airtraffic

Author Topic: Can you bring and listen to a scanner on a commercial flight?  (Read 17721 times)

Offline Hurlysurfr18

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This question has probably come up at times but I was just wondering if it is legal to bring a scanner onboard and listen on commercial flights.  Seems like TSA doesnt care when I go through the x-ray machines, but once on board I try and hide it so on taxi and take-off I can get some good listening in.


Let me hear your guys input



Offline Walters

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Re: Can you bring and listen to a scanner on a commercial flight?
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2008, 05:28:09 PM »
its not allowed, plus i tried it once and couldnt get anything anyway

Offline NY Z Pilot

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Re: Can you bring and listen to a scanner on a commercial flight?
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2008, 07:00:16 PM »
ive done it before, heard everything on the ground, but once airborn nothing...

Offline cactushp

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Re: Can you bring and listen to a scanner on a commercial flight?
« Reply #3 on: July 04, 2008, 11:51:28 PM »
It is not allowed, but besides that, you probably wouldn't be able to hear anything due to the aircraft's structure.

Offline KB6HLM

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Re: Can you bring and listen to a scanner on a commercial flight?
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2008, 04:01:06 AM »
Well I have responded to this kind of topic before

I use a receiver on all flights and it has always worked very well for me the only thing I would suggest is that you get a earphone and sit by the window with radio on your side so that the flight attendants cant see it

Now don't worry if you get caught they wont call the cops  LOL  they will just ask you to please turn it off

One other thing be sure to have all frequencies programed into your radio and try not to look at it to much !


Enjoy your flight and don't forget your radio "I cant even imagine taking a flight with out my radio" that has got to suck   :evil:


Good Night And Good Luck
From Las Vegas, NV

BTW I am not sure if I would agree with my fellow colleagues that say they cant hear anything when airborn since mine works fine for the most part
but then again I have never tried a (radio scanner)  I use a (transceiver) not a cheap one with a good antenna !
« Last Edit: July 05, 2008, 04:13:38 AM by KB6HLM »

Offline jsapyta

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Re: Can you bring and listen to a scanner on a commercial flight?
« Reply #5 on: July 06, 2008, 12:50:54 AM »
Its not allowed, but UNITED as ATC on channel 6 I believe on there radio.


Offline MathFox

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Re: Can you bring and listen to a scanner on a commercial flight?
« Reply #6 on: July 06, 2008, 09:21:11 AM »
United has its channel 9... (Available to all passengers with a headphone, iff the captain allows it on.)
I would not knowingly use a transmitter on board of a plane (but I admit that I forgot to switch off my cellphone once or twice.) Using a receiver should generally not be a problem, but I'ld obey the "no electronics" order during take off and landing.

Offline Lezam

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Re: Can you bring and listen to a scanner on a commercial flight?
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2008, 02:00:05 PM »
I would not knowingly use a transmitter on board of a plane (but I admit that I forgot to switch off my cellphone once or twice.) Using a receiver should generally not be a problem, but I'ld obey the "no electronics" order during take off and landing.

Well, scanners don't transmit.. they only receive which isn't a problem for the aircrafts avionics.

I have left my cell phone on during flights quite a few times, not on purpose of course, and it doesn't seem to have caused any problems. But, in Europe they are beginning to allow cell phone service mid flight, which leads to the conclusion that cell phones do not have any effects.

Offline KB6HLM

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Re: Can you bring and listen to a scanner on a commercial flight?
« Reply #8 on: July 06, 2008, 07:00:45 PM »
Well I for one would not get on any airplane that could have problems with the aircrafts avionics from consumer electronics !

Anyway as for the transceiver for those of you that are wondering I keep the transmitter locked out (receive only)

Now as for  the "no electronics order during take off and landing" This for me is the best time to turn them on !


Have Cameras/GPS/Radio (I use all 3)  running .............ya baby enjoy your flight !


O and please don't tell anyone about my little secret  :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D


EDIT
Wanted to add one more thing here thats kind of funny :-)  I remember one time I got caught looking at my GPS when the attendant came up from the back and surprised the hell out of me she asked me what I was doing so I explained to her how much I loved airplanes and wanted to follow along with the flight well she asked me to please turn off all of my electronics, to make a long story short she came back and asked me if I would like to come up to the cockpit and meet the capt

I felt like a kid in a candy store :-) and it was one the best flight I ever took even without my radio on (lol) , every sense then I have been wanting to get caught again but NO JOY :-) 
« Last Edit: July 06, 2008, 07:35:59 PM by KB6HLM »

Offline PIT

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Re: Can you bring and listen to a scanner on a commercial flight?
« Reply #9 on: July 06, 2008, 07:17:32 PM »
O and please don't tell anyone about my little secret  :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D
the next time i see you on a flight, im going to call the flight attendant right over and have you removed!!!  :evil: im just kidding.

