United, and channel 9

[RM7599]

I recently flew on United and I was very impressed that I could listen to the pilots communicate with ATC throughout the duration of the flight. Just plug in the headsets, tune in channel 9, and you are in the cockpit......well, kinda!! It made the flight go by sooooo fast and it was entertaining. My hats are off to United for this......I will fly United from now on, just for the good old channel 9.

 

[Traumahawk]

Good ol channel 9 has been around as long as I can remember flying United......err...well, ok...at least 6-7 years.....

 

[cmrflyer]

Some of the cheap British charter airlines go one step further, they have cameras mounted on the outside of the A/C. When you are landing or taking off you get to see views from the top of the tail, the belly and the wings. Very cool.

 

[Huck]

I think those British charters must have bought those planes from American.

 

[cmrflyer]

Thats right, keep on dreaming. Just think one day all US carriers will have TVs installed in seat backs, just like virgin did back in 1990. Grow up, you arsemonkey.

 

[Booker]

Actually, I think AA comes to mind because of the DC-10 that lost an engine with the pax watching the whole thing on video.

 

[Chas]

What i heard ...

Its always great when I can listen to Ch 9 on UAL one time I some how heard a F/A tell another F/A that the pain in the a's in 3 b wants another drink I let her know what I heard and that was the end of Ch 9 for the flight . Chas

 

[Simon Says]

Chas,

Before you start making up stories about hearing flight attendant chatter on UAL channel 9, let me tell you something. What you are listening to is the primary frequency that the FO has tuned in. It is not the cabin PA system. And no you cannot hear the personal conversations between the two pilots. Geez.

 

[X300F/O]

Simon is right. No way you could have heard any F/A's talking unless they were in the cockpit while the mic was keyed. Also, it's not linked to the F/O's com panel. Channel 9 is linked to the overhead panel for the observers mic/headphone selector, which is suppossed to be on Com1 or off at the Captains discrestion.

X

 

[Blueline]

When I jumpseated a while back, the captain told me not to turn up the cabin interphone on the audio panel because whatever I was listening to, the cabin was listening to on channel 9....

 

[Marko Ramius]

Simon Says,

Actually it is possible that what Chas said happened. Channel 9 is not "hooked up," to the FO's radio, in fact it is operated by the #3 Audio Select Panel in most aircraft. If the mic selector switch on the ASP was accidentally left in the oxygen mask position, the mic in the O2 mask becomes hot and essentially acts like a cockpit area mic and all cockpit conversation, including F/A's complaints to the cockpit crew or each other if the cockpit is big enough for two to be up there at the same time, could be heard over Channel 9. I don't know that is what happened, but I do know that it is possible.

 

[Dieterly]

Just last week out of HKG I overheard to FA's talking on Channel 9. Conversation went something like " WE need some white in the back", I assume she meant some whit wine for the aft galley, so I guess it's possible overhearing FA's on the channel 9 if it somehow bleeds thru from their interphone system

 

[Chas]

Kinda annoyed!

As I remember the plane was a 767 going to either SFO or Lax My wife ( a UAL F.A.) was working the trip and I immediately told her and she passed it on to the purser . Shortly after channel 9 was no longer available .I know what I heard thank you and thanks to those who believe I was not dreaming it up . regards Chas

 

[EAP]

Chas, you weren't hearing things. The audio panel for the jumpseater is repeaded to the channel 9 system on most aircraft in the fleet. The jumpseater is always breifed to only have channel 1 turned up unless they need to hear the pushback, ATIS or interphone comm (FAA ride along), but then to have it turned down for the rest of the flight.

On more than one occasion I've seen the FAA or a jumpseater hose up the panel because they weren't used to the configuration. Guess what, the pax will hear everything tuned in, and it will be a malestrom of audio from every source tuned into the panel including VOR ID, etc. If only the cabin comm was turned up as well as COM 1, then of course you'd have what you had. If I was the Capt. I'd probably turn off channel 9 also if news came forward that the PAX were hearing crew communications as well!

By the way, channel 9 has been around at UAL since at least the late 70's I believe, and it has always been used as a passenger convenience and interest marketing tool. A good one at that I think! It's even included in the Captain to cabin crew breifing at the beginning of crew check in (use or no use).

 

[bigboy]

Chas,

Before you start making up stories about hearing flight attendant chatter on UAL channel 9, let me tell you something. What you are listening to is the primary frequency that the FO has tuned in. It is not the cabin PA system. And no you cannot hear the personal conversations between the two pilots. Geez.

Hey dude how is it going in DTW. It's hot down here in MEM.
fly safe.

 

[dogg]

Quick question: Why are any of you messing with an audio panel in the cockpit or plugging in a headset if you are a jumpseater. Seems a bit forward I would say. We don't really allow that unless it is the FAA.

 

[Dieterly]

dogg,
Isn't that one of the arguments for jumpseaters in the cockpit (extra set of ears, extra set of eyes)? Personally, I go to sleep, but if someone wants to plug in, I'm all for it.

We don't really allow that unless it is the FAA.

 

[EAP]

I really don't know who the "you" is that will occasionally mess up an audio panel for the headphones in the jumpseat, but it does happen every onece in a while and then occasionally the mess up is missed by others. The FAA will always "listen in" when doing a route check. The potential exists because there are adjustments. Personally, I've only found one panel set incorrectly but I fixed it during the setup flow and channel 9 never transmitted anything but COM 1. To err is humean though, eh?