View Full Version : What can you listen to on airplanes?


Dude111
06-28-2026, 09:37 PM
Wow I bet the reception is awesome up there!!

Tuning an AM radio would be K-RAD!! -- You would probably hear stuff 1000s of miles away,your radio would probably be packed!!

Ah man!!

GoldenTV
06-29-2026, 06:10 PM
Wow I bet the reception is awesome up there!!

Tuning an AM radio would be K-RAD!! -- You would probably hear stuff 1000s of miles away,your radio would probably be packed!!

Not really. In day time you be only to pick up local AM channels (close to airplane vicinity) as long distance AM signals don't travel too far in daytime. At night, most AM stations will power down (as not to cause interference with other AM station on the same channel). So they only can be heard if they are at vicinity of airplane location. And you also be able to pick up few AM stations (labeled Clear Channel stations) that don't power down at night, so their signal can travel far and can be heard 1000 miles away.

Dude111
06-29-2026, 07:47 PM
Its interesting to think about!

stevea
06-29-2026, 09:30 PM
Its interesting to think about!

Picking up faraway clear channel AM stations at night was fun "back in the day."

In commercial airliners many times passengers are banned from using AM radios due to interference with airline communications.

Dude111
06-30-2026, 01:37 AM
Ya they can give off carriers on different frequencies! (FM can do that also)

stevea
06-30-2026, 07:46 AM
Supposedly FM transmission would not work well at 26,000 feet.

Dude111
06-30-2026, 09:35 AM
I remember doing that on purpose one time as a joke. I was sitting in a wreck hall and some ppl were listening to thier radio at another table.... I had my boombox also and tuned it until it blocked the station they were listening to.. (It put a dead carrier over it)

They knew it was me and said STOP IT :D

I didnt do it again........

GoldenTV
07-01-2026, 02:02 AM
Picking up faraway clear channel AM stations at night was fun "back in the day."


It sure was. When in high school, at night I used to tone in Chicago station WLS on AM 890 that was almost 900 miles from my location. They played some of the best variety Rock songs that local FM station would not play.

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/43/ff/ed/43ffed7bf6c3ab95bd908d1706606b59.jpg

Dude111
07-01-2026, 10:28 AM
Yea its sad when they went all talk..

I got a WLS "fantastic plastic" card .. I still remember my number!

5354768


I dunno if it was ever called as by the time they read the #s in the morning,the station had faded out.......