Aircraft frequencies


                  (Aircraft freqs that can be heard from the Puget Sound area)


Last updated: 2-1-08


Click here for a Washington State air traffic control VHF frequency map.

Click here for a printable bitmap of the above map.

NDB (ADF) freqs can be found on the longwave page: http://www.northwestradio.net/interceptnw/below530.htm

Enroute freqs for international flights (shortwave) can be found here: http://www.northwestradio.net/interceptnw/arinc600a.jpg

Older 1983 shortwave map: http://www.northwestradio.net/interceptnw/arinc.jpg


108.0 - 117.975  VOR/DME/ILS navigation
110.6  PAE  Paine Field VOR/DME
111.5 IAWO  unknown - probably Arlington airport
113.7  YYJ  Saltspring Island VOR
116.8  SEA  Sea-Tac VOR/DME

118.0 - 121.4  ATC & ATIS
118.0   Sea-Tac ATIS    
118.1   Portland Appr
118.2   Whidbey Appr
118.3   BFI Tower
118.5   Tacoma Tower (Rwy 17)
118.55  Seattle Center (Yakima)
118.9   BFI Clearance Delivery
119.1   ? Possibly Victoria Tower
119.2   Sea-Tac Departure
119.5   Seattle Appr 
119.65  Seattle Center (The Dalles)
119.7   Victoria Tower
119.9   Sea-Tac Tower
120.1   Seattle Appr 
120.2   Paine Tower
120.3   Seattle Center (Beacon Hill)
120.4   Seattle Appr 
120.6   BFI Tower
120.7   Whidbey Appr
121.1   Seattle Center Appr/Dep
121.125 Skagit Regional (AWOS)
121.2   Bremerton ATIS
121.35  Seattle Center (Oregon area?)

121.5 Emergency & ELT

121.6 - 121.9 Ground Control
121.7   Sea-Tac Ground Control
121.75  ? Ground Control - unknown airport
121.8   ? Possibly Paine Field ground control

121.95 - 122.675 FSS & misc.
122.1   Nanaimo FSS
122.55  Seattle FSS

122.7 - 123.2  Unicom & misc.
122.7 Unicom for uncontrolled airports
      Arlington, Bremerton, Sequim, Hoquiam, Kenmore (seaplanes)

122.775 Traffic Helicopters (primary)

122.8 Unicom for uncontrolled airports
      Anacortes, Friday Harbor, Oak Harbor, Blaine, Chehalis-Centralia, Auburn,
      Thun Field (Puyallup), Sky Harbor (Sultan), Sanderson Field (Shelton)

123.0 Unicom for uncontrolled airports
      Kent, Snohomish (Harvey Field), Burlington, Pt. Townsend

123.025 Unicom - Helicopters  (local Traffic Helicopters secondary)

123.2 - 123.675 Misc.
123.275 Boeing test flights
123.3   Gliders
123.5   Gliders

123.7 - 128.8  ATC & ATIS
123.7   Comox Terminal
123.8   Chinook Appr
123.9   Seattle Appr
124.05  Tacoma Narrows ATIS
124.2   Seattle Center (Scappoose)
124.4   Olympia Tower
124.65  Gray AAF (Ft. Lewis) ATIS
124.7   Renton Tower
124.8   McChord Tower (Rwy 34)
124.9   Bellingham Tower
125.1   Seattle Center (Neah Bay) - Olympic Peninsula
125.6   Seattle Center (approaching aircraft 16k-9k)
125.8   Seattle Center (Horton)
125.9   Seattle Appr
125.95  Vancouver Center 
126.1   Seattle Center (Wenatchee)
126.125 Vancouver Terminal
126.2   Gray Tower (Rwy 15)
126.5   Seattle Appr
126.6   Seattle Center (Larch Mtn) - areas South and East of Tacoma
126.95  Renton ATIS
127.1   Advisory Freq - not sure what area it covers
127.75  Boeing Field ATIS
127.8   Victoria Terminal VFR (simulcast on 133.85)
128.0   Sea-Tac Clearance Delivery
128.15  Seattle Center (Redmond, OR / Scappoose)
128.25  San Juan Advisory freq
         to quote Colin... "All aircraft in the San Juan Island areas are
                          encouraged to monitor and report on this freq"
128.3   Seattle Center (Larch Mtn) - Olympia and Elma area
128.45  Seattle Center (Mullan Pass)
128.5   Seattle Center (Ft. Lawton) - airspace under 6000 ft
128.6   Vancouver Appr
128.65  Paine Field ATIS
128.75  ?

128.825 - 132.05  Corporate en-route & ACARS

Inbound flights usually report in about 10 to 15 minutes before landing. 
An inbound flight usually will make fuel requests (if needed) and give
ETA.  The base will respond with a gate assignment.

