How to Listen to Your Local Air Traffic Control
Airport Frequencies, Channel Roles and Where to Find Them
You do not have to live next to an airport to hear aircraft. This guide explains what each airport channel is for, which frequency ranges are used for what, and how to look up the exact channels for the airfield near you.
Start Here: You Are Closer Than You Think
Airborne planes can easily be heard from well over 100 miles, so you do not have to live near an airport. If you do live near an airport, you can find out all the traffic control, weather, and Traffic Advisory frequencies by entering the airport name on an airport directory site such as AirNav (airnav.com/airports).
At most small airports that do not have control towers, the UNICOM frequency is what pilots use to talk to each other. It is usually one of the following:
122.700 MHz — common UNICOM at uncontrolled airports
122.800 MHz — common UNICOM at uncontrolled airports
122.900 MHz — common UNICOM at uncontrolled airports
123.000 MHz — common UNICOM at uncontrolled airports
123.050 MHz — common UNICOM at uncontrolled airports
122.950 MHz — the usual assigned UNICOM channel at airports that do have a control tower
Most airports large enough to have control towers have the following types of channels.
Common Airport Radio Frequencies Explained
ATIS — Automatic Terminal Information Service
Weather, equipment failures, closed runways and taxiways, current operating runways, special notes, and NOTAMs.
Clearance Delivery
The pilot uses this frequency to notify a controller of his flight intentions and to receive flight instructions and clearance for take-off.
Ground Control
The ground controller tells the pilot which taxiways to use to arrive at the correct runway.
Tower
The Tower Controller is responsible for the aircraft in the immediate area around the airport — up to 3,000 feet and 5 miles from the airport. Once the aircraft leaves the airspace of the airport, the pilot is handed off to a controller at a TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control) or an ARTCC Center (Air Route Traffic Control Center), commonly called Air Traffic Control.
Approach Control (TRACON)
Directs several lines of descending aircraft into one smooth flowing line of aircraft as their courses take them closer to the destination airport.
Departure Control (TRACON)
Routes air traffic immediately upon takeoff via a preferential departure route (PDR) leading away from the departure airport as the aircraft ascends to the en route phase of flight.
Types of Aviation Radio Signals
Aviation radio frequencies are found in the low frequency (LF), medium frequency (MF), high frequency (HF), and very high frequency (VHF) bands. These frequencies may be used for voice communications or for navigation.
Low Frequency (LF)
Historically, when aviation radio was first starting out, most air navigation transmissions took place on the low frequency band from 200 kHz to 415 kHz. As reliable higher frequency systems were developed, most of the low frequency air navigation beacons were shut down. Today, some low frequency beacons remain and are used for instrument landings. Others were kept operational as backups in case of primary navigation system failures. Low frequency is useful even when other forms of communication fail because its long wavelengths are less affected by terrain, and it can bounce off the ionosphere to travel long distances around the world.
Medium Frequency (MF)
Aviation radio is allocated a small portion of the medium frequency spectrum in a band from 2850 to 3000 kHz. Most planes have radio direction finders onboard that get a bearing by focusing in on a medium frequency transmission.
High Frequency (HF)
In the past, high frequency bands were typically used for domestic voice communications. That traffic has since shifted to the very high frequency (VHF) band. High frequency continues to be used for voice communications for international flights, however, as it can travel a longer distance than VHF.
Very High Frequency (VHF)
Frequencies in the very high frequency band are most widely used for domestic aircraft communications at the present time. Both communication and VOR navigational systems are operated on VHF frequencies.
To support full VHF communications, the FAA recommends that all aircraft with older 360-channel systems should be retrofitted with a 760-channel piece of equipment with 25 kHz channel spacing, capable of operating in the 118.000 to 136.975 MHz band.
General Commercial Aviation Frequencies
| Range (MHz) | Use |
|---|---|
| 118.000 – 121.950 | Air Traffic Control (look up the specific channel on AirNav) |
| 121.975 – 123.650 | UNICOM, MULTICOM, Flight Services, Traffic Advisory (CTAF) at uncontrolled airports |
| 123.675 – 128.800 | Air Traffic Control (look up the specific channel on AirNav) |
| 128.825 – 132.000 | Company airlines operational control |
| 132.025 – 136.475 | Air Traffic Control (look up the specific channel on AirNav) |
| 136.500 – 136.975 | Company airlines operational control |
More specific information can be found in published aircraft frequency references.
Aircraft Emergency / Distress
(See Note 1)
| Frequency (MHz) | Guard channel |
|---|---|
| 121.5000 | Civilian guard |
| 243.0000 | Military guard |
Popular Air-to-Air Communication Frequencies
| Frequency (MHz) | Use |
|---|---|
| 123.4500 | Itinerant channel |
| 123.3000 | — |
| 123.5000 | — |
| 123.0250 | Helicopter |
| 122.7500 | Fixed wing |
Why Understanding Aviation Radio Frequencies Matters
Whether you are an aviation enthusiast, a pilot, or a scanner hobbyist, knowing these frequencies helps you:
Track airplane activity near airports
Listen to live air traffic communications
Understand flight operations and airport procedures
Improve safety and situational awareness