Radios in aircraft
 

This may seem a completely stupid question to most, but can normal (and by that I mean commercial radio, eg Capital FM) radios be taken in to light aircraft?

Just wondering- maybe to keep a couple of passengers happy on a flight to europe etc?

AFAIK There is no reason why an FM radio receiver can not be taken into a light aircraft and used for passenger entertainment. Electronic devices are known to radiate frequencies which can interfere with navigational equipment but for practical purposes on a VFR flight there seems to be no reason why you should be prevented from doing this. From recollection there are approved units which give this facility as part of the intercom set up but they are probably expensive. If you have an ADF you already have a medium wave AM receiver so can listen to Capital Gold and navigate straight to their transmitter!. I have practiced NDB approach patterns to a local radio AM transmitter in the past (in VMC with a lookout of course). Saves getting in the way of other traffic and costs somewhat less than a handful of approaches into an NDM equipped airfield.

Just make sure you don't miss ATC trying to contact you.
And don't press transmit while you're singing along :eek: :D

CD player perhaps, but I wouldn't want a VHF-FM broadcast receiver switched on in an aeroplane. That's because of the local oscillator in the receiver which might cause interference with VHF NavComs in the aeroplane.

But if passnegers really feel that they're so bored with flying that they need to listen to their own radios, perhaps they'd enjoy travelling by car instead!

Well if you are in VMC & not using the ADF for anything useful, you can tune that into quite a lot of commercial radio frequencies. Eg "Capital Gold" on 1548m. Then just select the Indent, but not so loud, that you can't here ATC.

On the other hand, if you are like me, you already have it tuned in, for use as a VERY unofficial NDB (but don't tell the CAA), as the transmitter aerials are very conveniently placed about 3 miles east of Elstree aerodrome ;)

My only advice is to make sure that whatever electrical equipment is taken on-board make sure it isnt placed near the compass and more to the point - when switched on does not alter the compass reading....

Saves you from looking silly when you find yourself over birminghams runway :eek: