"Ron Natalie" wrote in message
m...
Icebound wrote:

Air-to-air frequencies are designed for license holders in support of
licensed business and/or aviation operations.

Radio is International and so are radio rules. Your chit-chat on an
air-to-air frequency may be interfering with a legal operation across the
border.

If so, the FCC doesn't seem to be confirmed. My air-to-air use on 122.75
is whatever I as a pilot/operator feel is warranted.

122.75 is "Private fixed wing aircraft air-to-air communication", Subpart
F.

Subpart F says, in part:

(a) Aircraft stations must limit their
communications to the necessities of
safe, efficient, and economic operation
of aircraft and the protection of life
and property in the air, except as otherwise
specifically provided in this
part. Contact with an aeronautical
land station must only be attempted
when the aircraft is within the serivce
area of the land station. however, aircraft
stations may transmit advisory
information on air traffic control,
unicom or aeronautical multicom frequencies
for the benefit and use of
other stations monitoring these frequencies
in accordance with FAA recommended
traffic advisory practices.

It goes on in section j) to say later that "122.75 is authorized....for
air-air communication". It does NOT say in section j) "Oh, and by the way,
section a) is not valid here".

I don't think that this permits chit-chat about the Red Sox miraculous
comeback. It may permit discussion about the availability of fuel at XYZ or
that smoke plume limiting visibility over the city, or even that I am going
to be 15 minutes late on my ETA. But not about the color of the new baby's
eyes, or the 54 inch TV set I intend to buy.

Now, the FCC may choose to look the other way, but they SHOULD be concerned.


What the hell is a "licensed business and/or aviation operation."

Something for which you could apply for and be assigned a "company
frequency". In which case you are still supposed to limit conversation to
items pertinent to that business, because other companies (somewhere) are
using that same frequency, too. Company frequencies are certainly assigned
in other parts of the aviation band, but I am not sure if they are in the
118-140 mHZ range.


Another pertinent rule is 87.41:

(b) Licensing limitations. Frequencies
are available for assignment to stations
on a shared basis only and will
not be assigned for the exclusive use of
any licensee. The use of any assigned
frequency may be restricted to one or
more geographical areas.


You HAVE to assume that you are causing interference somewhere, and
therefore communications are supposed to be pertinent and brief.


The FCC doesn't even
require me to have either an operator or station license for airborne
domestic VHF use.

That is their choice. Because they have your tail number, they probably
felt they could avoid the extra paperwork, since they still know who you
are. No requirement for a license does not mean that those frequencies are
somehow "free-for-all". And just because your equipment can transmit on all
those frequencies does not mean that you are allowed to. They must still be
used according to their allocation.