Well I learned yesterday on thing they do is, if they are a licensed radio amateur, is fire up the plane's HF radio and have a few QSO's on the ham bands.
Haven't fired up my radios for around a year due to life generally being a bit shit and getting in the way but dusted them down yesterday, fixed the antenna and had a tune around the bands and heard PH9HB/AM calling. The /AM suffix is key as it means he was 'Air Mobile' - ie flying around at the time.
Anyway, got through to him and had a really interesting chat and it turns out he was piloting a 737-800 and was currently over Toulouse at 38000' heading for Eindhoven. How they utilise the aircraft skin as the antenna was, if you're into radio and stuff like me, fascinating.
Full details on his website https://www.ph9hb.com/ but a little extract follows:
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The antenna is of the shunt-fed-slotted type, very common on larger airliners these days. It sits on the leading edge of the vertical fin in the tailsection. With this antenna set-up, we actually tune the outer skin of the aircraft. This means that theoretically the entire fuselage becomes and huge HF antenna! The length of the fuselage of a B737-800 is 39 m and the wingspan is 36 m. Because of the swept wing, we also get some directivity. Since the HF set is normally used to talk to Air Traffic Control from where we came or where we are going, this effect is beneficial.
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Certainly one of the more interesting and unusual contacts I have made...
73 de M0SDB
10-4. Roger.
I assumed they just indulged in a bit of self-pollution.
10-4. Roger
Please god no!! Bloody CBer...
10-4. Roger.
6.
RM.
Most pilots would avoid HF like the plague unless you need to use it. Noisy, full of interference and unreliable.
When it comes to using my spare time, it comes way down the list compared to drinking tea, eating my lunch & setting the world to rights with my FO!!!!
@dantsw13 - Yes I was surprised by the contact however the chap is apparently quite well known in ham circles. One way of passing time on the more mundane sections of a flight I suppose!
No more flirting with the crew
Well known in ham circles
baloney
10-4. Roger.
Almost:
I read my STW whilst drinking tea.
Thanks for the reminder cookeaa, I'll enjoy watching Airplane with the kids sometime soon 🙂
I’ll enjoy watching Airplane with the kids sometime soon 🙂
Maybe watch Zero Hour first 🙂
Off to see airplane next week here https://www.bristolfilmfestival.com/event/airplane
I am serious, but don't call me Shirley
