Airport-Aircraft Radio Monitoring

[schroeder6th]

I live fairly close to a medium size airport that has “some” private aircraft.
Calling the tower is not possible.
I’ve done a lot of research regarding the Radio Frequencies the pilots use but not sure if there is a scanner or radio I can use to listen for incoming or outgoing traffic.
My sole intention is to be on the ground as the prepare to take off or land.
Thanks in advance

 

[MerlinL14]

Listening in to ATC radio traffic is not illegal. Just buy a scanner of EBay and you should be good.
Finding Air Traffic Frequencies - The RadioReference Wiki

 

[BigAl07]

I live fairly close to a medium size airport that has “some” private aircraft.
Calling the tower is not possible.
I’ve done a lot of research regarding the Radio Frequencies the pilots use but not sure if there is a scanner or radio I can use to listen for incoming or outgoing traffic.
My sole intention is to be on the ground as the prepare to take off or land.
Thanks in advance

If you're flying hobby/recreational "calling the tower" (or notifying in some form) is not an option. It's your obligation to make every attempt to notify them or come to a mutually agreed to process to notify them. They may say, "don't bother just stay below X# of feet and off airport property" but that is up to them to say to NOT notify.

 

[epicdoom]

there is an app called scanner radio Pro they have a pay and non pay version worked a treat for me and I can monitor not only my area but anywhere in the world has Train, Aircraft police fire you name it its in there

 

[N017RW]

I live fairly close to a medium size airport that has “some” private aircraft.
Calling the tower is not possible.
I’ve done a lot of research regarding the Radio Frequencies the pilots use but not sure if there is a scanner or radio I can use to listen for incoming or outgoing traffic.
My sole intention is to be on the ground as the prepare to take off or land.
Thanks in advance

I live near an airport with no tower.
It still has an operations office. It was very easy to make contact and establish communication. Even if you have to go in-person to start with.

 

[BigAl07]

I live near an airport with no tower.
It still has an operations office. It was very easy to make contact and establish communication. Even if you have to go in-person to start with.

^ That's how it's done

 

[schroeder6th]

Thanks for the replies.
I have tried using my scanner but can’t pick anything up while watching active take offs and landings.
Maybe I need to upgrade scanner for ATC ?

 

[Bakersfield Quad]

Check to find the frequency for that airport tower, then you will hear them.

 

[AndrewCCM]

RadioReference.com - Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference Database

 

[epicdoom]

Thanks for the replies.
I have tried using my scanner but can’t pick anything up while watching active take offs and landings.
Maybe I need to upgrade scanner for ATC ?

you will need to know the freq they are on. also I'm fairly certain they have all switched over to digital by now so if your scanner isn't digital it wont pick it up no matter what. if your using it to find out when aircraft are in your location or not I wouldn't do that. I am a Private Pilot and much of what we say over the radio is pilot lingo that most folks wont understand without learning terminology

 

[N017RW]

you will need to know the freq they are on. also I'm fairly certain they have all switched over to digital by now so if your scanner isn't digital it wont pick it up no matter what. if your using it to find out when aircraft are in your location or not I wouldn't do that. I am a Private Pilot and much of what we say over the radio is pilot lingo that most folks wont understand without learning terminology

What are you pretty sure it’s digital?

Just a guess?

Curious.

 

[AndrewCCM]

Don’t forget that lots are encrypted too (not sure about airports). I used to provide the Arlington and Mansfield, TX police scanner feeds (digital too) to Radio Reference a few years back. Now everything encrypted so my scanners are just in a drawer. Blah.

 

[N017RW]

Ok. My scanner still works for aviation in my area. Maybe it’s simulcast before hard switchover.

 

[PhantomHero]

You can also get the app Flightradar24
It will show you EVERY flight, heading, speed, altitude, route, even offers a 3D view from the planes perspective. Nice to know where they're at and sometimes just cool to watch.

 

[bsartist]

Good luck understanding them.

 

[Cellblock776]

You can also get the app Flightradar24
It will show you EVERY flight, heading, speed, altitude, route, even offers a 3D view from the planes perspective. Nice to know where they're at and sometimes just cool to watch.

Nope, not nearly and I recently started a thread about low flying aircraft in my area not showing up on apps like that. See this post in that thread,
Did some flying, dodged a couple of low fliers
to see how few are covered by apps like Flight Radar 24 pluss they have a delay on when the info posts.

Also see one of my replys in that thread with some of the ways I use a SDR dongle and a flight tracker app to get this info directly without using Flight Radar 24, Did some flying, dodged a couple of low fliers

I also regularly have a scanner with me for monitoring the nearby Baton Rouge airport approach and departure freqs along with the common Guard freqs.

 

[bsartist]

The scanner probably needs to receive AM as I believe aviation transmissions are in that mode. Take an FM only scanner and tune to those frequencies or just have your scanner set on FM and you wont hear them.

 

[sar104]

you will need to know the freq they are on. also I'm fairly certain they have all switched over to digital by now so if your scanner isn't digital it wont pick it up no matter what. if your using it to find out when aircraft are in your location or not I wouldn't do that. I am a Private Pilot and much of what we say over the radio is pilot lingo that most folks wont understand without learning terminology

Don’t forget that lots are encrypted too (not sure about airports). I used to provide the Arlington and Mansfield, TX police scanner feeds (digital too) to Radio Reference a few years back. Now everything encrypted so my scanners are just in a drawer. Blah.

No civil aviation communications are either digital or encrypted. They are all analog AM.

 

[AndrewCCM]

No civil aviation communications are either digital or encrypted. They are all analog AM.

Good to know nothing has changed there... It’s been awhile since I have turned on a scanner.

Maybe I’ll break out that Bearcat again soon... LOL

 

[BigAl07]

You can also get the app Flightradar24
It will show you EVERY flight, heading, speed, altitude, route, even offers a 3D view from the planes perspective. Nice to know where they're at and sometimes just cool to watch.

In the US you're only seeing about 30% of the air traffic. Not nearly enough for it to be a viable resource for SITU.