211 Subpart F—Aircraft Stations

Federal Communications Commission § 87.187

[53 FR 28940, Aug. 1, 1988]

EDITORIAL NOTE: For FEDERAL REGISTER citations affecting § 87.183, see the List of CFR Sec- tions Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the printed volume and on GPO Access.

Subpart F—Aircraft Stations § 87.187 Frequencies. (a) Frequencies used for air-ground § 87.185 Scope of service. Communications are listed in subpart (a) Aircraft stations must limit their E. Aircraft stations may use fre- communications to the necessities of quencies assigned to Government or safe, efficient, and economic operation non-Government aeronautical stations of aircraft and the protection of life or radionavigation land stations if the and property in the air, except as oth- communications are within the aero- erwise specifically provided in this nautical or radionavigation land sta- part. Contact with an aeronautical tion scope of service. land station must only be attempted (b) 410 kHz is the international direc- when the aircraft is within the serivce tion-finding frequency for use outside area of the land station. however, air- the continental United States. (c) 457 kHz is an authorized working craft stations may transmit advisory frequency for flights over the high information on air traffic control, seas. unicom or aeronautical multicom fre- (d) 500 kHz an international calling quencies for the benefit and use of and distress frequency for aircraft on other stations monitoring these fre- flights over the high seas. Except for quencies in accordance with FAA rec- distress, urgency or safety messages an ommended traffic advisory practices. aircraft station must not transmit on (b) Aircraft public correspondence 500 kHz during the silence periods for service must be made available to all three minutes twice each hour begin- persons without discrimination and on ning at x h. 15 and x h.45 Coordinated reasonable demand, and must commu- Universal Time (u.t.c.). nicate without discrimination with any (e) The frequency 2182 khz is an inter- public coast station or mobile-satellite national distress and calling frequency earth station authorized to provide air- for use by ship, aircraft and survival craft public correspondence service. craft stations. Aircraft stations must (c) Aircraft public correspondence use J3E emission when operating on service on maritime mobile frequencies 2182 kHz and communicating with do- may only be carried by aircraft sta- mestic public and private coast stations licensed to use maritime mobile tions. The emission H3E may be used frequencies and must follow the rules when communicating with foreign for public correspondence in part 80. coast and ship stations. (d) Aircraft public correspondence (f) The frequencies 3023 kHz, 5680 kHz, service on Aeronautical Mobile-Sat- 122.900 MHz and 123.100 MHz are author- ellite (R) Service frequencies may only ized for use by aircraft engaged in be carried on aircraft earth stations li- seach and rescue activities in accord- censed to use Aeronautical Mobile-Sat- ance with subpart M. These frequencies ellite (R) frequencies and are subject to may be used for air-air and air-ground the rules for public correspondence in communications. this part. Aircraft public correspond- (g) The frequency 4125 kHz may be ence service on Maritime Mobile-Sat- used for distress and safety commu- ellite Service frequencies may only be nications between aircraft and ship and coast maritime mobile stations. carried by aircraft earth stations li- (h) The frequency 8364.0 kHz is au- censed to use Maritime Mobile-Sat- thorized for use of survival craft for ellite frequencies and are subject to search and rescue communications the rules for public correspondence in with stations in the maritime mobile part 80. service. [53 FR 28940, Aug. 1, 1988, as amended at 57 (i) The frequencies in the band FR 45750, Oct. 5, 1992] 121.975–122.675 MHz are authorized for

