Owning a radio which can receive aircraft communications enables you to hear pilots, aircraft control tower operators, and automated weather condition reporting stations. Some radios with this capability have been sold for as little as $25 new, and many of them are relatively simple to operate.
While other aircraft bands do exist, such as the band for military aircraft, the most common aircraft band for consumer radios to receive is the VHF-aircraft band. Some receivers have this abbreviated as “VHF-Air” or “AIR” on the band-selector knob. Most radios with this band also receive other broadcast and communications bands, such as AM, FM, and/or CB. This band is included on some pocket radios (like the Realistic Jetstream), as well as a number of large multiband and shortwave radios (Radio Shack 12-795, Grundig Satellit 800, several older Montgomery Ward models).
When purchasing an aircraft band receiver, there are some specific features you should look for. One is a squelch control, which silences static noise when no communications are being received. It can also be set to only permit the reception of communications which are being received strongly. This is a very useful feature when listening to any type of communications, as listening to loud static in between each radio transmission can become unpleasant. The Rhapsody RY-611 and Emerson MBR-1 don’t have squelch controls, while the Reader’s Digest RDA-127 and Realistic Patrolman SW-60 do. Another feature to consider is a digital frequency display. This lets you easily set the radio to a specific frequency where communications are often received. However, digital aircraft band radios are generally more expensive and may deplete batteries more quickly.
The most common locations to find this type of radio are electronics stores (esp. Radio Shack), online shopping websites, and internet auction services. Some brands which have produced this type of radio include Sony, Worldstar, Electro Brand, and Venturer. Such radios are usually not sold at department or discount stores, but there may be occasional exceptions. An alternative to purchasing this type of radio is to buy a police scanner which includes the aircraft band. Most modern police scanners have a digital display and squelch control.
Depending upon your location, you may or may not receive frequent aircraft-related communications. If you live near an airport, you may be able to hear a small automated radio station which broadcasts weather conditions information. However, even quite rural areas can have a substantial amount of aircraft band activity at times. On the other hand, you can’t expect to surely receive anything the first time you try the receiver. If the radio is analog, slowly sweep back and forth across the tuning dial until you hear a voice. Then keep the radio on that frequency to see if there are any more communications before tuning elsewhere. On digital radios and scanners you may be able to use an automatic seek feature. If you find a frequency with many communications on it, you may want to adjust the squelch control if your receiver has one.
If you cannot receive anything on the aircraft band after trying repeatedly, you may want to bring it with you the next time you travel to an area with more air traffic. Finally, another option is to try connecting the radio to a rooftop antenna if it has a jack or screw for attaching an external antenna.
It is best to purchase a receiver which has several different bands, even if this costs a bit extra, so that you will not be disappointed if aircraft band communications are minimal or uninteresting in your area.
