Mar 13, 2013, 9:31 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Wiki note about the forum’s several, active “Channel 9” threads.
Offering live ATC communications on UA flights on Chanel 9 of the audio entertainment system (“Channel 9”) is exclusive to United and offered at the Captain’s discretion. This forum has four prime, active threads about Channel 9. This note will guide you to the right thread for your post, or to where you would look for those channel 9 posts you’re interested in.
1) This thread, to discuss interesting things heard on Channel 9, such as interesting exchanges between pilots and controllers or asking about pilot-controller phraseology.
2) A thread – intended as a basic status thread only to list the specific channel 9-equipped flights offering or not offering Channel 9. The thumbs-up/down codes used in the thread are:
^ Channel 9 offered on this flight but no announcement made about it.
^^ Channel 9 offered and crew announced or promoted its availability.
: td : Channel 9 not offered on this flight.
Please postings to status reports of availability -- and use the thread below to discuss the general topic.
Channel 9 availability reports (no discussion)[Consoldidated]
3) A discussion thread to pursue issues about Channel 9 availability. (See the previous paragraph. if you merely wish to list the flights offering or not offering channel 9.)
Consolidated "Channel 9 Availability" Discussion Thread [Merged]
4) A thread to discuss United’s progress in converting legacy Continental aircraft to offer Channel 9.
Anyone get channel 9 on a reconfigured CO or PDE aircraft yet?
The following aircraft types have "From the Flight Deck" installed (commonly known as "Channel 9," as that's the location it is found on audio handset selectors):
sUA 777-200ERs
sCO 777-200ERs
sUA 777-300ERs
sUA 777-200As (high density, first class only)
sUA 767-300ERs
sCO 767-400ERs
sUA 757-200 (28J p.s.)
[sUA A320 and A319 aircraft have had it removed. It is not installed on any 737s, 787s, nor sCO 757-200s (16J p.s.) or sCO 757-300s.]
The Moderators may move misplaced posts to conform to these thread aims.
Archived posts in Consolidated "Channel 9 Availability" Discussion Thread [ARCHIVE]
Offering live ATC communications on UA flights on Chanel 9 of the audio entertainment system (“Channel 9”) is exclusive to United and offered at the Captain’s discretion. This forum has four prime, active threads about Channel 9. This note will guide you to the right thread for your post, or to where you would look for those channel 9 posts you’re interested in.
1) This thread, to discuss interesting things heard on Channel 9, such as interesting exchanges between pilots and controllers or asking about pilot-controller phraseology.
2) A thread – intended as a basic status thread only to list the specific channel 9-equipped flights offering or not offering Channel 9. The thumbs-up/down codes used in the thread are:
^ Channel 9 offered on this flight but no announcement made about it.
^^ Channel 9 offered and crew announced or promoted its availability.
: td : Channel 9 not offered on this flight.
Please postings to status reports of availability -- and use the thread below to discuss the general topic.
Channel 9 availability reports (no discussion)[Consoldidated]
3) A discussion thread to pursue issues about Channel 9 availability. (See the previous paragraph. if you merely wish to list the flights offering or not offering channel 9.)
Consolidated "Channel 9 Availability" Discussion Thread [Merged]
4) A thread to discuss United’s progress in converting legacy Continental aircraft to offer Channel 9.
Anyone get channel 9 on a reconfigured CO or PDE aircraft yet?
The following aircraft types have "From the Flight Deck" installed (commonly known as "Channel 9," as that's the location it is found on audio handset selectors):
sUA 777-200ERs
sCO 777-200ERs
sUA 777-300ERs
sUA 777-200As (high density, first class only)
sUA 767-300ERs
sCO 767-400ERs
sUA 757-200 (28J p.s.)
[sUA A320 and A319 aircraft have had it removed. It is not installed on any 737s, 787s, nor sCO 757-200s (16J p.s.) or sCO 757-300s.]
The Moderators may move misplaced posts to conform to these thread aims.
Archived posts in Consolidated "Channel 9 Availability" Discussion Thread [ARCHIVE]
The Consolidated "Interesting Things Heard on Channel 9" Thread [Merged]
Mar 3, 2007, 12:02 am
#91
In memoriam
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Channel 9 zinger of the day (slightly off color)
[ATC, male, deep voice] United xxx, contact tower on yyy.zz.
[female pilot with a rather attractive voice] yyy.zz, roger,
so long.
[ATC] I know. [dissolves into laughter]
[female pilot with a rather attractive voice] yyy.zz, roger,
so long.
[ATC] I know. [dissolves into laughter]
Mar 3, 2007, 1:46 am
#92
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 579
The verbal listing of what movies are available, what beverages are available, how much a cocktail costs, what time it is at your destination city, etc., are probably not required by the FAA and certainly have nothing to do with safety. The OP probably is referring to these since they're right around the switch to departure frequency, rather than the safety announcements, which are on the ground and maybe during a less interesting time. The complaint is probably still not with the Purser but rather with UA's policies on service-related announcements, unless individual crew members are extraneously ad-libbing.
Mar 3, 2007, 2:31 am
#93
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: SJC
Programs: UA MM
Posts: 1,195
Exactly. Not by the FAA. 
Ah missed that -- couldn't have been bothered to read the OP, sorry 
Didn't think he meant that one, that one's usually pretty short as they're scrambling to get what they need done. The only announcement that I normally witness going on waaayyyyy too long is the UA service-related one, not the safety ones.
Originally Posted by C5crewdog
Actually, safety announcements are required both while in the air and on the ground. The OP was referring to a specific announcement:
Didn't think he meant that one, that one's usually pretty short as they're scrambling to get what they need done. The only announcement that I normally witness going on waaayyyyy too long is the UA service-related one, not the safety ones.
