Yesterday ?

[omcaree]

Hey all,

I've not posted much in a while due to a busy life! But something caught my attention yesterday which I felt needed to be shared....

On a return flight from Cardiff (who I must say were very nice indeed) my routing took me through Birmingham's airspace. Called them up in plenty of time and was cleared to route through their zone overhead HON on track to East Mids. Due to traffic our routing was modified slightly and we were vectored through the Birmingham overhead. Ok, nothing strange so far? but on reaching the overhead I started to hear singing in my headset. After a few seconds looking confused my passenger said she also heard the singing confirmed it to be to be "Yesterday" (all my troubles seemed so far away...).
I thought of interference with a radio station perhaps? but it was most certainly kareoke style and not a recording.
After that I thought it could be a pilot singing to himself not realising he was transmitting but it appears that this was not the case because when Birmingham Approach transmitted something to another aircraft the singing stopped, no interference of messages, it just vanished only to return after the message.
Just to add to this, after passing through Birmingham overhead the singing vanished altogether.
I'm still convinced this is some strange interference but the fact it was consentrated to the Birmingham overhead and that it didn't interfere with other transmittions has confused me.

I guess it's too much to ask that anyone else heard this? (occured at approx 1800) But if not then can anyone offer an explination?

Cheers

Owen Mc

[High Wing Drifter]

I think most pirate radio stations are at the urban weble end of the market. I can't imagine a golden oldies one :D

[dwshimoda]

Could be another case like this:

Birmingham Interference (http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/mail/tm_objectid=15468538&method=full&siteid=50002&headline=pirates-spark-air-panic-name_page.html)

Edited as link doesn;t seem to be working:

Evening Mail

Pirates spark air panic May 2 2005

By Mark Cowan

A pirate radio station sparked an alert - when garage music it was broadcasting swamped the cockpits of planes coming in to land at Birmingham.

Pilots making their final descent into Birmingham International Airport found instructions from air traffic controllers drowned out by the music.

Because of the specific location of the interference as the planes flew over the city, inspectors were able to trace the pirate radio station to a tower block in Highgate.

Officers from Ofcom, backed up by police, raided the flat on Wednesday afternoon and pulled the plug on the broadcast, seizing a crude transmitter and aerials.

A hunt was continuing today to trace the station's studio and DJ, thought to have been operating from a nearby site and beaming the transmission to the transmitter.

"This is not just some guys having a bit of fun and trying to get their break in radio," a spokesman for communications watchdog Ofcom said

"This has the potential to cause massive problems for essential services."

A spokesman for the National Air Traffic Control Service stressed that there had been no threat to the safe landing of the passenger jets as the interference was limited to an area just above the city centre.

It is understood pilots whose flight path took them over the city centre were informed to be aware of the interference.

Ofcom, tasked with tackling pirate radio stations, said the inspectors used high-powered directional receivers to pinpoint the pirates.

"There was not a safety issue in this case although we take these situations seriously," said an Ofcom spokesman.

"We have come across this particular station before. Our next step is to find out who these guys behind it are."





I'm sure I remember seeing something like this NOTAM'd once as well.

DW

[Squadgy]

If this had been at Liverpool 'John Lennon', I would have been freaked out :eek: :p

[TD&H]

Interference:

If you do get interference on your R/T frequency THEN REPORT IT! The ATC will be interested to get this information, then they can make efforts to track it down and have it stopped.

It is only by you reporting it, when you hear it, to the controlling authority that they can be properly made aware of a potentially dangerous situation.

[TOT]

did you fly any where near wooferton???

about 6 miles south of ludlow

there is a collection of very tall masts located there, on the chart. I have noticed if you fly anywhere within about 5-7 miles radius of these you get all sorts of programs , music , chit chat
over the head sets.

[Hireandhire]

Sounds more like Sutton Coldfield mast would be the culprit on that routing..........

regards
HnH

[funfly]

Also the anniversary of John Lennon's death
spooky:rolleyes:

[dwshimoda]

Funfly - I think that's what Squadgy was referring to... :ok:

[Penguina]

But Yesterday was written and performed by Paul McCartney! And, as he's still alive, we can rule out it being him giving Lennon a ghostly finger...

:confused:

Hey, but what if it was Lennon being ironic? Whooooo! :uhoh:

;)

Time to get back to those ATPLs then... :O