As a pilot, every frequency you talk on will fall within this range. In the United States, VHF civil aircraft communications are placed in the 100 MHz band and allocated 760 channels within the range from 118.0-136.975 MHz. One of its roles is to allocate all radio bandwidths and frequencies. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an agency that regulates communications including radio in the United States. Most Common Aviation Frequencies and Allocations Some VHF Omnirange (VOR) navigation stations and aircraft navigation beacons transmit voice communications in addition to their navigation functions. Some radios are only capable of COM, while others are dedicated for NAV, and a third variety is configured to be used for both COM and NAV. In addition to communication (COM) signals, aviation radios are also used for navigation (NAV). Signals that are transmitted and received via aviation radio can be of more than one type.
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To support full VHF communications, the FAA recommends that all aircraft with older 360-channel systems should be retrofitted with a 760-channel piece of equipment with 25 kHz channel spacing which is capable of operating in the 118.000 to 136.975 MHz band. Both communication and VOR navigational systems are operated on VHF frequencies. Very High Frequency (VHF)įrequencies in the very high frequency band are most widely used for domestic aircraft communications at the present time. High frequency continues to be used for voice communications for international flights, however, as it can travel a longer distance than VHF. That traffic has since shifted to the very high frequency (VHF) band.
In the past, high frequency bands were typically used for domestic voice communications. Most planes have radio direction finders onboard that get a bearing by focusing in on a medium frequency transmission. Medium Frequency (MF)Īviation radio is allocated a small portion of the medium frequency spectrum in a band from 2850 to 3000 KHz. Low frequency is useful even when other forms of communication fail because its long wavelengths are less affected by terrain and it can bounce off the ionosphere to travel long distances around the world. Others were kept operational as backups in case of primary navigation system failures. Today, some low frequency beacons remain and are used for instrument landings. As reliable higher frequency systems were developed, most of the low frequency air nav beacons were shut down. Historically, when aviation radio was first starting out, most air navigation transmissions took place on the low frequency band from 200 KHz to 415 KHz. These frequencies may be used for voice communications or for navigation. Types of Aviation Radio SignalsĪviation radio frequencies are found in the low frequency (LF), medium frequency (MF), high frequency (HF), and very high frequency (VHF) bands. A high-level understanding of the types of aviation radio signals your aircraft can receive will also go a long way towards developing your knowledge on the topic.
While no one expects pilots to memorize all the aviation frequencies, it is certainly helpful to know the most common ones and how the frequencies are laid out within the bands. There is just one problem – what frequency are you supposed to be on? You are all ready to turn that radio on and get cleared for takeoff. You have reviewed your ATC communication skills and studied your copy of Aviation Radio Communications Made Easy. You have your aircraft’s main radio and a handheld radio as a backup. That is why an important hurdle of using your radio is understanding and learning common aviation frequencies.
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They worry about not remembering what to say and how to say it when they finally key up the mic, but even if you get those variables right, it still does you no good if you are not on the correct frequency. It is no secret that new pilots are often more than a little nervous and hesitant about getting on the radio.