Security farce

The latest proof that we Indians take ourselves too seriously is here.

"Intercepting" ATC-pilot conversations? Seriously?

Allow me to explain. Air Traffic Control in all countries happen on VHF frequencies. There is a certain range of frequencies set aside for radio communication and navigation and this range is collectively called the "air band". All one needs to access this range of frequencies is a receiver that can tune to these frequencies. Think of the receiver as just another transistor radio, but one which can receive more frequencies than normal. The communication is by no means encrypted, nor is it classified. One can think of it as eavesdropping on a motorist asking a policeman for directions.

This communication will make no sense at all for most non-pilots, laden as it is with jargon specific to air traffic control and navigation. Even if people do understand the conversations, they are likely to find out where a particular airplane is directed to go. I don't see why that is a security threat since most commercial airplanes reach very high altitudes in a very short period of time. When they are close to the ground, they are visible anyway.

There is a very famous website (hosted in the US obviously) called LiveATC.net which streams live ATC communications from dozens of airports around the world. Many pilots (myself included) listen to communication on this once in a while to practice and learn correct phraseology. This is important since pilots are not expected to waste time when talking to ATC.

In the US, one needs a radio license only if one plans to transmit on a particular frequency. Listening is free for all. In India, one needs a radio license to listen in too. These poor Britons might find themselves in hot water for listening to their radios without a proper license. But let's get serious. That is not a security threat.

However, there is one safety aspect to this. If someone is reckless enough to interfere with communications by transmitting false instructions, there is a serious risk of confusion in the skies. Among all the thousands of aviation enthusiasts in the world, I would be surprised if anyone found more than a dozen who would be deviant enough to do something like that.