Outbound flights usually report in about 5 to 10 minutes after takeoff.
An outbound flight will report takeoff time, fuel status, passenger load,
and cargo weight.

128.825  Sea-Tac     Sun Country Airlines
128.825  Sea-Tac     Aeroflot
128.825  Sea-Tac     Omni Air Int'l (handled by Premier Avai 1 ground services)
128.825  Sea-Tac     Martinair (outbound) (handled by Slatterly ground services)
128.825  Portland    Aero Air (FBO) Learjet maintenance
128.9    BFI         Airpac Airlines
128.9    Vancouver   Cathay Pacific (inbound)
128.925  Sea-Tac     Signature (FBO) fueling & ground transportation
128.95   Vancouver   Kelowna Flightcraft (Purolator)
128.975  ?           unknown airline (outbound) to Penticton/Cranbrook
129.0    Sea-Tac     Air Canada (handled by United)
129.0    Vancouver   Canada 3000 Airlines ('Elite xxx')
129.025  BFI         Galvin Flight Services (FBO)
129.1    ?           Light aircraft operating in the Vancouver area
129.2    ?           Canadian planes - some flights going to Calgary
129.2    ?           "Timber 1" and "Timber 2" - possibly Timberline Air or Kwatna Timber
129.2    ?           inbound to sea-tac
129.225  Sea-Tac     American Airlines
129.325  Sea-Tac     Horizon Airlines
129.375  Sea-Tac     Casino Express
129.4    Sea-Tac     ARINC - San Francisco Radio
129.425  BFI         UPS (also Vancouver, Victoria, Pt. Angeles)
129.45   Vancouver   America West Airlines (handled by United)
129.45   Vancouver   United Airlines and United Express (Skywest)
129.5    Sea-Tac     United Airlines
129.5    Sea-Tac     Shuttle by United ('Air Coach xxx')
129.5    Portland    Delta Airlines
129.55   Victoria    Canadian Airlines (outbound)
129.575  Vancouver   Canadian Airlines
129.6    Sea-Tac     American Trans Air ('Amtran xxx')
129.6    Sea-Tac     Omni Air (inbound) calling Slattery Ground Services - no response
129.7    Vancouver   Canadian Airlines
129.725  Sea-Tac     Cargolux Air Freight
129.775  Vancouver   Air Canada (outbound ops)
129.825  Seattle     Airlift NW (helicopters), also Lear 359EF doing patient transport
129.85               ARINC - San Francisco Radio
129.9    Vancouver   Canadian Airlines (maintenance)
129.925  Sea-Tac     Continental Airlines
130.0                Air Canada - possibly inbound for Penticton
130.025              ACARS data
130.05   Sea-Tac     British Airways
130.1    Sea-Tac     Delta Airlines
130.1    Sea-Tac     Vanguard Airlines
130.125  ?           Light aircraft operating in the San Juans
130.15   Portland    American Airlines
130.175  Vancouver/Victoria  Air Canada
130.200  Vancouver   British Airways
130.225  Sea-Tac     old TWA freq. Unknown if used now.
130.25   Sea-Tac     Kitty Hawk (Air freight)
130.275  ?           ?
130.3                Kenmore Air Harbor & Lake Union Air
130.35   Vancouver   Air Canada
130.375  ?           (Canada - inbound to Richmond)
130.45   Sea-Tac     Scandinavian Airlines
130.45   Sea-Tac     China Airlines ('Dynasty xxx')
130.475  Vancouver   Air Canada ? (maintenance)
130.5    Portland    Alaska Airlines
130.525  Bellingham  United Express
130.575  Vancouver   West Jet
130.6                ?
130.625  San Juans   West Isle Air
130.65   Sea-Tac     National Airlines ('Red Rock xxx')
130.65   ?           unknown airline '125' calling operations
130.675  Vancouver   Continental Airlines
130.7    ?           small commercial passenger planes going to Vancouver Harbor & Victoria -
                       probably Harbour Air Seaplanes, might be Baxter Air...
130.7    Sea-Tac     Scandinavian Airlines (inbound)
130.725  Sea-Tac     Horizon Airlines/Big Sky Airlines (inbound), Northwest Airlines
130.75               ACARS data
130.8    Vancouver   Canadian Airlines
130.825  Sea-Tac     Frontier Airlines
130.85   Sea-Tac     Southwest Airlines
130.875  Sea-Tac     Alaska Airlines (outbound)
130.9    Vancouver   Canadian Airlines/Air Canada (outbound)
130.925  Sea-Tac     America West Airlines ('Cactus xxx')
130.95   ?           unknown airline (outbound) '1240'
131.0    BFI         Airborne Express ('ABEX xxx') maintenance
131.025              ? - light aircraft or helicopter w/fuel requests
131.05   Sea-Tac     United Express (Skywest)
131.15   Sea-Tac     US Air
131.2    Sea-Tac     Alaska Airlines (inbound)
131.25   Vancouver   Helijet Airways
131.275  ?           unknown commercial airliners - Vancouver
131.35   Portland    Horizon Airlines
131.4                ?
131.425  Sea-Tac     EVA Air
131.45               ? (Canada)
131.475              ACARS data (Air Canada)
131.525  ?           unknown airline - San Juans, BFI, Pt. Townsend, Friday Harbor - scenic flights
                       possibly Vashon Island Air
131.55               ACARS data (primary)
131.6    Sea-Tac     old Harbor Airlines freq. Unknown if used now.
131.6    San Juans   Harbor Airlines
131.625  Sea-Tac     DHL ('Reliant xxx')
131.675              ? (Canada - outbound)   '103' calling operations
131.7    Sea-Tac     Northwest Airlines (inbound)
131.7    Sea-Tac     Hawaiian Airlines (inbound) - handled by Northwest
131.725  Sea-Tac     Evergreen Air Freight
131.75   BFI         Aeroflight
131.75               bonanza 82159 calling unknown base station
131.8    ?           ?
131.825  Paine Field FedEx (secondary when they can't contact on 131.925)
131.825  ?           ? (maintenance)
131.85   ?           ?
131.875  Vancouver   West Jet
131.9    Vancouver   Canadian Airlines (maintenance)
131.925              FedEx (Sea-Tac, Portland, Paine Field)
131.925  Sea-Tac     Empire Airlines (outbound)
131.95   ?           ?
132.0    Vancouver   Alaska Airlines
132.0    Bellingham  Horizon (inbound)
132.025  BFI         Flight Center (FBO)