Mar 3, 2007, 4:41 am
#94
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: USA; UA-1K; Hyatt Diamond, SPG Platinum
Posts: 1,729
My last lax-syd flight in '06, the purser went on for eight minutes after takeoff. Brutal. I would have less of a problem with it if they didn't start.......then pause......then start over.....then get interrupted and pause....then start.....and go on.....
Mar 3, 2007, 8:49 am
#95
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: SJC
Programs: UA MM
Posts: 1,195
Exactly. That ain't part of the SOP.
Mar 3, 2007, 8:59 am
#96
Join Date: Jul 2006
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I don't know what the official rules are, but you can listen to ATC from pushback to landing in SFO, as well as from somewhere in northern China until you park at the gate when coming in to PEK on 889. No attempts to turn of Ch 9! (Hooray!)
It's fun to listen to the Chinese style of air traffic control. ("You, yeah, whatever, go there... uh huh... whatever, yeah, I guess you can push back... uh huh... one sec, I need a cigarette... you guys try not to crash into each other while I'm lighting up, alright?")
Mar 3, 2007, 9:42 am
#97
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Posts: 12,396
It's unfortunate that on landing, a lengthy purser speech of some required info and much company info (check the monitors for your latest connection information; we know you have a choice of airlines; if this is your home, drive carefully and come back to see us again) comes just at the handoff from tower's local control to ground control. If ATC weren't "stepped on" at that point, I could find out what our gate was a good 5-10 mins. before we get there.
Mar 3, 2007, 9:47 am
#98
Join Date: Jul 2000
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To answer you question more directly, I find the entire safety announcement to be stupid, but that's another thread in the making.
Mar 3, 2007, 11:05 am
#99
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: SFO
Programs: UA1P
Posts: 613
The morse code identifier is always required. It is very common that the VOR goes down for maintance. The VOR might be broadcasting an erronenous signal. The only way to determine this is if there is no identifier or the ident is TEST. The acronym TITS is for tune, IDENTIFY, twist and set goes for all a/c. Some nav heads auto-identify such as on a 777 (IIRC) (probably honeywell) and a Garmin SL30.
Most transport jets after I'm guessing 1985, pull up the ATIS on the ACARS. The often have a printer that prints this out for them to attach to the plate holder. Newer GA a/c can pull this up on G430/530, Avidyne, G1000 or other MFD. This often requires XM Satellite capability or a separate receiver/decoder.
ATIS is usually updated at around 50 minutes past the hour....not at 20 minutes past the hour. Also updated if wether conditions change dramatically. AIM 4-1-13 covers ATIS.
On some VOR's, HIWAS is broadcast over the voice portion of the frequency. This is high intensity weather info such as tornadoes, thunderstorms, etc.
I *think* when you tune a VOR such 113.9, it not only tunes one frequency but at least one other. So you are actually getting two frequencies. One is nav and one is voice. Similar to any ILS where you tune the localizer frequency and the nav head automatically tunes in the glide slope even though the GS is a different frequency and even a different antenna on the plane.
And to answer a FAQ of pilots, no you don't have to file a flight plan (or get VFR flight following) so no one knows what you are doing and an airport tower might not know you are coming until 6 miles out. The way you say you are landing is, well, you don't. All you have to say is "Podunk, Cirrus XY123, 10 east, 2000, bravo." Who you are talking to (Podunk tower), who you are, where you are (altitude helps) and that you have information Bravo. "information" just ties up airtime without providing any additional info and "landing" is implied.
Most transport jets after I'm guessing 1985, pull up the ATIS on the ACARS. The often have a printer that prints this out for them to attach to the plate holder. Newer GA a/c can pull this up on G430/530, Avidyne, G1000 or other MFD. This often requires XM Satellite capability or a separate receiver/decoder.
ATIS is usually updated at around 50 minutes past the hour....not at 20 minutes past the hour. Also updated if wether conditions change dramatically. AIM 4-1-13 covers ATIS.
On some VOR's, HIWAS is broadcast over the voice portion of the frequency. This is high intensity weather info such as tornadoes, thunderstorms, etc.
I *think* when you tune a VOR such 113.9, it not only tunes one frequency but at least one other. So you are actually getting two frequencies. One is nav and one is voice. Similar to any ILS where you tune the localizer frequency and the nav head automatically tunes in the glide slope even though the GS is a different frequency and even a different antenna on the plane.
And to answer a FAQ of pilots, no you don't have to file a flight plan (or get VFR flight following) so no one knows what you are doing and an airport tower might not know you are coming until 6 miles out. The way you say you are landing is, well, you don't. All you have to say is "Podunk, Cirrus XY123, 10 east, 2000, bravo." Who you are talking to (Podunk tower), who you are, where you are (altitude helps) and that you have information Bravo. "information" just ties up airtime without providing any additional info and "landing" is implied.
Mar 3, 2007, 5:47 pm
#100
Used to be 'g_leyser'
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I smell a sexual harrassment lawsuit
Mar 3, 2007, 6:08 pm
#101
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Mar 3, 2007, 6:09 pm
#102
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Mar 3, 2007, 6:19 pm
#103
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 653
It seems whenever Ch 9 is on the purser always wants to hear himself/herself talk and they take forever to finish up their stupid messages. Arg.
It's almost never the safety announcement that whacks interesting channel 9 exchanges, but rather the purser wanting to hear themselves ramble on for 5 minutes about BOB and the movie.
To answer you question more directly, I find the entire safety announcement to be stupid, but that's another thread in the making.
To answer you question more directly, I find the entire safety announcement to be stupid, but that's another thread in the making.
Mar 3, 2007, 7:25 pm
#104
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,220
Note that I said "usually." Obviously irregular operations will have an impact.
Mar 3, 2007, 9:08 pm
#105
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