Anyways, i use all of mine as well. they cannot prove that it will mess with the avionics. i usually put the scanner on the side and use my earphones s that the flight attendant cannot see it.

Offline Chananya Freedman

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Re: Can you bring and listen to a scanner on a commercial flight?
« Reply #10 on: July 07, 2008, 05:51:19 PM »
when I fly united I'm addicted to channel 9 to the point that when my Father takes a United flight, I have him listen for me. LOL. Happened yesterday.

Chananya

Offline KingAir350

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Re: Can you bring and listen to a scanner on a commercial flight?
« Reply #11 on: July 10, 2008, 12:42:16 PM »
I've flown Delta and United at times where the pilot would run a feed through the entertainment system. Check with the "allowed electronic devices" to see if they have a policy against it. Delta used to allow scanners, but it's been a while since I looked. Some airlines won't even allow laptops, such as Singapore Airlines. If they don't allow FM radios (which most if not all don't), then scanners usually are not either.

The simplified technical reason for this (if you're interested), is that most FM radios use a 10.7 MHz I.F. (intermediate frequency), and most scanners use 10.7 or 10.8 MHz. Remembering that the air band is from 108-118 Mhz (navaids) and 118-136 MHz (voice/other), if you have a cheep FM radio and your listening to 107.7, to receive that frequency, the radio uses an internal L.O. (local oscillator) to generate a signal at 118.4 MHz, then mixes it at the 10.7 MHz IF to get 107.7 (118.4 - 10.7 = 107.7). As you can see, a carrier at 118.4 MHz could pose a real problem in-flight. Cheep FM radios are the worst, because they don't spend a lot money and trouble to shield and suppress the LO. Another example is if you were listening to 99.3, then the radio would be generating a carrier at 110.0, smack dab in the Navaids band. If you're interfering with the ILS receiver on landing, that could lead to a real bad day.

Scanners are not near as bad, because most of the voice comms that you would listen to are in the 118-136 MHz band, which could potentially generate a signal above 125 MHz. The main difference is that most scanners are designed to be significantly better for IF and LO carrier suppression. I have several older Bearcat scanners, and non of them generate any appreciable level of IF/LO carrier, even when its directly connected to another radio by a coax connection.

Of course, you could try to convince the flight attendant or captain that your scanner clean, but you'd probably loose the argument.

Offline jsapyta

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Re: Can you bring and listen to a scanner on a commercial flight?
« Reply #12 on: July 11, 2008, 12:18:27 AM »
United has its channel 9... (Available to all passengers with a headphone, iff the captain allows it on.)
I would not knowingly use a transmitter on board of a plane (but I admit that I forgot to switch off my cellphone once or twice.) Using a receiver should generally not be a problem, but I'ld obey the "no electronics" order during take off and landing.

I stand corrected. If you listen early enough you'll hear them on clearance delivery freq to go over there flight plan. I've always wanted to match the flightplan they use in FSX, but it doesn't seem to work. Anyone do it?

Offline air727

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Re: Can you bring and listen to a scanner on a commercial flight?
« Reply #13 on: July 12, 2008, 04:49:10 AM »
I have tried it a couple of times pre 911. Those were the days. I as well couldn't hear anything once airborne.

I wouldn't even breathe it to anyone on board that you have it.  Could be grounds for removal especially if its a push to talk transmitter like the one I have.

Good luck and be safe.

Offline KSYR-pjr

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Re: Can you bring and listen to a scanner on a commercial flight?
« Reply #14 on: July 13, 2008, 09:34:13 AM »
I stand corrected. If you listen early enough you'll hear them on clearance delivery freq to go over there flight plan. I've always wanted to match the flightplan they use in FSX, but it doesn't seem to work. Anyone do it?

FSX replicates real navigational aids, including VORs, intersections, airways and jetways, and GPS waypoints. 

Assuming you can interpret what you are hearing on CD and assuming you overhear a full route clearance (rather than just an "as filed," which omits the route since both ATC and the pilots know it), you should be able to program the route into an FSX aircraft's GPS or FMS and then fly it.

Offline aevins

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Re: Can you bring and listen to a scanner on a commercial flight?
« Reply #15 on: July 13, 2008, 10:50:53 AM »
You can use flightaware to get the full filed route of the flight.