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use by private aircraft of air traffic (m) The frequency 406.0–406.1 MHz is control operations. an emergency and distress frequency (1) The frequencies 122.00 and 122.050 available for use by emergency locator MHz are authorized for use by air car- transmitters. Use of this frequency rier and private aircraft stations for must be limited to transmission of dis- enroute flight advisory service (EFAS) tress and safety communications. provided by the FAA; (n) The frequency band 960–1215 MHz (2) The frequency 122.100 MHz is au- is for the use of airborne electronic thorized for use by air carrier aircraft aids to air navigation and directly as- stations for air traffic control oper- sociated land stations. ations at locations in Alaska where (o) The frequency band 1300-1350 MHz other frequencies are not available for is for surveillance radar stations and air traffic control. associated airborne transponders. (j) The frequency 122.750 MHz is (p) The frequency band 1435–1525 MHz authoried for use by private fixed wing is available on a primary basis and the aircraft for air-air communications. frequency band 1525–1535 MHz is avail- The frequency 123.025 MHz is author- able on a secondary basis for telemetry ized for use by helicopters for air-air Communications. and telecommand associated with the (k) The frequencies 121.500 MHz and flight testing of aircraft, missiles, or 243.000 MHz are emergency and distress related major components. This in- frequences available for use by survival cludes launching into space, reentry craft stations, emergency locator into the earth’s atmosphere and inci- transmitters and equipment used for dental orbiting prior to reentry. The survival pruposes. Use of 121.500 MHz following frequencies are shared with and 243.00 MHz shall be limited to flight telemetry mobile stations: 1444.5, transmission of signals and commu- 1453.5, 1501.5, 1515.5, and 1524.5 MHz. See nications for survival purposes. Type § 87.303(d). A2A, A3E or A3N emission may be em- NOTE TO PARAGRAPH (p): Aeronautical te- ployed, except in the case of emergency lemetry operations must protect mobile-sat- locator transmitters where A3E, A3X ellite operations in the 1525–2535 MHz band and NON are permitted. and maritime mobile-satellite operations in (l) The frequencies 156.300, 156.375, the 1530–1535 MHz band. 156,400, 156,425, 156.450, 156.625, 156.800 (q) The frequencies in the band 156.900 and 157.425 MHz may be used by 1545.000–1559.000 MHz and 1646.500– aircraft stations to communicate with 1660.500 MHz are authorized for use by ship stations in accordance with part the Aeronautical Mobile-Satellite (R) 80 and the following conditions: (1) The altitude of aircraft stations Service. The use of the bands 1544.000– must not exceed 300 meters (1,000 feet), 1545.000 MHz (space-to-Earth) and except for reconnaissance aircraft par- 1645.500–1646.500 MHz (Earth-to-space) ticipating in icebreaking operations by the Mobile-Satellite Service is lim- where an altitude of 450 meters (1,500 ited to distress and safety operations. feet) is allowed; In the frequency bands 1549.500–1558.500 (2) Aircraft station transmitter MHz and 1651.000–1660.000 MHz, the power must not exceed five watts; Aeronautical Mobile-Satellite (R) re- (3) The frequency 156.300 MHz may be quirements that cannot be accommo- used for safety purposes only. The fre- dated in the 1545.000–1549.500 MHz, quency 156.800 MHz may be used for dis- 1558.500–1559.000 MHz, 1646.500–1651.000 tress, safety and calling purposes only. MHz, and 1660.000–1660.500 MHz bands (4) Except in the Great Lakes and shall have priority access with real- along the St. Lawrence Seaway the fre- time preemptive capability for commu- quency 157.425 MHz is available for nications in the Mobile-Satellite Serv- communications with commerical fish- ice. Systems not interoperable with the ing vessels. Aeronautical Mobile-Satellite (R) Serv- (5) The frequency 156.375 MHz cannot ice shall operate on a secondary basis. be used in the New Orleans, LA, VTS Account shall be taken of the priority protection area. No harmful inter- of safety-related communications in ference shall be caused to the VTS. the Mobile-Satellite Service.

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(r) The frequency band 1559–1626.5 (z) Frequencies for public correspond- MHz is available for airborne elec- ence between ships and public coast tronic aids to air navigation and any stations in the maritime mobile serv- associated land station. ice (except frequencies in the 156–174 (s) The frequency band 4200–4400 MHz MHz band) and coast earth stations in is reserved exclusively for radio altim- the maritime mobile-satellite service eters. are available for public correspondence (t) The frequency band 5350–5470 MHz between aircraft and public coast sta- in the aeronautical radionavigation tions and coast earth stations, respec- service is limited to airborne radars tively. The transmission of public cor- and associated airborne beacons. respondence from aircraft must not (u) The frequency band 8750–8850 MHz cause interference to maritime com- is available for use by airborne doppler munications. radars in the aeronautical radio- (aa) Frequencies in the 454.675–459.975 navigation service only on the condi- MHz band are available in the Public tion that they must accept any inter- Mobile Radio Service (part 22) for use ference which may be experienced from on board aircraft for communications stations in the radiolocation service in with land mobile stations which are the band 8500–10,000 MHz. interconnected to the nationwide pub- (v) The frequency band 9300–9500 MHz lic telephone system. is limited to airborne radars and asso- (bb) The frequencies 121.950 MHz, ciated airborne beacons. 122.850 MHz and 127.050 1 MHz are au- (w) The frequency band 13250–13400 thorized for air-to-air use for aircraft MHz available for airborne doppler up to and including 3 km (10,000 ft) radar use. mean sea level in the vicinity of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona with- (x) The frequency bands 24450–24650 in the area bounded by the following MHz, 24750–25050 MHz and 32300–33400 coordinates (all coordinates are ref- MHz are available for airborne radio- erenced to North American Datum 1983 navigation devices. (NAD83)): (y) Brief keyed RF signals (keying the transmitter by momentarily de- 36–27–59.9 N. Lat; 112–47–2.7 W. Long. pressing the microphone ‘‘push-to- 36–27–59.9 N. Lat; 112–48–2.7 W. Long. talk’’ button) may be transmitted from 35–50–00.0 N. Lat; 112–48–2.7 W. Long. aircraft for the control of automated 35–43–00.0 N. Lat; 112–47–2.7 W. Long. unicoms on the unicom frequencies (cc) The frequency 120.650 MHz 2 is au- listed in paragraph (y)(3) of this sec- thorized for air-to-air use for aircraft tion, or for the control of airport lights up to and including 3 km (10,000 ft) on the following frequencies: mean sea level within the area bounded (1) Any air traffic control frequency by the following coordinates (all co- listed in § 87.421. ordinates are referenced to North (2) FAA Flight Service Station fre- American Datum 1983 (NAD83)): quencies 121.975–122.675 MHz. 35–59–44.9 N. Lat; 114–51–48.0 W. Long. (3) The unicom frequencies 122.700, 36–09–29.9 N. Lat; 114–50–3.0 W. Long. 122.725, 122.800, 122.950, 122.975, 123.000, 36–09–29.9 N. Lat; 114–02–57.9 W. Long. 123.050 and 123.075 MHz. 35–54–45.0 N. Lat; 113–48–47.8 W. Long. (4) Aviation support station fre- (dd) The frequencies 136.425, 136.450, quencies listed in § 87.323(b): 121.950, 136.475, and 136.500 MHz are designated 123.300 and 123.500 MHz if the frequency for flight information services-broad- is assigned to a station at the airport cast (FIS-B) and may not be used by and no harmful interference is caused aircraft for transmission. to voice communications. If no such station is located at the concerned airport, aircraft may use one of the avia- 1 Until further notice this frequency is tion support station frequencies for the available for air-to-air use as described in the Grand Canyon vicinity. Availability is a control of airport lights. result of the FAA’s assignment of this fre- (5) The frequency 122.9 MHz when it quency. If the FAA reassigns this frequency is used as the common traffic advisory the Commission may require air-to-air use to frequency at the concerned airport. cease.

