Which frequencies to expect?

whereisrandall

whereisrandall

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Jan 3, 2016
Messages
333
Location
Wiscasset, Maine
Display Name
Randall Williams
Home Airfield
KIWI
Do y'all reqularly tune up next-sector frequencies before the handoff? Close to home, I know which to expect - but is there a frequency map, or another way to know what's coming next?

Of course I can pull up approach and tower when I'm arriving into an airport, or even going by. And I know how to use ForeFlight and GNS430 to pull up nearest frequencies. But on long cross countries, I feel like I should know which sector's coming next before the controller hands me off.

Or am I missing something obvious?

- R
 
No I dont
I have even flown the same route and altitude, recording as I go...only to be given different ones the next trip
 
I fly a lot of long XC though multiple centers and approaches. I can anticipate the departure frequency and usually the arrival frequency before handoff to tower...but beyond that it is anyones guess and can often change due to staffing and volume each controller handles.

When it comes to center handoffs, I refer to the IFR sectionals where the center boundary lines are and center frequencies are listed in the blue box...but that is not what frequency you will always get handed off to.

Long story short there is no map as they change depending on circumstances...frequency handoffs are fluid and often change not only with ATC staffing but also change with altitudes...and those can change day by day and hour by hour.

"Nearest" frequency on a sectional, 430 or FF is not intended to be where you will be handed off to, but rater a starting point to call based on where you currently are if you need to establish coms.
 
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ATC frequencies are like a box of chocolates.. you never know what you're going to get. They combine sectors/frequencies at times plus sometimes they use backup freqs so you don't know what they're going to give you. I don't bother trying to guess any longer. What I do know is that the freqs published will usually allow me to contact them if need be - like to request FF or pick up an IFR clearance or something. But trying to make a log of expected freqs = fail.
 
petrolero said:
ATC frequencies are like a box of chocolates.. you never know what you're going to get. They combine sectors/frequencies at times plus sometimes they use backup freqs so you don't know what they're going to give you. I don't bother trying to guess any longer. What I do know is that the freqs published will usually allow me to contact them if need be - like to request FF or pick up an IFR clearance or something. But trying to make a log of expected freqs = fail.
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Yep, I never try to guess. I've always been given the next sector frequency anyways.
 
I'll second what others have said. After ground and tower, in my case at least, I don't try to figure out and tune in the next freq. It's always been provided before handoff.
 
I will often look at all the approach frequencies for my destination airport so I know once I get handed off to that frequency I can pre load tower since that handoff can often be during a higher workload phase.
 
Look at the frequencies for center in the airport information page of your GPS or in the Airport Facilities Directory. The smaller airports will use Center, they wont have an approach. It may not be right but its the best there is.

Most pilots just go from one frequency to the next that ATC gives them.
 
In my local area, i pretty much know the frequencies to expect. When I leave the local area, I try to get flight following for VFR. Short of that, I'll look to see if theirs a freq box called out on the sectional or just dial up 121.5.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
No I dont
I have even flown the same route and altitude, recording as I go...only to be given different ones the next trip
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Same here. I've even flown the same route the same day and gotten different radio frequencies.
 
A belt-and-suspenders approach is to look at the Communications section in the A/FD for airports along your route. For example, the Communications listing for Evanston Wyoming says "SALT LAKE CENTER APP/DEP CONTROL 127.7," so if I was going to fly over EVW there is a better than good chance that I will be given that freq.

Bob Gardner
 
On an IFR flight plan, or on flight following, I'll sometimes guess the next frequency for fun. Usually I figure out by listening to the handoffs that the controller gives to other aircraft heading in the same direction. For example, if I'm over Baltimore heading to Lancaster and I hear the controller give another aircraft a handoff to Harrisburg, I can pretty well guess that's the same frequency I'll get when I get to the edge of Potomac Tracon's airspace.

I'll also cheat and look up the frequencies ATC frequencies listed in foreflight for airports that are ahead on my route.

All that said, I don't obsess over trying to anticipate the frequencies. I don't write them down either, as I dial in the frequency on my standby frequency as I read back to the controller (hint: frequencies are a lot easier to remember if you drop the first and last digit; the first is always one, the last is either 0 or 5 but with set frequency spacing you can't dial the last digit anyway...so reading back "twenty-eight twelve" is a lot easier than "one two eight point one two fife").
 
