October 24, 2006

The Short Approach

Chelsea DIgsNo GA in CA for me, again, for a while — I'm in New York, on assignment in our Chelsea office (hip digs, to be sure — see left…), surrounded by the media types I secretly want to be when I grow up (ah, Fashion. Life's tough, eh?!). But while there's no GA, the Expressway Visual 31 approach into La Guardia — while listening in to ATC on United's channel 9 from a window seat in the first class cabin — now that's flying: after having been asked to keep up our speed all the way from SWEET (?) intersection through reporting the tanks in sight to the sharp right over the expressway, the resulting short swooping approach over Shea Stadium and tight full reverser sound-and-fury landing in the 757 from Denver's quite the experience. No, that's what I want to do when I grow up.

Comments:
I love flying United so that I can listen to ATC -- the other airliners don't offer this channel. However, do you (or anyone else) know if it's possible and legal to use a portable VHF aviation receiver to listen to ATC in flight? (I know that on takeoff, landing, and below 10,000 feet, passengers are asked not to use electronics.)
 
Good question. I really haven't a clue as to the answer though... (and I'm absolutely addicted to United's channel 9 -- I think they're rather brave doing that, given the easily-hearable mistakes on-air).
 
I don't know about radios, but I do know that it's possible to use a portable GPS in flight as an airliner passenger to track your position. (Reception varies: it helps to have a window seat!) But, like the reader above, I would also like to know about using a radio to listen to ATC as a passenger in an airliner.
 
Depends on the airline, but most prohibit any electronics that transmit or receive signals, including GPS units and portable tranceivers. Some FA's are more strict about it than others.
 
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