132.075 - 136.475 ATC & ATIS
132.075 Seattle Center (Horton)
132.2   Vancouver Center
132.3   Vancouver Center
132.4   ?
132.6   Seattle Center (Yakima)
132.7   Vancouver Center
132.95  Paine Tower
133.0   Portland Appr
133.1   ?
133.5   Vancouver Center
133.65  Sea-Tac Appr
133.7   Vancouver Center
133.85  Victoria Appr (Victoria Terminal main VFR freq) simulcast on 127.8
133.95  Victoria Terminal (north - Nanaimo)
134.15  Ault Field (Whidbey Island) ATIS
134.4   Vancouver Center
134.55  Vancouver Center
134.8   Vancouver Center
134.95  Seattle Center (Whidbey Island) - Mt. Vernon/Bellingham area
135.05  Vancouver Center
135.1   Whidbey Island NAS Clearance Delivery
135.45  Seattle Center (The Dalles)
135.5   Vancouver Center
135.525 Seattle Center (Beacon Hill)
135.625 Arlington AWOS

136.5 - 136.975 Corporate en-route & ACARS
136.525  Sea-Tac     Emery Air Freight
136.850              ACARS data

A real air chart will provide more detailed information than what is listed
here. This is a simple compilation of comm intercepts.
All of these frequencies can be heard from the Puget Sound area.

Simulcasting is very common in this area for ATC and control towers.
Here are some typical simulcast groups:

118.2 / 120.7
119.2 / 119.5 / 120.4
119.7 / 121.7
120.2 / 132.95
120.3 / 128.5
120.3 / 125.1 / 126.6 / 135.525
121.1 / 127.1
123.9 / 125.9 / 133.65
125.6 / 125.9 / 
125.1 / 134.95
125.1 / 128.5 / 134.95
128.5 / 134.95

also crossband simulcasting to the UHF military air band:

118.3 / 257.8 (BFI Tower)
119.2 / 284.7  (Sea-Tac Tower)
120.2 / 132.95 / 287.9 / 339.8 (Paine Tower)
120.3 / 273.6
120.4 / 395.0
123.9 / 338.2
125.1 / 319.2
126.6 / 343.6
128.65 / 387.0 (Paine ATIS)
134.95 / 270.3


Ramp freqs
452.100           Horizon Airlines Ground
460.650           Southwest Airlines Ground
460.675           America West Airlines Ground
460.700 R (100.0) Alaska Airlines Ground/Maintenance
460.725 R (203.5) United Airlines Ground
460.750 R (114.8) Delta Airlines Ground
460.775 R (100.0) Alaska Airlines Ground
460.800           Horizon Airlines Ground
460.850 R (127.3) ?
460.875 R (192.8) Northwest/Continental Airlines Ground


Check out the "Northwest Aircraft Communications" web page for more information.
(Its on the Intercept "Links" page)

Thanks to Matt, Tad, Dennis & everyone else who contributed info for this page.



Copyright ©2001 Intercept Northwest