Although I rarely know what frequency to expect, I usually know the name the facility to expect.
 
whereisrandall said:
Do y'all reqularly tune up next-sector frequencies before the handoff? Close to home, I know which to expect - but is there a frequency map, or another way to know what's coming next?

Of course I can pull up approach and tower when I'm arriving into an airport, or even going by. And I know how to use ForeFlight and GNS430 to pull up nearest frequencies. But on long cross countries, I feel like I should know which sector's coming next before the controller hands me off.

Or am I missing something obvious?

- R
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Nope

Murphy loves this, if you try to dial up before the hand off it's always a different freq or something. Just wait for the freq
 
Usually the game I'm trying to play is listening for other handoffs in my direction of flight. That's been the best crib sheet for me. I'll usually dial in the freq for the aircraft ahead of me into standby. Not 100%, as I've certainly been surprised, but best I got.
 
Thanks gang, that's helpful. I do guess at frequencies based on other planes headed the same way, and I do use the A/FD to dial up approach when I'm pointed towards someplace specific. Just wondered if I was missing something really obvious.
 
I'll try to tune them right when things are slow, but in Northern California it is nothing more than a guessing game. I can call up Nor-Cal at the same location and altitude off KCCR two different days of the week and one day a frequency works and another they are sending me off to someone else.
So yes, I will plug the next one in, but I don't zone out when atc starts giving me the next frequency.
 
As Petro said, they can combine high sectors with low sectors, sectors adjacent to each other, etc. So sometimes flying specific routes I kinda know what routes to expect. You have plenty of time to swap frequencies and check in. Don't think it is a race to the next controller.
 
I find it works well to just wait and let them tell me. A wonderful example here in the state of Washington is out in the middle of the state. If you are approaching KYKM above a certain altitude you just state with Seattle Center. Below and you get handed off to Chinook Approach. And then a bit farther down the route you get handed back to Seattle Center. I don't remember the altitude, but something over 10,000 MSL might be the magic number as I recall (it's been a few years) not being handed off when eastbound and being handed off when westbound (11,000 MSL east, 10,000 MSL west). I'm sure there's a letter of agreement out there somewhere that we pilots don't see.

Of course, you can also look at the Low Altitude Enroute charts and see what's there.
 
If you are out in the middle of nowhere and your radio reception is weak, you can ask the controller "what frequency I can expect next?"
 
I don't even try to guess. When approach says my tail number, my hand immediately to the frequency box so I'm ready to twist what they say.
 
I usually know where about I'll get handed off, but outside of the bravo, the frequency is never guaranteed. Sometimes I even have to call back for a different freq if nobody is on the other end of the one I was handed off to :)
 
The only time I have had any luck at predicting a hand off frequency is when I'm listening to them talk to other aircraft, can figure out which ones are ahead of me, and note the frequency they are given. It works well when there are other aircraft going the same direction as you, but you certainly can't count on that happening all the time.
 
The only time I might try to predict a frequency is the tower frequency when IFR. Some approaches are bad about giving it to you. They say, "contact tower" without giving a frequency. I'm looking at you, Aspen approach...

Also, when getting a clearance which includes a SID, they often assume you will get the frequency off the printed SID, so they won't give it to you, either in the clearance, or when going from tower to departure. It will be, "contact departure" without a frequency.
 
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Everskyward said:
Also, when getting a clearance which includes a SID, they often assume you will get the frequency off the printed SID, so they won't give it to you, either in the clearance, or when going from tower to departure. It will be, "contact departure" without a frequency.
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I can't say I've EVER been given a frequency on the tower-to-departure handoff. The departure frequency is usually part of the clearance right before the squawk code.
 
flyingron said:
I can't say I've EVER been given a frequency on the tower-to-departure handoff. The departure frequency is usually part of the clearance right before the squawk code.
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Tower gives a frequency for departure some of the time, but I have never thought about whether it is typical or not. The departure frequency is sometimes stated in clearance before the squawk code, but sometimes not. Sometimes you need to look at the SID. I know this because I have gone searching for it on many more than one occasion.
 
flyingron said:
I can't say I've EVER been given a frequency on the tower-to-departure handoff. The departure frequency is usually part of the clearance right before the squawk code.
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I'll get the departure frequency about 1/10 times but usually tower will just say "N12345 contact departure, have a good flight."
 
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