US Equivalent of 126.7

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theanswriz42@reddit

In the US, there's only one legal frequency for air to air communication which is 122.75, though lots of people use fingers on 123.45 which is technically supposed to be used for trans oceanic flights.

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mcmanigle@reddit

123.45 is also given out as an assigned channel for avionics tests over land. I've heard secondhand stories of very expensive tests having to be aborted or repeated because people were chatting on "fingers" and the avionics test protocols needed precise timing of their reports.

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ZOB_oo_land@reddit

That sounds like boomers making up stories. If you need precise stuff like that, use a different frequency.

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mcmanigle@reddit

You don’t get to pick a different frequency. For these avionics tests, you apply to the FAA/FCC and they assign you a dedicated frequency for the test date and time. They might assign 123.45 (I think there are 2 or 3 non-gov test frequencies they can assign) and then you don’t have a choice.

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Vee-One-Rotate@reddit

122.85 is a secondary air-to-air

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Your-Friendly-AAI@reddit

122.9 is multicom, popular among private and backcountry airfields. It’s my main frequency in the west.

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Reasonable-Ad3997@reddit

To preface the question I think OP is asking - in Canada 126.7 is used when you’re not IFR, or on flight following, as like almost a mass Unicom to give position reports and just communicate with traffic in general that may be around you but it’s through out the country. You may be flying in Toronto but hear someone giving a position report out in the Ottawa area, or be in Calgary and hear someone near Edmonton, ETC…I’m actually not sure myself if there is anything similar in the US, but curious to know.

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Substantial-Sir-7880@reddit (OP)

Yes you are correct

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tingtongtravels@reddit

The US does not have this and you cannot fly in IMC without a clearance unlike in Canada. “Everything” in the US is controlled unlike in Canada.

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Substantial-Sir-7880@reddit (OP)

Really, that’s interesting for this flight I’ll be only flying VFR but I’ve done a fair bit of uncontrolled IFR flying in Canada

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rburghiu@reddit

That is partly true. There is quite a bit of Class G out west, uncontrolled to something like 14.5k ft. There are no clearances required. However, other rules apply, and I would avoid having issues out there, because you would be in the middle of nowhere.

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tingtongtravels@reddit

True- but in Canada uncontrolled is uncontrolled. You can fly in IMC uncontrolled, thus having a frequency to give reports is useful. But even in FAA class G you’ve got cloud clearance rules to abide by.

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randombrain@reddit

In the USA you can also fly IMC uncontrolled, provided you comply with 91.177.

Given the fact that in the VAST majority of the country Class G airspace only goes up to 1200' AGL, if even that.... in practice you pretty much can't. But it's allowed in theory.

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tingtongtravels@reddit

Sure as a thought exercise it’s allowed but it’s important for the OP to understand that in much of the US you can’t just be buzzing around at 8000ft in IMC doing whatever you want. Because in much of Canada you can do exactly that. Much of Canada from the ground to 17999 is uncontrolled(and because Reddit I’m referring to southern domestic airspace). This nonsense in the US about class G up to 14k or whatever doesn’t exist in the lower 48 for 99% of people flying. It’s also important for the OP to understand that there is not a similar frequency to 26.7 in the US.

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randombrain@reddit

Very fair, thank you.

Just wanted to point out that you don't have to abide by Class G cloud clearance rules if you're IFR, which is a thing you can be in Class G in the USA... theoretically.

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randombrain@reddit

There is a very little Class G out west. Only a couple appreciable areas remain, or maybe just one. But yes, in those areas you can fly IFR/IMC without a clearance, as long as you comply with all the other IFR rules.

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omalley4n@reddit

I wouldn't call it "quite a bit" - most of the remaining "golf to 14,500" areas are in Alaska. Although there's a small section in Texas on the Mexican border, and another one in NM.

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Substantial-Sir-7880@reddit (OP)

Issues in the middle of nowhere is not something that bothers me that’s why the ELT and my Garmin Inreach are for, there are days that I fly and the only planes I hear on the radio are 200nm away

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Horror-River-3861@reddit

It's difficult if not often impossible to be 200 miles from another plane in the US just because of how busy our airspace is

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RockEmSockEmRoboCock@reddit

I was going to say laughs in Alaska but even up here you’d be hard pressed to be 200 miles from someone. There’s a lot of remote stuff, but 200 miles is a long way.

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tomdarch@reddit

I only know the basics of US IFR, but "uncontrolled IFR" sort of doesn't make sense to me. How does that work?

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randombrain@reddit

Communicate on the airborne advisory frequency. Coordinate with FSS. Big sky theory.

That last is the most important one; if there's any appreciable traffic, resources will be spent on turning the uncontrolled airspace into controlled airspace. If there's no appreciable traffic, there's not much risk of a collision.

And note, again, that Class E is controlled airspace, even if the VFR entry requirements are extremely lax. When we talk about "uncontrolled airspace" we mean Class F and G only (and Class F is pretty rare to begin with; not a lot of countries use it). In order to be IFR in Class E or better, a clearance is necessary, because Class E or better is controlled airspace.

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DinkleBottoms@reddit

I think it’s 122.75 but it’s not used at all really. Generally if you’re flying VFR/not IFR you either just monitor 121.5, pickup CTAF for any airports you’re flying over, or just ignore the radio entirely.

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Fluid_Maybe_6588@reddit

This is the correct answer. 126.7 is NOT a ‘mass Unicom’ FFS

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theanswriz42@reddit

I don't think that's really a thing in the US. If you feel the need to talk to someone, you're better off using flight following.

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Substantial-Sir-7880@reddit (OP)

That what I’ll do then, it will be a little unnatural as we normally avoid control zones up here.

