On The Airbands

Paine Field (also known as Snohomish County Airport): T WA 121. 3, 229. 4; GND 121. 8, 242. 1; Seattle Centre 128. 5, 306. 9; ATIS 128. 5, 387. 0; VOR/DME 114. 2; ILS 109. 3.

Runway 16R/34L 9,010ft x 200ft (2,726. 9m x 60. 9m). Runway 11/29 4,548ft X 75ft (1,386. 5m X 22. 8m). Runway 16U34R 3,000ft x 75ft (914. 6m x 22. 8m).

All aircraft over 250hp use 16R/34L. During hours when the Tower is closed, only 16R/34L is used.

So, if you’re journeying to see how the big Boeings are made, punch those frequencies into your scanner and enjoy the action. An interesting little aside is that after construction, the aircraft are taxied over a bridge across the main freeway leading to Seattle, reportedly causing frequent road accidents. The reason for the prangs is that the wings and engines droop down over the sides of the bridge, and to vehicle traffic approaching the bridge, the illusion is created that the aeroplane is actually on the freeway!

Local authorities in Everett have now insisted that Boeing only move aircraft across the road bridge during night hours when road traffic is minimal. Interesting! San Diego’s Coast Guard Air Station opposite Lindbergh International Airport actually get police to stop road traffic and taxy their Falcon jets across the main highway through a gate to access the runways at San Diego (Lindbergh) Field. Some amazing sights await you in the world of aviation in the USA!

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On the subject of interesting information learned while overseas, a discussion with Captain Barry Henwood on our Qantas flight to Los Angeles led to my discovery that the planned fit of a Qantas 747-438 aircraft with satellite L-band antenna array has been momentarily delayed due to a problem with the Canadian Marconi Candidate High Gain Satcom Antenna, which is to be mounted on the mid upper fuselage just above door three.

Initial testing showed that it was likely that the antenna’s ability to constantly ‘track’ the satellite may be impaired until the minor technical glitch is sorted out, so more work is being done on the antenna before any attempt to permanently fit it to the Qantas 747 is made.

The satellite equipment is going to have a very significant effect on the lives of all HF aeronautical monitors, according to Dwayne E Broderson, Chief Design Engineer, Boeing 747/767 Avionics.

Airlines were initially looking at satellite communications merely for company voice and data transmissions, A-CARS (Aeronautical Communications and Reporting System) and the like. But ATC reporting is also now to be included in the capability, with reporting done mostly by data download, similar to the way A-CARS is now downloaded on VHF on 131. 55 and 130. 025 worldwide.

The regular 40 minute oceanic position report now spoken by flightdeck crews in voice to HF stations would be replaced with the download of data through the satellite. HF equipment will continue to be fitted on the aircraft as a back-up system only.

According to Mr Broderson, many worldwide ATC networks are displaying great interest in the L-band system, which will be utilising Inmarsat A and later B transponders. What all this means to you and I sitting in our radio ‘shacks’ is that unless we obtain some equipment capable of receiving L-band satellite signals, and take that one further to decode the commercial ‘packet’ transmissions that the information will be sent in, our days of monitoring international aircraft flying oceanic are most definitely numbered! Unfortunately at this time no commercially produced receivers and antennas for L-bandare available specifically for monitors. No doubt though, as HF reporting starts to disappear from our radios, some smart businessman will star t producing the equipment. I’ll be the first customer, however I’m gearing my cheque book up for the caning it will have to endure! Satellite gear usually means big bucks!

United Airlines are also fitting a High Gain Conformal Phased Array Antenna to one of their 747-400s, so be warned, this is just the start. Oceanic satellite comms are soon to be with us!

Just prior to getting off the subject and presenting some contributions from readers, I might say that success has been achieved by several persons in Australia tapping into the Aussat transponders used by the CAA for aeronautical communications in Australia. Monitors in Queensland and Victoria have used Aussat satellite receivers, dish antennas, downconverter units, linked to Tandy Realistic PRO-2004, 2005 and now 2006 models, with a reasonable amount of success. Frequencies dialled up on the scanner are around 920 megahertz, with some sums being done to work out the exact conversion frequencies to be punched up. Once this is done, satellite communications are being received (albeit with a little drift!) from across Australia, with these eastern state monitors monitoring VHF traffic from Perth and other centres. I tell you this just so you realise that satellite communications can be intercepted with a little imagination. I am attempting to get more detail from the two gentlemen involved. Also, if any other readers of this feature are doing similar things with satellite comms from Aussat, drop me a line and tell me about yourself and details of your activities.

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Karl Jacques from Blackwater in Queensland is a regular contributor to ‘On the Airbands’. T his latest story involves an Australian 737 on company frequency (which Karl forgot to supply) talking with Transair about a ‘small’ problem. Well . . . the people who caused the problem were small . . . a group of young children on a group booking who must have left their point of departure

with well meaning health conscious mothers! AIRCRAFT: “Transair Mackay, Tango Juliett Foxtrot. ” T RANSAIR: “Go ahead Foxtrot. ”

AIRCRAFT: “ahh . . . for catering we have some urgent servicing requirements, and the cleaners for that matter . . . we’ll need the aircraft completely cleaned out as the little buggers have stuffed orange peels down all the seat pockets!”

Sounds like my lounge room when the kids are home from school! Thanks Karl. Keep ’em coming!

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‘I hit the wrong button’ department . . . Young Benny Eisenberg is an Air Traffic Services student at the Tasmanian State Institute of Technology, and is an unashamed devotee of aircraft communications.

