Aviation Radio Bands and Frequencies

A large number of aviation frequencies.

Types of Aviation Radio Signals Some aviation signals can be classified as being purely for navigation (NAV) or communication (COM), but others are used for both. For example, some aircraft navigation beacons and VHF Omnirange (VOR) navigation stations also transmit voice communications.

The Low Frequency (LF) Aviation Band
Low frequencies were very important to air navigation years ago, but became increasingly less important as more reliable systems operating at higher frequencies were developed and became widely available. Many Low Frequency navigation beacons were decommissioned long ago because of that. The few that remain primarily provide backup navigation in the event of primary navigation system failures, although some are used routinely even today in the execution of instrument landings.

Long ago, before VHF Omnirange (VOR) and other superior navigation systems were developed, that band contained AN Radio Ranges and Non-Directional Beacons (NDB's). 344 AN Radio Ranges still existed in the United States in 1959, but none exist today. Some NDB's are all that remain.

The Low Frequency (LF) aviation band extends from 200 kHz to 415 kHz with some internal gaps assigned to other services.

Medium Frequency Aviation Band Usage
The only portion of the Medium Frequency spectrum allocated for aviation use is the 2850 to 3000 kHz portion of the 2850 to 3155 kHz Aviation Band. However, most aircraft are equipped with radio direction finders than can receive Medium Frequency AM Broadcast Band.

High Frequency (HF) Aviation Bands
High Frequencies were widely used for domestic aircraft voice communications years ago. Nearly all that traffic moved to Very High Frequencies long ago and domestic aircraft use of Medium Frequencies is now very rare. However, international flights still use the High Frequencies bands routinely for voice communications, because of the much longer distances over which they can be used.

High Frequency Aviation Bands
Frequency Band Allocation
2850-
3155 kHz		 Aviation (2850 to 3000 portion is MF)
3400-
3500 kHz		 Aviation SSB (3 KHz Channel spacing)
4650-
4750 kHz		 Aviation
5450-
5730 kHz		 Aviation SSB (3 KHz Channel spacing)
6525-
6765 kHz		 Aviation
8815-
9040 kHz		 Aviation USB (3 KHz Channel spacing)
10005-
10100 kHz		 Aviation
11175-
11400 kHz		 Aviation USB (3 KHz Channel spacing)
13200-
13360 kHz		 Aviation SSB (3 KHz Channel spacing)
15010-
15100 kHz		 Aviation
17900-
18030 kHz		 Aviation
20005-
21000 kHz		 Aviation & International
21850-
22000 kHz		 Aviation
21964 kHz Aviation SSB Aviation Pacific
22720-
23200 kHz		 Fixed Aviation & International
23200-
23350 kHz		 Aviation
23350-
24890 kHz		 Fixed Aviation & International

Very High Frequency (VHF) Civil Aviation Band
The VHF Civil Aviation Band extends from 108 to 136 MHz with the allocations shown below.

The VHF 108 to 136 MHz Civil Aviation Band
108.000-
112.000 MHz		 Aviation Terminal VOR and ILS Navigation (80 Channels)
112.000-
117.950 MHz		 Aviation VOR Navigation (120 Channels)
118.000-
136.000 MHz		 Aviation Communication (720 Channels)
121.500 MHz Aviation Distress
121.600 MHz Civil Air Patrol (Authorized use only)
121.700 MHz Aviation Ground Control
118.000-
121.400 MHz		 Air Traffic Control (Towers and ARTCC's)
121.600 MHz Civil Air Patrol Training Beacons
121.650 MHz Aviation Ground Control
121.700 MHz Aviation Ground Control
121.750 MHz Aviation Ground Control
121.775 MHz Civil Air Patrol Training Beacons
121.800 MHz Aviation Ground Control
121.850 MHz Aviation Ground Control
121.900 MHz Aviation Ground Control
121.900 MHz Flight Schools
121.957 MHz Flight Service Stations
122.000 MHz Flight Advisory Service
122.025-
122.675 MHz		 Flight Service Stations
122.250 MHz Balloons
122.400 MHz Flight Service Stations
122.600 MHz Flight Service Stations
122.700 MHz Aviation UNICOM Uncontrolled Airports
122.725 MHz Aviation UNICOM Private Airports
122.750 MHz Aviation Air to Air Communications
122.775 MHz Air Shows & Air-to-air Communications
122.800 MHz Aviation UNICOM Uncontrolled Airports
122.825 MHz ARINC
122.850 MHz Aviation Multicom
122.875 MHz ARINC
122.900 MHz Aviation UNICOM Uncontrolled Airports and Search and Rescue Training
122.925 MHz Aviation UNICOM/Multicom/Air Shows
122.950 MHz Aviation UNICOM Controlled Airports
122.975 MHz Aviation UNICOM
122.975 MHz Airplane to Airplane (high altitude airliners)
123.000 MHz Aviation UNICOM
123.050 MHz Aviation UNICOM
123.050 MHz Aviation Heliports
123.075 MHz Aviation UNICOM
123.075 MHz Aviation Heliports
123.000 MHz Aviation UNICOM Uncontrolled airports
123.025 MHz Helicopters Air-to-air Communications
123.050 MHz Aviation UNICO Heliports
123.075 MHz Aviation UNICOM Heliports
123.100 MHz Search and Rescue/Civil Air Patrol
123.125-
123.476 MHz		 Flight Test
123.200 MHz Flight Schools
123.300 MHz Flight Schools & Balloons
123.325 MHz Air Shows
123.350 MHz NASA
123.400 MHz Flight Schools
123.425 MHz Air Shows
123.450 MHz Air to Air (trans-ocean unofficial)
123.475 MHz U.S. Army Golden Knights
123.500 MHz Flight Schools & Balloons
123.525-
123.575 MHz		 Flight testing
123.600-
128.800 MHz		 Air Traffic Control (Towers/ARTCC's)
126.200 MHz Military Airport Towers
128.625 MHz NASA/NOAA Research
128.825-
132.000 MHz		 ARINC
130.650 MHz Military Airlift Command
134.100 MHz Military Airports - Ground Control Approach (GCA) Radar
135.850 MHz Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
135,950 MHz Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Other Aviation-Related VHF Frequencies
Frequency Allocation
136.000-
136.975 MHz		 Air Control/Unicom/Future Use
148.125 MHz Civil Air Patrol Repeaters - Secondary
148.150 MHz Civil Air Patrol Repeaters - Primary
156.300 MHz Aircraft-to-Ship - Safety
156.400 MHz Aircraft-to-Ship - Commercial
156.425 MHz Aircraft-to-Ship - Non-Commercial
156.450 MHz Aircraft-to-Ship - Commercial
156.625 MHz Aircraft-to-Ship - Non-Commercial
156.690 MHz Aircraft-to-Ship - Commercial

Last Updated ( Thursday, 29 January 2009 09:58 )