Any standard frequencys for back country strips? Is this something I should know? I prefer flying around with the Comm off and the XM on but I have people overflying my backyard strip and would like to talk to them on my hand held.

You mean the multicom frequency? 122.9? This is what one uses for any smaller airports that don't have there own frequencies.

Thats what I thought but now one replys. I also tried a couple of the local airport freqs. Didnt want to have and paint 122.9 on the top of the barn.

Try 122.8, that's what I was told to use when I was out in the boonies.

Well, sorta---122.9 and 122.8 as well as several other frequencies are generally assigned for use as CTAF frequencies as assigned at airports without operating control towers. Any airport can have a CTAF assigned, as long as the "airport" is recognized by the FAA and on the charts.

There is a lot of confusion amongst pilots (thanks largely to FAA ignoring this topic) on this stuff.

Unfortunately, unlike Canada, there is NO universal frequency reserved and required for air to air comm outside recognized airport traffic areas where CTAF frequencies are assigned. That's really too bad. Canada has a standard frequency which ALL pilots are supposed to monitor if they are outside "airport airspace", where they're supposed to be on a CTAF.

At a couple points, we tried to get this type frequency established for Alaska, but nobody in FAA/FCC would buy it, largely because there are very few unassigned frequencies available.

The primary MULTI-Comm frequencies reserved for air to air comm between light aircraft in this country is 122.75. Unfortunately, few people monitor that frequency regularly. I think it would be GREAT if pilots would START routinely monitoring that frequency when outside airport traffic areas unless they're doing something else with radios.

I hear a lot of pilots announce on a CTAF frequency to a buddy to go to 123.45, which by the way IS an assigned frequency, though it's a trans polar and trans oceanic frequency. When I was in northern Alaska, I was asked several times by cargo captains of foreign carriers why there were so many pilots of small airplanes using that frequency to "chit chat". Actually, the 747 drivers weren't mortally offended, just curious, and they did note that it could occasionally intefere with their comm on that freq.

I also hear a LOT of chit chat on CTAF frequencies... which never ceases to irritate me. These frequencies are NOT your aviation version of a CB radio....got it Good Buddies-come back??

So, if you want to talk from a handheld to a plane in flight, or plane to plane, the AIM says you should do so on 122.75.

Here's the excerpt from the AIM:
4-1-11. Designated UNICOM/MULTICOM Frequencies Frequency use

a. The following listing depicts UNICOM and MULTICOM frequency uses as designated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
TBL 4-1-2 Unicom/Multicom Frequency Usage

Use Frequency Airports without an operating control tower.
122.700
122.725
122.800
122.975
123.000
123.050
123.075

(MULTICOM FREQUENCY) Activities of a temporary, seasonal, emergency nature or search and rescue, as well as, airports with no tower, FSS, or UNICOM: 122.900

(MULTICOM FREQUENCY) Forestry management and fire suppression, fish and game management and protection, and environmental monitoring and protection: 122.925

Airports with a control tower or FSS on airport: 122.950

NOTE-
1. In some areas of the country, frequency interference may be encountered from nearby airports using the same UNICOM frequency. Where there is a problem, UNICOM operators are encouraged to develop a "least interference" frequency assignment plan for airports concerned using the frequencies designated for airports without operating control towers. UNICOM licensees are encouraged to apply for UNICOM 25 kHz spaced channel frequencies. Due to the extremely limited number of frequencies with 50 kHz channel spacing, 25 kHz channel spacing should be implemented. UNICOM licensees may then request FCC to assign frequencies in accordance with the plan, which FCC will review and consider for approval.

2. Wind direction and runway information may not be available on UNICOM frequency 122.950.

b. The following listing depicts other frequency uses as designated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

TBL 4-1-3 Other Frequency Usage Designated by FCC

Use Frequency Air-to-air communication (private fixed wing aircraft): 122.750

Air-to-air communications (general aviation helicopters): 123.025

Aviation instruction, Glider, Hot Air Balloon (not to be used for advisory service): 123.300 or 123.500

MTV

I did not know that MTV thanks. I always monitor 122.9 because that is what all the strips in Idaho are on. If you are flying in the Idaho back country you better be on 122.9 if you want to know where people are.

MTV, Thank you for doing that work for me. I should be finishing paper work but found my way back here. Ill use 122.9 for the Flying V Ranch in Mo. until someone tells me to stop. I monitor 122.75 when I ferry and on weekends and it can get busy around here.

Mike,

That is some great information and thank you for doing the research on that.


Just as a side note. Most of the non-towered airstrips in Southern Oregon use 122.8 except for my home strip. My home strip (Beagle Sky Ranch, OR96) is also a jump zone and we have been using 123.3 since the 60's.

Brian.

The standard CTAF/Unicom freq's for years, at least around here, were 122.7, .8, .9, or 123, with 122.9 being used at (most) private airstrips. All the airports in the San Juan Islands went to 128.25 fifteen or more years ago. Nowdays there's more airports using oddball freq's like 122.97 , 123.05, or 123.07-- trying to reduce inter-airport conflicts I guess.
A nearby airport (Pt Angeles) went to 122.97 a few years ago, b=but didn't realize until later that there's an AWOS about 100 miles north in canada that uses the same freq. Not too much of a problem down low, but high-altitude inbound traffic calling ahead probably have trouble with it sometimes.

Eric

Thank you MTV, I didn't know that. Particularly the part about "fingers" (123.45).

I had always heard that for uncontrolled airports the CTAF was 1.229 and if the airport has a unicom than it will be assigned a frequency like 1.22.8, 1.22.7 or 1.23.0. I know the Idaho backcountry uses 1.22.9.

I don't remember what freq I was monitoring, but last summer while flying the "Trench" to Alaska. I was at about 6,000 ft and was listening to some radio traffic. So I talked to them to find out their position. He replied "Zero Alpha Kelo, this is Alaska Airlines and were at 31,000 ft. I think were clear"