On the Airbands

Inmarsat Monitoring And Aviation Anecdotes

You may be aware that each year around October, I travel to Atlanta in the United States to attend a radio communications monitoring convention. It is one of the ways I can keep up to date with technology and the latest ideas. Last October, after jetting my way with Qantas to the States, I met John Wilson, amateur radio operator W4UVV, who is very much into InMarSat monitoring. Already, I had found more than enough justification for my trip!

InMarSat is the medium which international oceanic flying aircraft are moving to from HF voice reporting. The satellite equipped aircraft (steadily building in numbers) are transmitting a combination of ACARS data, cabin telephony, and flight deck telephony. Some of the messages, such as a proportion of the ACARS transmissions, are generated automatically. If an airliner is satellite equipped, and within range of a VHF ground station, the ACARS will route through the VHF (131.55, 130.025, 129.025 MHz) ground station. If it is out of range with a land based VHF station, the equipment will redirect the message to the satellite.

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