Hi, I'm studying PPL at the moment and would like to be able to listen to (not transmit) some ATC chat. Is there an easy way to do this with uk airports online or is that sort of thing frowned upon?
I'm not aware of any online source for VHF aeronautical communications. However, there's nothing to stop you getting yourself an airband receiver and listening on that. You will of course, have to be within line of sight of your nearest GA airfield to hear both sides of the transmissions. Do be aware though, that by no means everything you hear will be correct, as per CAP413 (the CAA radiotelephony manual).
see Listening to UK ATC Communications : the law. Theoretically it is illegal to listen to aeroplane radio in the UK unless it is at an air show where the frequencies are published. That's why there are no UK feeds online at websites such as Listen to Live ATC (Air Traffic Control) Communications | LiveATC.net. I wouldn't listen to american feeds if you are UK based as the RT is very different. I presume you've been though CAP413 ? My school has a sample RT script which I found useful to listen to and copy. its worth seeing if your School has an equivalent.
Get yourself a cheapo Maycom AR-108 scanner and visit your local airfield, or airport. Listening to Farnborough radar is probably more useful though, as local airfield RT is something you usually pick up quickly, as it's pretty much the same chatter, taxy / joining instructions, circuits etc.
Reading CAP413 is useful. I also found the Pooleys Radiotelephony book (number 7) a great help as it had the RT procedures in visual form and made them more memorable.
Get an Icom A6E or similar - an inexpensive powerful transceiver that will allow you to listen to RT now, but going forward provides you also with a backup radio that can sit in your flightbag and might just be of great value one day.
Or even cheaper something like an A2, which are pretty cheap second hand on Ebay or AFORS, and still work fine. Just don't buy one without a battery back and charger.
I use an IC-A6E as my main radio when microlight flying, works a treat (N.B. if you want to use it with a headset you separately need BOTH a headset connector cable, and a PTT).
Theoretically it is illegal to listen to aeroplane radio in the UK
Not true. It is illegal to make known the content of, make use of information received, or record transmissions not intended for your reception. WT Act.
Quote:
unless it is at an air show where the frequencies are published
All Aeronautical frequencies are published, they wouldn't be much use if they weren't!
If you look at that users channel, he has a lot of videos of him flying. I wouldn't copy his flying, he has a death wish, but there is something to be learnt from his RT if you are a new student.
As said, you can always buy a receiver and listen in at your local aerodrome. Or what I use to do was ask the radio operator at our Air-ground if I can sit in the radio room with him and listen in. They've never said no and always spoke to me and gave me RT/flying tips when they weren't talking on the radio. This is probably the best method. If you ring up your local airfield and ask them you might be pleasantly surprised. Might be different with ATC as opposed to Air-ground but no harm in asking.
This is one of those things where I think too much knowledge is a bad thing.
If you're a student pilot, just getting used to doing the R/T yourself, and in the back of your mind you have that nagging feeling that 100s of people are, at that very moment, listening to you via scanners and LiveATC-like websites, and possibly even recording everything, I can well imagine that that's an extra reason to be nervous. Which really doesn't help in that situation.
Same for learning to land an aircraft, when dozens of spotters are lined up next to the runway, with long-lens cameras.
You will of course, have to be within line of sight of your nearest GA airfield to hear both sides of the transmissions.
Not necessarily - while if you have line of sight it obviously should work, as long as you're relatively close and the airfield has a powerful enough transmitter you may still pick it up anyway. For example at just over 2nm as the crow flies, with no direct line of sight (buildings + trees etc) I can pick up transmissions from the tower, though not from aircraft on the ground.
It would, of-course, be legal, should anybody present a mechanism for it to become so.
The French agent did it and the result is that the IC-A6FR with DGAC approval costs 649 euros. The only difference is an aerial with an FM filter, which, of course, cannot be bought separately. Looks like a protectionist scheme to me.
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There may be a cd available to purchase. I was lent one by my FI when I was doing my PPL, listened to it on a drive up to Scotland and back again and found it quite useful. It may be produced by Oxford but I can't remember.
Whopity what do you not understand about the following:
In short you can use a scanner to listen to anything broadcast for general reception, radio amateurs, CB, weather and navigation broadcasts. Unless you are a police officer or work in the emergency services you are not allowed to listen to their communications.
You can only listen to other services if you have the permission of the sender. The air show is a good example where the control tower frequencies are publicised and that would be considered permission. In other words, it is illegal unless you have permission. That comes from OFCOM.
Ian, why don't you ask your FI if it can be arranged for you to sit in the tower and listen for a while?
Thanks, I'll listen in next time I'm there but andoni is right most of the chatter is the same; downwind, final, going around, etc. I prefer the chat on Southend radar when we're flying over there but obviously I need to focus on the flying mostly then!!! I live near LCY so would love to listen in on that, but guess the chance of getting access to sit in there is slim to none!
Not necessarily - while if you have line of sight it obviously should work, as long as you're relatively close and the airfield has a powerful enough transmitter you may still pick it up anyway. For example at just over 2nm as the crow flies, with no direct line of sight (buildings + trees etc) I can pick up transmissions from the tower, though not from aircraft on the ground.
The phrase "line of sight" when applied to VHF communications, doesn't mean that you have to be able to visually see the transmitter, but that you are inside the radio horizon. Obviously, it will be possible to receive ATC further away than you can hear aircraft on the ground. The tower building at Cambridge is 8 stories high I believe, so as the effective "line of sight" range is a function of the height of both the transmitter and the receiver, that is bound to happen. For an idea of range, try putting the height of the tower and your receiver into this website.VHF/UHF Line of Sight Distance Calculator
All those pilots saying "over" 
