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I have a question about different airlines. First, are there any other airlines besides United that allow you to listen to ATC? Also, do different airlines have different spacing between seats if the plane is exactly the same? For example, would a United 737-522 have different seat spacing than a Northwest 737-522? Thanks.

I have a question about different airlines. First, are there any other airlines besides United that allow you to listen to ATC? Also, do different airlines have different spacing between seats if the plane is exactly the same? For example, would a United 737-522 have different seat spacing than a Northwest 737-522? Thanks.

Nor sure what you mean by airlines letting you listen. Go by an airband radio and stand in your garden.

As for seating, it depends on the requirements of each operator, however said operator cannot just do what it wants. Each aircraft has a TCDS (Type Certificate Data Sheet). This lists everything that the aircraft can and can't do, engine type, fuel type, oil to be used and amongst a whole load of other things seating and how many. This data has to be followed and cannot be deviated from. In the case of the seating, this is a Max number (for all those conversations about how many the A380 can or cannot carry, look at the data sheet...853, non negotiable max set in stone). Whether you carry the max or below the max, that has to be also set down and authorised by the national aviation authority of the country that the aircraft is registered in. You cannot arbitrarily decide to adjust for seating capacity of an aircraft without authorisation as it is classed as a modification. It could well be that different airlines have different seat spacing, but that can only come from removing seats and then you require permission to do so from the FAA/CAA/LBA that is concerned...........This is a well timed question, I have spent the whole week in the classroom (death by view foil) studying Aviation Legislation for my next maintenance license..........right now suiside is an appealing option

Matt

Expat, United allows you to listen in on the ATC that the pilots are listening to, the same way that you can listen to music from the aircraft.

Expat, United allows you to listen in on the ATC that the pilots are listening to, the same way that you can listen to music from the aircraft.

You live and learn

You can listen in to any airline though. All you need is an old personl stereo that plays tapes. If you press play without a tape in, you can get to hear cockpit communications to a certian extent. Something I noticed way back in the 80's whist travelling by (crab) air. I mentioned this a while back and others confirmed it. I believe that (Rottydaddy??) explained how it w

You can hear the pilot's side of the transmissions, because you're relatively near the powerful transmitter. Audio tapes are just subtle, magnetic records,, the playback heads (and associated circuitry) are sensitive to magnetic variations. Aircraft communications are AM (amplitude modulation), so even though you aren't tuned to the carrier frequency.. the changes in amplitude of that carrier frequency can induce an electro-magnetic "message" onto those heads, and circuitry. It's like a brute-force, high-tech, crystal radio reciever, that all us old folks remember so fondly..