, I do think it's a problem illegally transmitting on guard and proposed a means to identify violators in hopes of shaming away the behavior. I don't expect the FCC to do much about it.

 

[billsgs126]

It just gets worse and worse . . ..

 

[SLB]

Today on guard I heard “I’m Batman”.
Idiot.

 

[RockyMtnFlyer]

...I have a hard time imagining the FAA opening up an EIR on a pilot who wasn't monitoring 121.5....

Agreed; how would they know?

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I was referring to the requirement to monitor the guard frequency. I have a hard time imagining the FAA opening up an EIR on a pilot who wasn't monitoring 121.5, unless a whole lot of other bad stuff happened too.

And the easiest way to avoid any of that other bad stuff happening? Monitor guard.

Funny how that works.

 

[bflynn]

Has anyone heard meows over emergency traffic? Is it really a problem or just annoying?

CAN it be fixed? Sure, the FAA could mandate radios that tag every transmission with an identifier ID. Require it for every plane and you get violated if you have an untagged radio. That would stop it. I’m sure the radios wouldn’t be more than 20k each.

So you can stop hearing pilots being silly/stupid.

 

[OneCharlieTango]

Maybe it’s regional. I just flew from Sarasota, FL to Quincy IL… around 7 hrs cross country today. Monitored guard the whole flight. Only heard one meow. Several inadvertent transmissions, one big GUUUUUAAAAAAARRRDDDDD pileup, and the one thing that almost made me mute the frequency- several solid minutes of a stuck mic and someone’s in-cockpit conversation.

I especially like it when there's a stuck mic and fifteen people say, "N123, you've got a stuck mic." I did once, in frustration, say "He can't hear you because he has a stuck mic."

 

[Bob Noel]

. I’m sure the radios wouldn’t be more than 20k each.

plus installation.

plus the cost of the ground infrastructure. And don't think it would be cheap, noooo, the FAA is nothing if not excellent at goldplating things.

 

[Bob Noel]

I especially like it when there's a stuck mic and fifteen people say, "N123, you've got a stuck mic." I did once, in frustration, say "He can't hear you because he has a stuck mic."

did anyone then call out "blocked"?

 

[AV8R_87]

Is it really a problem or just annoying?

It can be bad enough that people stop monitoring guard. Add all the other nonsense, like political rants and such, and it can be a real pain to keep watch.

And the main issue is that "proffessional" pilots do it. People that have been entrusted with the lives of at least 100 other people do that, often at altitudes where sterile cockpit rules are in effect.
That is not acceptable. Hence why I agree with our resident doctor that some of them should receive an invitation to see a HIMS AME. That would put an end to it in a hurry.

CAN it be fixed? Sure, the FAA could mandate radios that tag every transmission with an identifier ID. Require it for every plane and you get violated if you have an untagged radio. That would stop it. I’m sure the radios wouldn’t be more than 20k each.

So you can stop hearing pilots being silly/stupid.

Don't be facetious.
#1, all aircraft have a unique electrical signature already.

#2, for 20k I could get two electronically-scanned direction finders, an ADS-B receiver, an aviation band radio and a computer to aggregate it all.
You meow once and I'll know within a second where you are, what ADS-B target lines up with my DF fix, have a voice sample that I can then correlate with other transmissions and confirm it's the right target.
A short chat with the CP later, followed by a well-publicized certificate action and medical examination, and this nonsense would stop.

 

[kayoh190]

And the main issue is that "proffessional" pilots do it. People that have been entrusted with the lives of at least 100 other people do that, often at altitudes where sterile cockpit rules are in effect.

How do you know this?

 

[SkyChaser]

I have monitored guard for every hour I've flown, and I have never once heard anything at all on guard except someone's ELT that had already been reported (I think it was a plane inside a hangar, if I recall correctly). Maybe I need to fly more in areas with denser populations or fly during more popular times or something.

It would be interesting to see a map of pilots who report frequent or lengthy disturbances on guard and see if there is any geographical correlation.

 

[SixPapaCharlie]

I have monitored guard for every hour I've flown, and I have never once heard anything at all on guard except someone's ELT that had already been reported (I think it was a plane inside a hangar, if I recall correctly). Maybe I need to fly more in areas with denser populations or fly during more popular times or something.