Ansett’s Charlie Zulu Juliett (VH-CZJ) was the star of this scenario copied on Melbourne/Launy Control 119. 7.

VH-CZJ: “Good morning ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain, my name is Ian . . . , and First Officer Grant . . . on the flight deck this morning. We are presently passing through 10,500ft on climb to our cruising altitude of 33,000ft. Unfortunately, we are expecting a bit of rough air during the flight. As a result the ‘fasten seat belt’ sign will remain illuminated. If you feel that you have to move around the cabin at any time during the flight, please ensure your seat belt remains fastened!

“If you have any enquiries about any matter during your flight, our flight attendants will be glad to help you. The weather in Melbourne this morning is a little chilly, thirteen degrees, and showers are expected . ”

CONT ROL: “Thank you very much Ian!” VH-CZJ: “Oh no . . . I didn’t . . . did I Control?”

CONT ROL: “I always wondered how I would move around the cabin with seatbelt still done up!” (This was said very sarcastically. )

VH-CZJ: “Oh God, did I really say that?” (Extremely stunned. )

CONTROL: “Perhaps better to tell me than the passengers!” Too true Ben! Thanks for the contribution . . . a terrific story.

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From Meekatharra Flight Service Unit an incident that made a stupefyingly dull Sunday afternoon bearable for those on duty. RFDS PILOT: “Meeka, Foxtrot Delta Tango is thirty north, on descent, yours at four-two, do you guys have a gorilla?”

FSO (mystified): ‘:i\h . . . Foxtrot Delta Tango . . . negative gorillas. ” RFDS PILOT: “Hell! All I wanted was to toast my sandwiches!”

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Another good one courtesy of Australian Airlines when our correspondent ‘Frank’ was a passenger on Flight T N00 9 from Perth to Melbourne.

The tug had pushed the aircraft back, and they had taxied a few metres when the Captain introduced himself and made the following anti-AT C announcement. “Good morning ladies and gentlemen . . . sorry about the delay. No, we haven’t broken down . . . it’s just the boys in the Tower you see . . . they’re pretty busy there. I think they actually have two other aircraft to control, and it’s getting a bit tough for them to handle!It shouldn’t take much longer though . . . ”

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Eric Giddio from Mascot NSW shares with us a funny and enjoyable conversation he copied on 124. 4, Sydney Approach one evening. Eric uses a Tandy Realistic PRO-3 4 handheld scanner, and loves monitoring Asian airlines, in particular Thai International, as the pilots sound hilarious with their slurred version of the English language.

THAI INT ER 485: ‘:i\pproshe . . . Thai inner 485, descend to seven tow-sund, rivv information kiro!”

APPROACH: “T hai Inter 485, good evening, descend to seven thousand, QNH 1018, expect straight in approach runway zero seven. ”

On passing through 7,000 feet, the aircraft crew was cleared to descend to 4,000 feet and reduce speed Then Approach started to vector them a tad, with . . .

APPROACH: Thai Inter 485, additional track miles required, turn left heading zero-two-zero. ”

THAI INT ER 485: “How . . . how much slow on this track . . . 210 knots?” (Sounding really confused. )

APPROACH: (Sounding disappointed) “T hai Inter 485. . . na! That won’t be enough. You’re only seven odd miles behind a Jetstream!” T HAI INTER 485: (Angry) “OK, Thai Inter 285, yoo still front me descend to three tow-sund, head zero two zero?”

APPROACH: “Thai Inter 485, well . . . that’s what I thought you were for, but now someone tells me ya now for Runway one six” (sounding nervous).

At this point, the conversation turns nasty. Thai Inter 485 has been believing he is for a straight in approach on RW 07 when he has this dropped on him, and he gets so angry that Eric says when he played a cassette he made of the exchange back he couldn’t even understand him. Anyway . . . he managed to catch this much . . .

THAI INT ER 485: (not clear) “Yoo slow me down on zero seven, then yoo make me heading zero two zero, then yoo make me to divert for Jetstream, then yoo srow me down! What the hell do yoo ront us to do now?” (furious).

I have heard a few exchanges like this . . . usually it’s the fault of the Asian aircrew when things get screwed up, but on this occasion it sounds like the Approach Controller could have handled his arrival a little better to say the least. Either he, or the SOC (Senior Operations Controller) who chooses duty runways with the Tower’s help or the Flow Controller obviously blew it on this one. I feel for the poor Asian pilot as he rode the ILS down onto a Runway 16 touchdown!

Thanks to Eric Giddio for his very detailed letter.

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I might mention now the US usage of 530kHz AM near airports such as LAX for drivers to tune in and get Airport Information. This frequency is used in a number of areas for diverse reasons surrounding public information, including freeway traffic info. At large airports, when you’re running late, and you’re attempting to drop a rental car off and tear off to one of a multitude of busy terminals, the Airport Information on 530kHz is a great time saver, telling you exactly which terminal your flight leaves from, and where it’s located. It’s a great idea, and could be considered for busier airports in our country. Like in the States, large billboard signs could be erected on the roads leading to the airport . . . “Tune 530 AM on your car radio for airpbrt information”. It’d work fine here!

If you would like to contribute to ‘On the Airbands’, write to me, Bob Bell, at Aerospace Publications, PO Box 3105, Weston Creek, ACT 2611. If you’d like a reply, please include a stamped self addressed envelope.

Until next month, enjoy your monitoring . . . see you then.