Originally Posted by
findark
If Channel 9 is silence, does that guarantee it's on but the volume (jumpseat fader) is all the way down? Or are there aircraft where it's not music if switched off? Silence is by far the most common experience for me, although I am but rarely on a Channel 9 equipped a/c.
I believe that the "music alternative" is a thing of the past -- it was on 747s and DC10s, plus the 757s/767s before the retrofit of the new IFEs. As I recall the Airbii never had the music alternative prior to the removal of the drop-down video screens. I can't remember what the case was with the early 737s that had audio only.
If you hear silence, it's likely either:
The switch is OFF
--or--
The switch is ON but the
#1 VHF radio on the left-side jumpseater's panel is faded down