Live ATC on Commercial Airliners?

[Flightjock30]

Hello,

As a professional pilot I do not get to fly on other airlines besides the regional I fly for and its affiliates. I have heard from a colleague that some airlines offer a channel on their radios that allows you to listen to the ATC transmissions that are occurring while you fly. I am wondering how true this is?

I am flying a 777 to Europe on a vacation I am taking next week and wanted to know if this feature might possibly be available. Like they say...once a pilot always a pilot.

 

[Booker]

UAL provides ATC on "Channel 9" (at the Captain's discretion).

 

[Flightjock30]

I am flying on KLM,,,,so was just wondering. More than likely I will be listening to the sounds of European Classic Opera or something, haha.

 

[Booker]

Yeah, United is the only airline I know of that offers it, but there's a lot of stuff I don't know.

 

[Immelman]

Pretty much only united from what I understand. If they don't turn it on you can ask the head f/a and sometimes they'll turn it on... understandably I suppose that some crew do not want to provide it.

Note: this is a double-edged sword; while some crew are probably concerned with liability if some pax misinterprets things, I have heard many non-pilot folks say that they prefer united just because they can listen to ATC.... thats a nice competitive advantage

 

[svcta]

It only takes one wacko hearing something he doesn't fully understand to create a problem. I always listen to it when I'm on UAL because it helps the time go by and I know where I am, but I understand why it wouldn't get turned on sometimes.

 

[Fearless Tower]

On the subject of UAL's live ATC channel, I was listening to it on one particular flight across the pond and in addition to the ATC chatter it had the flight deck/cabin crew intercom patched in as well....is that standard for UAL?

 

[mynameisjim]

it had the flight deck/cabin crew intercom patched in as well....is that standard for UAL?

Captain, this is the lead. There is a suspicious person in row 7. Now he's looking right at me. It's almost like he knows I'm talking about him.

 

[Booker]

On the subject of UAL's live ATC channel, I was listening to it on one particular flight across the pond and in addition to the ATC chatter it had the flight deck/cabin crew intercom patched in as well....is that standard for UAL?

I wouldn't say it's standard. I believe Channel 9 is tapped off of the observer's audio panel in the flight deck. Maybe the interphone was selected.