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theanswriz42@reddit

It's pretty straightforward, and useful for traffic and sometimes weather advisories.

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Sk1900d@reddit

It’s also used when you are IFR in uncontrolled airspace because aside from adsb that’s just about the only way to ensure you won’t fly into someone else out there.

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0stephan@reddit

If you want position and traffic reports, simply call up approach or center near you. Flight service is 122.2, or listed on the maps in the vor/navaid information box.

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Substantial-Sir-7880@reddit (OP)

So if your flying airport to airport you’re always flying controlled?

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randombrain@reddit

Unless you are below 1200' AGL (sometimes lower) you are in controlled airspace, Class E.

But just because the airspace is controlled doesn't mean ATC comms are necessarily required for VFR aircraft. In most run-of-the-mill Class E airspace, flight following services are available but not mandatory.

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0stephan@reddit

Depends. If I'm doing local, <50nm or so, I'll be on departure airport for about 10-15, then either monitor 121.5 or whatever airports I'm overflying (many airports use 122.7, 122.8, 122.9 so you also have to listen for the right airport in each call), and then 20nm out or so, I'll get weather at arrival and switch to arrival airport frequency.

For cross country, I'll depart with local, then 7-10 out I'll switch to the local approach frequency and ask for vfr flight following to my destination, and they'll just let me know which frequency to switch to as I fly through their sectors.

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Substantial-Sir-7880@reddit (OP)

Interesting, here typically only use the departure airport freq. enroute and your arrival airport freq.

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grumpycfi@reddit

We call it "Flight Following" and you can think of it as akin to just traffic advisories, but yes, should ATC has instructions (like a heading or altitude) then you have to follow them. The good news is outside congested areas that's pretty rare. And inside congested areas you're happy to have the help. Personally I won't fly more than about 10 miles from an airport without flight following.

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Substantial-Sir-7880@reddit (OP)

We have flight following here but our airspace is so sparse most commercial VFR pilots never use it. And just transmit on common frequency.

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grumpycfi@reddit

You'll get it just about anywhere here. Highly recommend, it's a great resource.

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Substantial-Sir-7880@reddit (OP)

Then that is what I will go with.

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Mr-Plop@reddit

Flight following is definitely not necessary when out in remote areas. Neither is a flight plan. It is highly recommended when going through or near class airspace and your ocasional class clearance.

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MrToasy@reddit

122.75 is used for air to air calls away from an airport. Sometimes other frequencies are used in specific areas but those will be charted.

When you are in the vicinity of an airport the frequency for CTAF (common frequency) is charted for the specific airport

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Substantial-Sir-7880@reddit (OP)

So if I’m between to airports, say 25 miles from each I would us 122.75?

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RaiseTheDed@reddit

I mean, you could, but it's not used as such that much. In the US, if you're not in controlled airspace, you don't have to talk to anyone. You can turn your radios off if you want to. That's a dumb idea, but you could.

You could pick up what's called flight following, which is when ATC tracks you. You'd need to get the first approach/center controller frequency and request it though.

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__joel_t@reddit

In the US, if you're not in controlled airspace, you don't have to talk to anyone.

Well, actually....

Controlled airspace is anything but Class G. 14 CFR 91.126(d) requires you, when operating within 4 miles and under 2500AGL of an airport with a control tower in Class G airspace, to talk go the tower. The only such airport I'm aware of is KJYO.

It's also worth noting that most of the flight is probably going to be in Class E airspace, which is what I'm assuming you're referring to. However, Class E is considered controlled, but if you're VFR, you generally don't need to be talking to anybody to fly in it.

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RaiseTheDed@reddit

Yeah, colloquially I refer to E as uncontrolled, when it really should be optionally controlled lol. You're right though

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MrToasy@reddit

Yep! Unless you see a specified frequency for an area

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GrantLikesSunChips@reddit

121.5?

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Substantial-Sir-7880@reddit (OP)

We have that in Canada it is reserved for emergencies.

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dudefise@reddit

Here in Freedom Land it’s reserved for feline use.

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butthole_lipliner@reddit

YERR ON GUARRRRDDDDD

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Substantial-Sir-7880@reddit (OP)

Meow

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Substantial-Sir-7880@reddit (OP)

Oh interesting, we have flight following here but for my line of work I generally don’t get it unless I’m in Terminal airspace.

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No_Dog_5858@reddit

Not sure what you’re 126.7 is. We have a frequency we call “guard” which is 121.5 and it’s for lost/emergency peer-to-peer communication

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Substantial-Sir-7880@reddit (OP)

If you were flying VFR in uncontrolled airspace or without flight following you would make position reports every 15 minutes on 126.7

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grumpycfi@reddit

That's not a thing in the US, basically. I suppose you could do that on the air-to-air but no one will really be listening or do anything with it because that's not really what the freq is meant for.

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RaiseTheDed@reddit

Yeah, we don't have that here. We see and avoid.

Ignore my other comment about flight following, for some reason I thought y'all either might not have it, or call it something else lol

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Dry-Present-4712@reddit

For position reports you would just call into the approach/center your talking with only if they say they may lose you on radar or something of the sorts to not annoy you. it may not be a bad idea on the air to air frequency-123.45 cant remember it exactly but I think that is it

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MacAttack0711@reddit

122.75 is common. 122.8 is popular near small airfields without their own CTAF. 121.5 is “guard” and commonly monitored, at least on comm2/standby, it’s exclusively for emergency/distress calls.

There’s also “fingers” 123.45 if you’re looking to just chat with people. (At least that’s what people use it for).

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rFlyingTower@reddit

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:

I’m flying to United States next week and I looked online but I can’t find the equivalent frequency for 126.7 when flying in uncontrolled airspace.

Please downvote this comment until it collapses.

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