Using a scanner on board a/c

[BigBoeing]

Anyone think of any problems or reasons why I shouldn't discreetly use my airband scanner (rx only) on an internal uk passenger flight?

[ground_star]

airband scanner (rx only)

RX Only - I would hope so! :ok:

Some will argue about legality & possible interference, however I cannot see any logical reason why anyone should have a problem with your using a scanner on board. Any spurious outputs from the scanner are highly unlikely to cause the guys up front an issue.

(I do know a thing or 2 about RF...)

I guess out of courtesy it wouldn't heart to have a quick word with the captain (via the CSD) as you board.

[PPRuNe Radar]

Most airlines ban any equipment capable of receiving signals, at all times.

You'll be able to find out if they do from their in flight magazine or website.

If not, then you'd better check with the cabin crew or they might get a bit upset with you.

[Contacttower]

Its also worth remembering that all electronic equipment needs to be turned off for take off and landing and some airlines don't like you using anything below 10,000ft, so you may miss most of the good bits anyway.

[chevvron]

It's also worth remembering that ALL radio equipment, even that which is designed as Rx only, emits radio signals in some form (eg TV equipment in operation can be detected)

[HAWK21M]

Legally you will be breaking a rule.Apart from that its still to be proven that Communication & navigation Equipment will be affected :)
regds
MEL

[Contacttower]

The reciever wouldn't interfere with anything though (anyone care to disagree?) and if you are discrete; ie all the cabin crew can see is a head phone then I doubt anyone would question it.

[MancBoy]

people might complain about you having your jeans around your ankles though!

[effortless]

I have come accross receivers interfereing with r/t. Users on a council site complained of spurious reception on their local r/t. All builders radios were banned on site.

[NeoDude]

All receivers emit certain frequencies too as part of their demodulation circuitry. These frequencies will also have associated harmonics transmitted along with them, so it is possible for recievers to intefere with radio equipment.

This is how TV detector vans work. They can even tell what channel you are watching.

[Emma1974]

Why not buy a book or magazine if you are that bored ;)

[trafficcontrol]

I ask every time i fly if its possible, the stewardess / steward always scuttles off to the cockpit to ask the captain, and the answer is always the same....no.
For what ever reason, i thought perhaps incase of an emergency situation, a mayday, or pan is declared, and the receiver could perhaps create panic in the cabin.
.....after receiving pan transmittion....
person: "omg we have autopilot malfunction! We're all gonna die"
Crew try to maintain calm and deal with situation
Ie.. "Ladies and gentlemen we are experiencing some technical difficulties...etc"
will not work.
This in the extream ofcourse and probably not realistic at all but its the first thing that poped into my head and has always been why i thought crew decline...

[Dances with Boffins]

Simple answer. Would you like to have some slf:8 come bimbling down the aisle with his scanner in one hand asking "Why did you read the heading back wrong..?" or "Why are we number 63 in the sequence..?" or "I don't want to divert to Belfast..." or the thousand and one other possibilities that would suddenly materialise if you allowed them the power to hear ATC in the cabin.

I would love to be able to lug-in whilst en-route, but as far as the flight-deck goes, ignorance [for pax] is bliss.

[2b2]

people might complain about you having your jeans around your ankles though!

have to clean the coffee off my keyboard, now!!

[ImnotanERIC]

do united or continental not have live r/t as an option with their in flight entertainment??

[AirNoServicesAustralia]

United Airlines certainly do, and they advise you in the captains announcement prior to takeoff that if you want to listen it is on channel whatever. As an ATCO from elsewhere it was interesting to hear how the yanks do things. Into and out of LAX and then into and out of DFW, it was pretty busy thats for sure, but I have to say bugger all readbacks.

[Sudden Stop]

I note the original poster said 'discreetly'. Well, something else to consider is what the other passengers might see/hear. If someone sees you looking around and fishing in our pocket/hand luggage and then trying to 'discreetly' do anything you may be getting of the plane sooner than you hoped, especially if some air traffic gibberish is heard coming out of your coat!!!

[tired]

Sudden Stop has beaten me to it! My first thought would be of security issues, not safety/legality."What the hell's he doing and why is he so interested??" I doubt that you can be so discreet about it that someone doesn't notice what you're doing - and if it happens to be on my flight I will be asking some searching questions before handing you over to Old Bill on landing for more of the same.

Sorry mate, but in today's world I don't think it's a good idea at all - nothing to do with safety, everything to do with security.