It would be interesting to see a map of pilots who report frequent or lengthy disturbances on guard and see if there is any geographical correlation.

Come to Dallas.
I hear this crap on CTAF!!!!

In December, I was flying and I hear a guy broadcasting over and over "I like big weiners" "Do you like big weiners"
I was the weirdest combination of mad and laughing at the same time.

The following week up near the TX / OK border Someone just started saying the N word over and over
And of course the cat noises. And again... CTAF

 

[172andyou]

I have monitored guard for every hour I've flown, and I have never once heard anything at all on guard except someone's ELT that had already been reported (I think it was a plane inside a hangar, if I recall correctly). Maybe I need to fly more in areas with denser populations or fly during more popular times or something.

It would be interesting to see a map of pilots who report frequent or lengthy disturbances on guard and see if there is any geographical correlation.

That's astounding! I definitely don't hear it every flight, but I bet it's at least every third one. You sure the volume on your second radio is up? ;-)

 

[FORANE]

And I thought we had it bad out here where I hear meows almost every flight.

 

[Dave Theisen]

Come to Dallas.
I hear this crap on CTAF!!!!

In December, I was flying and I hear a guy broadcasting over and over "I like big weiners" "Do you like big weiners"
I was the weirdest combination of mad and laughing at the same time.

The following week up near the TX / OK border Someone just started saying the N word over and over
And of course the cat noises. And again... CTAF

And @eman1200 didn’t even tell you he was coming out to Dallas?

 

[eman1200]

...The following week up near the TX / OK border Someone just started saying the N word over and over

Notice to airmission?

 

[eman1200]

And @eman1200 didn’t even tell you he was coming out to Dallas?

well, everything's bigger in texas, right?

 

[Larry in TN]

I have monitored guard for every hour I've flown, and I have never once heard anything at all on guard except someone's ELT

Climb up to the flight levels and you'll hear all sort of stuff.

 

[Tarheelpilot]

Back in the day, there was a Cessna accident where a cat escaped a cage and got into the tail cone, causing aft CG.

Must gave been one dense kitty

 

[billsgs126]

well, everything's bigger in texas, right?

Nah, its bigger in Canada where they use SI (Special Inches).

(25.4 is a lot bigger than 10.)

 

[AV8R_87]

How do you know this?

Electroacoustical signatures.
A large number of airliners have varying degrees of 400Hz bleed into the audio systems/comms, combine that with the cockpit background noise and it's relatively easy to tell. Each type has its own EMI signature, after a while you can figure them out if you're not tone deaf.

 

[M20K]

CAN it be fixed? Sure, the FAA could mandate radios that tag every transmission with an identifier ID.

That is coming. It's still going to be quite a few years, but when the radios eventually switch to digital, there will be a digital signature to every transmission.

In theory, you could even know if it was the pilot or copilot that made the transmission.

 

[kayoh190]

Electroacoustical signatures.
A large number of airliners have varying degrees of 400Hz bleed into the audio systems/comms, combine that with the cockpit background noise and it's relatively easy to tell. Each type has its own EMI signature, after a while you can figure them out if you're not tone deaf.

So you're saying you know the type of airliner, and can hear background noise such that you're confident that the majority of meows happen in the terminal area? And you're doing this by ear?

 

[Ed Haywood]

So you're saying you know the type of airliner, and can hear background noise such that you're confident that the majority of meows happen in the terminal area? And you're doing this by ear?

AI could easily be trained to do that.

 

[Bob Noel]

and no one would EVER spoof such a system.

nope

 

[billsgs126]

AI could easily be trained to do that.

Oh, THAT transcript would be fun to read . . .. "The meow heard at 1422 hours is from an extinct Siberian Saber-toothed tiger . . .."

 

[billsgs126]

In theory, you could even know if it was the pilot or, copilot, or HAL 9000 that made the transmission.

FTFY

 

[kayoh190]

AI could easily be trained to do that.

Of course. But is that what he's doing?

 

[Dixiebluesky]

Wanting the govt to "fix" this tiny little nuisance to a few people is the equivalent to having the cops do a "welfare check" on a family member. It can only end in disaster with the repercussions only hurting you in the long run.