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(ee) The frequency 121.95 MHz is au- life and property or regularity of thorized for air-to-ground and air-to- flight, or when ordered by the captain air communications for aircraft up to of the aircraft. 13000 feet above mean sea level (AMSL) within the area bounded by the fol- [53 FR 28940, Aug. 1, 1988, as amended at 57 FR 45750, Oct. 5, 1992; 63 FR 36608, July 7, lowing coordinates (all coordinates are 1998; 69 FR 32884, June 14, 2004] referenced to North American Datum 1983 (NAD83)): § 87.191 Foreign aircraft stations. 32–35–00 N. Lat.; 117–12–00 W. Long. (a) Aircraft of member States of the 32–42–00 N. Lat.; 116–56–00 W. Long. International Civil Aviation Organiza- 32–41–00 N. Lat.; 116–41–00 W. Long. tion may carry and operate radio 32–35–00 N. Lat.; 116–38–00 W. Long. transmitters in the United States air- 32–31–00 N. Lat.; 117–11–00 W. Long. space only if a license has been issued (ff) The frequency 978 MHz is author- by the State in which the aircraft is ized for Universal Access Transceiver registered and the flight crew is pro- data transmission. vided with a radio operator license of [53 FR 28940, Aug. 1, 1988] the proper class, issued or recognized by the State in which the aircraft is EDITORIAL NOTE: For FEDERAL REGISTER citations affecting § 87.187, see the List of CFR registered. The use of radio transmit- Sections Affected, which appears in the ters in the United States airspace must Finding Aids section of the printed volume comply with these rules and regula- and on GPO Access. tions. (b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of § 87.189 Requirements for public cor- this section where an agreement with a respondence equipment and operations. foreign government has been entered into with respect to aircraft registered (a) Transmitters used for public cor- in the United States but operated by respondence by aircraft stations in the an aircraft operator who is subject to maritime mobile frequency bands must regulation by that foreign government, be authorized by the Commission in the aircraft radio station license and conformity with part 80 of this chapter. aircraft radio operator license may be (b) Transmitters used for public cor- issued by such foreign government. respondence by aircraft stations in the Aeronautical Mobile-Satellite (R) or EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTERS Maritime Mobile-Satellite frequencies must be certificated by the Commis- § 87.193 Scope of service. sion in conformity with part 87. Air- Transmissions by emergency locator craft earth stations that are required to be commissioned to use a privately transmitters (ELTs) are intended to be owned satellite system also must meet actuated manually or automatically the provisions of § 87.51. and operated automatically as part of (c) A continuous watch must be an aircraft or a survival craft station maintained on the frequencies used for as a locating aid for survival purposes. safety and regularity of flight while § 87.195 Frequencies. public correspondence communications are being handled. For aircraft earth (a) ELTs transmit on the frequency stations, this requirement is satisfied 121.500 MHz, using A3E, A3X or NON by compliance with the priority and emission. ELTs that transmit on the preemptive access requirements of frequency 406.0–406.1 MHz use G1D § 87.187(q). emission. (d) All communications in the Aero- (b) The frequency 243.000 MHz is an nautical Mobile Service and the Aero- emergency and distress frequency nautical Mobile-Satellite (R) Service available for use by survival craft sta- have priority over public correspond- tions, ELTs and equipment used for ence. survival purposes which are also (e) Transmission of public cor- equipped to transmit on the frequency respondence must be suspended when 121.500 MHz. Use of 243.000 MHz must be such operation will delay or interfere limited to transmission of signals and with message pertaining to safety of communications for survival purposes.

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