Great channel 9 stories!! My experience is that the shuttle flights seem to offer channel 9 more than non-shuttle flights. I agree with the earlier statement that the older the crew the less likely they are to offer it. I have though on a number of occasions asked for it to be turned on and had my request granted. When they won't do it, the FA usually comes back and says " Sorry channel 9 in not available today" Never hurts to ask though.

For those of you who can't get enough of Ch 9, here's a site that links (sometimes) to various airports around the world:

http://freeweb.pdq.net/dino/liveatc.htm

I always ask for Ch 9 too -- I don't even use the audio if Ch 9 is off http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Great channel 9 stories. While it is not quite as interesting you might want to listen in to DFW Air Traffic Control on your PC if you have RealPlayer Audio. The URL is: http://www.audionet.com/simuflite/ Enjoy!

Onefreeman and WHY2K

Thanks for those links. Was fun to sit in my living room in North Carolina and listen to air traffic in my old home town of Chicago. The things that we get excited about can sometimes be pretty trivial. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

My favorite Ch 9 story, which at least some of you may get:

UA962: United 8162 checking in flight level 350
Center: Denver Center roger
[brief pause]
UA962: View sure is beautiful up here
[another pause]
Center: The view doen't change much down here
UA962: [Without missing a beat] I guess you must not be the lead dog

For the uninitiated, it's not uncommon for a flight to have a different callsign that the flight number on your ticket - it happens if the number is in use elsewhere in the system. UA962 (8amLAX-IAD) was always 8162.

I'm always amazed at the courtesy and manners between these people. I swear that the world would be a better place if more people would respond to tense situations the way that these people do. RK