Civilian Airband scanners

RE: Civilian Airband scanners

CD players are definitely NOT illegal, as Mongu said. I openly use mine all the time. The only things that CAN NOT be used during flight are mobile phones and radios, that’s it. The rest of the electronical equipment only cannot be used the first and last 10 minutes of the flight.

GD1

RE: Civilian Airband scanners

Hhhhmmm. Well I’m sure our resident cabin crew member ‘SOFTLAD’ will beable to clear-up all the matters on this topic…hes obviously in some lovely warm climate somewhere or flying overone at the moment!

Regards

Ben

RE: Civilian Airband scanners

I don’t remember being told not to use my CD player. Maybe it’s because my eyes glaze over and I look out the window when they give the safety briefing!

Seriously, I have never hid my CD player – the trolley dollies must have seen my listening in countless times but no one ever said anything to me. I never use during T/O and landing, but during cruise.

RE: Civilian Airband scanners

YES! thanks Mongu…I forgot to mention this…If we are not allowed radios onboard then why do they sell them onboard? Last week a world-wide band radio was in the mag. surely close enough up the band and near the transmitters you are bound to pick up the odd interference from the FD…..?

Yes Mongu..Lazor products…I have always been informed that they are not allowed onboard.

Battery operated products…perhaps its because they dont want passengers to have hold of anything that could cause damge to them selves or others during the most risky parts of the flight (T/o, landing and bad turbulence)…just another guess… And things like watches and pacemakers will operate on a lower rating than a gameboy for example (6 volts).

Regards

Ben

RE: Civilian Airband scanners

Laser products? I always used my CD player and Minidisc player. No one ever told me not to.

I don’t buy that stuff about battery operated products being dangerous. What about digital watches, cameras, pace makers! They even sell these things onboard!

RE: Civilian Airband scanners

I was told that all battery operated equipment such as cassettes, gameboys, fans etc… were aloud to be used when the seat belt signs were not illuminated. Other times (T/O and landing) were dissaloud. The only products not aloud at any time whatsoever are Lazor products (CD players and lazor pens etc..) and mobile phones due the fact that they TRANSMIT a signal and do not just RECIEVE.

As for Radios disrupting the electronics on the FD…I dont think so. All they do is listen in to the signal…they do not transmit so they send no returning signals and so must not disrupt the FD…Even if a RECIEVER was on a different frequncy it shouldn’t.

Ok so Scanners are illegal on an aicraft, but All I can conclude is that it is for security reasons…they don’t want us to know if somthing has gone wrong. I suppose you can ask yourself…would you want to know if somthing was wrong?

Regards

Ben

RE: Civilian Airband scanners

I cant see what harm a Radio Scanner would do personally as i know that if you are on the same freq. as your aircraft it will boost your signal and does not interfere with the Radio your are listening to even on the plane!

If you sit between the front and the back of the aircraft you are sure to not be found out if you use in-ear headphones and put it in ur left ear while sitting at the window no-one will know!

I dont bother usually becuase if you have to keep changing and then if u miss any handovers well your scre*ed

RE: Civilian Airband scanners

I have a radio, but only use at home or when im near an airport. When im at home i usually pic up the ATC and pilots voices in the a/c, these are usually quite because I do live under the flight path into Heathrow. Others things that I pick up include cab-services and the Dustmen lol.

As for using them on the actual a/c I don’t think you are allowed because, it may interfear with the electrical equipment, but I am not totally sure… sorry?

RE: Civilian Airband scanners

I know you can not listen to a airband radio inflight, it apparently affects the electronics, untill recently they would not let you use a laptop (I think). I was in the flightdeck on a flight and the captain told me that if someone puts on a radio/laptop/mobile phone they know and will alert a cabin crew member. He would not tell me though how they would know? Probably to do with affecting there radar/radio waves, but again a scanner is on the same frequency so it should not affect this. Ask Softlad he is cabin crew I think and he might know the answer or at least find out, and I will try and find out myself.

RE: Civilian Airband scanners

The only illegal use is during a flight…Do you know why this is? What is the differnce to listening to the approach procedures of an inbound airliner sat at the airport in the viewing area than sat on a seat on the inbound aircraft??? It doesn’t affect the flight deck so why is it not aloud…security?? but whats the difference…

Regards

Ben

P.s. Yes our local Police only recently scrambled.

RE: Civilian Airband scanners

I think you will find that listening to Police is impossible as all Police frequencies are encoded and the only way to listen is to get a Police Radio!

I have listened in-flight but the CAA state that the only illegal use of a Air Band Scanner / Radio is during a flight. You are also not allowed to talk to pilots even on the “chat” channel pilots have.

The only way to talk would be to buy a special unit which is only avilable mail-order from one place in the UK. One guy bought one and used it but the Police (with CAA) arrested him. I think he got a £50,000 fine!

RE: Civilian Airband scanners

don’t have a radio, but have listened in inflight, on a UA flight, where the ATC was one of the IFE radio options.