AIRCRAFT SCANNER
RADIOS

 Aircraft Frequencies
World Wide HF and VHF/UHF Aircraft Communications Listening

What do you need to get started listening to the world of monitoring Aircraft communications?

If you have a good quality VHF/UHF scanning receiver and a HF communications receiver that will tune from about 2mhz thru 30mhz with LSB/USB mode on the HF bands (shortwave radio) then you are all set to join in the excitement of DX'ing HF Aeronautical radio communications.!

 If you just stumbled into this site and your looking for a good quality receiver for HF, then check out this page and look for the Sony ICF SW 7600GR. It is highly recommended for tuning the Hf aircraft band frequencies.

To monitor the VHF/UHF frequencies:
You will need a good quality scanner receiver for VHF UHF to monitor aircraft frequency bands over land or within line of sight of major air traffic control centers. You won't have a problem hearing airborn aircraft within your area. Remember that VHF / UHF frequencies are "line of sight". If the aircraft are beyond your horizon, you won't hear them due to their signals being blocked by the earth.
Excellent quality VHF/UHF scanners can be found from ScannerMaster.
Click here to take a look if you're interested! They have all price ranges and models to choose from.

A good outside antenna will also help your receiver to receive the signals much better. See the shortwave antenna projects on this site and build one for HF and also look on the antenna projects page (Antenna Design) on the left menu, for any antenna that can be built for the VHF bands and designed for the aircraft frequencies. Check out the simple projects. You'll save big bucks by doing it yourself! Most are simple to build using material from your local hardware store, Lowes, Home Depot, etc and since you will only be using them on receive only, no special test equipment will be needed. A good HF multi band project can be found here!

Who, what and when!

Aircraft communications from over the oceans can be very boring at times or very exciting!
 Along with the use of satellite communications, commercial and military aircraft use either the VHF/UHF frequencies when over or near land and switch to worldwide or nearly so, HF frequencies when over oceans and far beyond line of sight with land based ground stations.

The aeronautical voice communications stations and frequencies listed  in the tables below are available to and utilized by the U.S. FAA Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs) for air traffic control purposes.

 The frequencies in use will depend upon the time of day or night and conditions which affect radio wave propagation especially on HF frequencies. Voice communications are handled on a single channel simplex basis (i.e., with the aircraft and the ground station using the same frequency for transmission and reception) unless otherwise noted in remarks.

 The stations will remain on continuous watch for aircraft within their communication areas, and when practicable, will transfer this watch to another station when the aircraft reaches the limit of the communications area.

 Stations listed below which are designated "FAA" are operated by the U.S. FAA Flight Service Stations. Stations designated "ARINC" are operated by Aeronautical Radio, Incorporated. 
Sections or frequencies highlighted in Green in the table below are usually long range and are usually transmitted in USB mode.
Other frequencies (VHF/UHF) are AM.
 

AirCraft Frequency listing by State! Click Here! (You will leave this website)

Military Long Range Aeronautical Frequencies
U.S. ARMED FORCES GLOBAL HIGH FREQUENCY SYSTEM
IS NOW CALLED
The High Frequency Global Communications System (HF-GCS).

The High Frequency Global Communications System is a network ofsingle sidebandshortwavetransmitters of the United States Air Force which is used to communicate with aircraft in flight, ground stations and some United States Navy surface assets. All worldwide receiving and transmitting sites in the HF-GCS system are remotely controlled fromAndrews AFB.

PUBLISHED FREQUENCY LISTING - HFGCS stations operate on “core" frequencies to provide increased "Global" coverage. The published frequency listing does not reflect complete system frequency authorizations. These published frequencies will be used for initial contact, EAM broadcasts, and short-term C2 phone patch and message delivery. Other extended or special services will be moved to each station’s available "discrete" frequencies.

You may hear highly encrypted or coded voice transmissions at times that make no sense whatsoever. Just be patient. Military and national security at work!

HF-GCS stations tend to operate in the aviation bands clustered around 5, 8 and 11/12 MHz, although other frequencies are in use.

The primary HF-GCS voice frequencies are 4724.0 KHz, 6739.0 KHz, 8992.0 KHz, 11175.0 KHz, 13200.0 KHz and 15016.0 KHz.
Primary HFGCS Frequencies 24 Hours:   8992 and 11175
Back up HFGCS Frequencies Day:        13200  15016
Back up HFGCS Frequencies Night:      4724  6739

 
In addition to the HF-GCS, U.S. aircraft frequently useMilitary Affiliate Radio System (MARS) HF stations (13927.0 KHz) and Canadian Forces HF stations (11232.0 KHz) to relay messages.

Although transmissions are often single sideband, the use of theALE , a type of digital transmission mode,  is more and more common.

HF-GCS complements the use of satellite communications, and digital modes between aircraft and ground stations.

Stations of the HF-GCS Network

Andersen Global, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam Island

Andrews Global, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland USA

Ascension Global, RAF Ascension Island, Atlantic Ocean

Croughton Global, RAF Croughton, United Kingdom

Diego Garcia Global, Diego GarciaNaval Station, Indian Ocean

Elmendorf Global, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska

Hickam Global, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii

Keflavík Global, Keflavík NAS, Iceland

Lajes Global, Lajes Air Base, Azores

McClellan Global (aka West Coast Global), McClellan Air Force Base, California

Offutt Global, Offutt AFB, Nebraska

Puerto Rico Global,Salinas, Puerto Rico

Sigonella Global, Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily, Italy

Yokota Global, Yokota Air Base, Japan

Closed Stations

Thule AFB,Greenland USB Voice

The table below lists some common frequencies presenty in use.
Remember to tune around these frequencies also.
(All frequencies below in KHz. To convert to mhz, count from right hand side of number 3 places to left and add decimal)

USAF Bases such as Andrews, Edwards, McClellan,
Offutt, Ascension, Hickam, Thule, Elmendorf, etc.
can be heard with worldwide phone patches, Emergency Action
Messages, general traffic, etc on or near these frequencies and in the
table below:

4742, 6712, 6739, 8992, 11175, 11244, 13200, 15016

Aeronautical Mobile HF Bands (Khz) Commercial Aircraft

    2850-3155 kHz                    6525-6765khz
    3400-3500                             8815-9040
    4650-4750                           10005-10100
    5450-5730                           13200-13360 
                                                  15010-15100
Note: Military aircraft can be heard on some of these bands.

Disclaimers:
NOTICE AND WARNING!:
Frequencies and modes listed here are considered accurate but are subject to change.
We are not responsible for your use of these frequencies.  
This information is for entertainment and educational purposes only. 

  Despite popular opinion, listening to and/or repeating any conversation not intended as a general broadcast TO THE PUBLIC over the airwaves is ILLEGAL IN SOME COUNTIRES!
This article is presented for information and educational purposes only and therefore in no way can be construed by anyone as an attempt to aid and abet another person to break any laws or contravene any Act or Regulation made by any country.
Check your local rules and regulations!

We welcome any corrections you may have to these frequencies!
Email us     n4ujw at hamuniverse.com

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