Interesting Channel 9 experience
 

Had a very nice ride on my flight from PDX-ORD last Saturday, and it wasn't until we were nearing ORD that I realized that none of the cabin announcements had ever cut into the channel 9 audio. Normally,of course, anytime there is an announcement in the cabin it overrides the audio and video programming (gotta love multilingual transpacs) and I was curious from a technical standpoint how on this flight it didn't.

Anyone have a similar experience or know enough about the cockpit/cabin audio interlink to explain it?

kdeg

On our last FRA-SFO, it happened one time - the rest of the time, the overhead interrupted the IFE as expected.

I've had that happen twice. The first time it happened I could even hear the pilot talk to the ground crew before we pushed back.

Was it on a 757? I've had that happen before many times, but always seemed to be on a 757.

My last Channel 9 experience involved it cutting to music whenever announcements were made. I have to turn up the volume so loud to hear anything most of the time on channel 9 (even with noise canceling headphones) so when it changes to music it gets so loud.

I've glanced at the phones on the planes and I think their is a choice of "PA" and "Priority PA" .

My guess although I don't know is that only priority interupts the IFE

I had the same experience on an A320 last Sunday flying DEN-ORD. I liked it :)

It was a 319. Though strangely enough, yesterdays 752 from DEN to PDX had the first, what I would call clear, channel 9 signal I've had in a while. Usually there is a lot of bleed over from the other channels and you have to crank the volume to hear the conversation (which hurts when they swith from APU power and the system resets). On yesterday's flight the volume was even across all the channels and there was no bleed from other channels.

Too bad my 752 LGA-DEN (also yesterday) had channel 9 off. It would have been interesting to hear the ATC/cockpit banter as we were crossing the active landing RWY while a US 321 had to go-around.

Some of those systems are a bit messed up. I've heard pilots talking to pushback crews, to the airline operations, or UA ground control. One flight I could hear the pilot talking to a FA on the phone system. Interesting, but made me wonder about the wiring mess.

From other posts I've read here, I think it has more to do with a switch setting on a comm panel near the jumpseat, rather than a 'wiring mess' . Some crews who post here have asked that you let them know when this happens so that they can correct the issue. I might not, as I'd be equally interested in hearing comms with pushback, ops, etc as I would the normal ch. 9 happenings. Or I'd be concerned that they'd turn ch. 9 off completely if there really was a 'wiring mess'.

Most unusual thing I usually hear is the FA-Pilot conversation; I'd say this happens in one out of every 20 segments. I've heard a conversation with operations once, it was very interesting. Wish I could hear more of those.

In LHR last week I was listening to fascinating conversations between pilots of planes at T4 (which had been evacuated due to a bomb scare) and ground control.
Pilot: "I'm an Airbus A321 with 140 on board bound for Zurich. They're telling me that they're re-screening all passengers in groups of 10. Once that is done, we'll be ready to go. Can you get me a clearance time?"
Control: "I'm not going to be responsible for guessing about security -- call me back when they're done."
Pilot: "I was afraid you'd say that. Quite a day we've had here"

I have heard those also. The last time, I heard the purser and a FA talking on their intercom about an onboard FAM and an onboard off-duty law enforcement officer who was evidently carrying a gun. I've also heard chatter on "guard" (121.5 MHz) superimposed in regular ATC conversations, as well as ATIS.

Same thing happened to me yesterday (7/12) on UA 591 from DEN to SEA. I was wondering about it...

shhhh..... it might not be the best thing in the world for us to talk about how Ch.9 overrides announcements, as this likely represents a safety concern.