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]
Apr 18, 2007, 11:25 pm
#121
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,691
No, an ELT is a device that when it is hit hard enough, like in a crash, emits a signal on freq 121.5. It is part of FAR91.207 I think, all aircraft must have an ELT.
I have an idea what an ELP is, I heard it climbing out of thunderstorms in LAX, and I thought it was related to the phenomenon St. Elmo's fire. I am probably wrong though. Kirksville, MO is a town that the LAX-ORD route passes by.
Apr 19, 2007, 12:28 am
#122
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 186
At this point, we executed a missed approach and looped around to get into the pattern again. Interesting in a 777 at 4000 feet. On the next approach we again had traffic in front of us for the parallel. Luckily this time the pilots were able to see the traffic and we landed without incident.
Apr 19, 2007, 9:56 am
#123
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,145
Likewise, on a LHR-IAD flight, I recall seeing us cross the 700 mph ground speed mark more than once--faster than the speed of sound in terms of ground speed (though obviously not in airspeed!)
Apr 19, 2007, 9:59 am
#124
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,145
All the while, I'm missing out on interesting Channel 9 announcements!
Back to the OP, I wonder why there are some airports coming into which I very often hear "Information x-ray," rather than some other letter? Am I just flying the same schedule, I wonder, and thus more likely to get the same updates?
Apr 19, 2007, 10:06 am
#126
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BOS<>NYC<>BKK
Programs: UA 4.3MM LT-GS; AA1MM; Amtrak SE; MAR LT TITAN; PC Plat; HIL DIA; HYA GLOB
Posts: 4,392
ATIS recordings are labeled A (alpha) through Z (zulu) sequentially with every change -- that is a minimum each hour as new weather is reported. If there is a significant change in between hourly observations (changed weather, additional NOTAMs, etc., the ATIS is updated and the next letter is used). The fact that you hear X (x-ray) more often is just coincidence.
Apr 19, 2007, 10:33 am
#127
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,145
).
May 5, 2007, 6:49 pm
#128
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: MSP/ STP
Programs: UA 1K, *G
Posts: 340
Overheard on approach to Minneapolis today:
Tower: Northwest expect 1-2-R, follow the heavy
Northwest: Roger 1-2-R, behind the heavy. Northwest.
Northwest: Tower how many ahead of us?
Tower: Eight
Northwest: OK that's not too bad, Northwest
Tower: It depends on how you look at it. An average of 150 people per plane, so I guess about a thousand ahead of you.
I :-: snarky controllers.
Tower: Northwest expect 1-2-R, follow the heavy
Northwest: Roger 1-2-R, behind the heavy. Northwest.
Northwest: Tower how many ahead of us?
Tower: Eight
Northwest: OK that's not too bad, Northwest
Tower: It depends on how you look at it. An average of 150 people per plane, so I guess about a thousand ahead of you.
I :-: snarky controllers.
May 5, 2007, 9:09 pm
#129
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: UA*G, UA 1MM
Posts: 1,277
Speaking of snarky controllers, heard in SFO on thursday after an AAmerican jet had been sitting for a while on spot 8 while the ground controller tried to get traffic untangled:
AAmerican xxx: Ground, American xxx - are we going to be moving soon?
Ground (obviously pissed off at this inquiry): American xxx, I don't need it from you, the people upstairs are already yelling at me. I'll get you moving as soon as I can.
Unidentified pilot to American xxx: Sounds like you want to be a controller.
American xxx (after a pause): No thanks, I like being a pilot.
AAmerican xxx: Ground, American xxx - are we going to be moving soon?
Ground (obviously pissed off at this inquiry): American xxx, I don't need it from you, the people upstairs are already yelling at me. I'll get you moving as soon as I can.
Unidentified pilot to American xxx: Sounds like you want to be a controller.
American xxx (after a pause): No thanks, I like being a pilot.
May 5, 2007, 10:39 pm
#130
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Traveling the World
Posts: 6,075
Here is some for the geeks out there
United 926 push back and hold at taxi way Bravo 23. Wait in position and contact SFO Departures at 222,121,22
United 333 taxi to Foxtrot Charlie Foxtrot and hold in position behind company 737.
United 928 Contact Oaklland Flight Center at 222.121.22 Good Day.
United Airlines 828 continue on Zule Delta and tell me when you have the airport vector in sight.
United 824 contact SFO Arrivals good day. UA 824 take Palo Alto approach to runway Bravo 23 and maintain 20,000 feet until 20 miles from airport and descend.
United 333 taxi to Foxtrot Charlie Foxtrot and hold in position behind company 737.
United 928 Contact Oaklland Flight Center at 222.121.22 Good Day.
United Airlines 828 continue on Zule Delta and tell me when you have the airport vector in sight.
United 824 contact SFO Arrivals good day. UA 824 take Palo Alto approach to runway Bravo 23 and maintain 20,000 feet until 20 miles from airport and descend.
May 5, 2007, 11:15 pm
#131
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: MSP/ STP
Programs: UA 1K, *G
Posts: 340
"AA you must be kidding me. AA I need a roger or its back of the line for you."
May 6, 2007, 3:22 pm
#132
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: UA MM, AS MVP Gold, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 2,110
May 6, 2007, 4:46 pm
#133
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: SFO
Programs: UA1P
Posts: 613
when an aircraft is transitioning out of the airspace controlled by the airport tower (for a Class B airport like SFO) this typically occurs about 3000 feet above airport elevation, just before the tower will tell the aircraft to contact the next airspace sector (volume of airspace "approach" ATC covers). Typically they'll say "<type of aircraft> <call sign> contact departure on ABC.YZ" frequency. The call sign is probably N432ZD. N is a US registered airplane. ZD is pronounced "zulu delta" from the phoenetic alphabet. It's probalby just coincidence that you heard zulu delta a few times but it can be anything.
May 6, 2007, 7:15 pm
#134
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BOS<>NYC<>BKK
Programs: UA 4.3MM LT-GS; AA1MM; Amtrak SE; MAR LT TITAN; PC Plat; HIL DIA; HYA GLOB
Posts: 4,392
Zulu Delta could also be a taxiway designation. Some airports run out of single letter desigations, and so they go to doubles. While I don't know of a particular example, there could well be an airport (or more than one) that has a taxiway Zulu, with "spurs" Zulu Alpha, Zulu Bravo, Zulu Charlie, Zulu Delta,...
May 7, 2007, 12:08 am
#135
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: SFO
Programs: UA1P
Posts: 613
Zulu Delta could also be a taxiway designation. Some airports run out of single letter desigations, and so they go to doubles. While I don't know of a particular example, there could well be an airport (or more than one) that has a taxiway Zulu, with "spurs" Zulu Alpha, Zulu Bravo, Zulu Charlie, Zulu Delta,...