Nearest ATC frequency?

GeorgeC

GeorgeC

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GeorgeC
A question I had during my training that still persists is that of finding the closest ATC frequency. My first impulse when something that should be easy seems hard is to wonder if I'm doing it wrong, or asking the wrong question, so here goes. Sectionals have occasional boxes for center and tracon, as well as for all of the special use airspaces, but this doesn't seem very geographically well organized to me. I wonder why they don't add a frequency to each grid box on the sectional, much in the same way the elevation of the highest obstacle is already gridded. If you have an AFD or kneeboard from AOPA airports, that will have something, at least at the airport level of granularity. The Garmins have the ARTCC view in the NRST pages. Foreflight does not yet seem to have this functionality, but I requested it. So the question is, for an arbitrary location and altitude (not necessarily near an airport), what's the easiest/fastest way to find any ATC to talk to? Calling FSS or guard is cheating.
 
GeorgeC said:
A question I had during my training that still persists is that of finding the closest ATC frequency. My first impulse when something that should be easy seems hard is to wonder if I'm doing it wrong, or asking the wrong question, so here goes. Sectionals have occasional boxes for center and tracon, as well as for all of the special use airspaces, but this doesn't seem very geographically well organized to me. I wonder why they don't add a frequency to each grid box on the sectional, much in the same way the elevation of the highest obstacle is already gridded. If you have an AFD or kneeboard from AOPA airports, that will have something, at least at the airport level of granularity. The Garmins have the ARTCC view in the NRST pages. Foreflight does not yet seem to have this functionality, but I requested it. So the question is, for an arbitrary location and altitude (not necessarily near an airport), what's the easiest/fastest way to find any ATC to talk to? Calling FSS or guard is cheating.
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IFR Enroute Low Altitude Charts, ARTCC frequencies appear in castellated boxes with the location of the RCAG.
 
ATC for what purpose? If you are in airspace that requires a specific communication: class B, C, or D, the information is available on the charts, in the AF/D and through various other means.

If you are talking about just a random point in space and you want to get radar services, there is no SURE FIRE way. There's not even an internal to the FAA database that carves up the airspace in an fixed way. It's a lot of things that depend on terminal design and letters of agreement between various facilities.

Generally, the way I do for it is when I'm at lower altitudes, I look at a nearby airport with an instrument approach and look for the controlling facility frequency in the approach plate (or my GPS database) or in the AF/D for that airport. If at higher altitudes (away from the class B/C terminal airspace), I just use the nearest center frequency available in the GPS database.
 
GeorgeC said:
A question I had during my training that still persists is that of finding the closest ATC frequency. My first impulse when something that should be easy seems hard is to wonder if I'm doing it wrong, or asking the wrong question, so here goes. Sectionals have occasional boxes for center and tracon, as well as for all of the special use airspaces, but this doesn't seem very geographically well organized to me. I wonder why they don't add a frequency to each grid box on the sectional, much in the same way the elevation of the highest obstacle is already gridded. If you have an AFD or kneeboard from AOPA airports, that will have something, at least at the airport level of granularity. The Garmins have the ARTCC view in the NRST pages. Foreflight does not yet seem to have this functionality, but I requested it. So the question is, for an arbitrary location and altitude (not necessarily near an airport), what's the easiest/fastest way to find any ATC to talk to? Calling FSS or guard is cheating.
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Because it is possible for different facilities to own that airspace at different times and at different altitudes.
 
Thanks for the responses. If you're already in B/C/D, then it's obvious who to talk to; I am talking about the random enroute point case. At best, it sounds like the data I'm after isn't centralized/computable; at worst, my question wasn't well-defined to begin with. Radar services would be one example, but a better one would be VFR into IMC. In that case, would it be better to just call guard instead, rather than taking the time to find the appropriate ATC frequency or hitting NRST ARTCC?
 
GeorgeC said:
but a better one would be VFR into IMC.
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Maybe, don't do it? ;)

Other than that I use Ron's method. I'm over or near airport "Kxxx" so I look it up or an approach to it and get the info there.
 
The low altitude enroute is a handy chart to have.
 
I actually lost ATC during my longest XC yet, the cloud ceiling was very turbulent - so - for my own peace of mind - and safety - I chose a much lower altitude until the turbulence was not so bad. I did not realize with the surrounding terrain I had lost them until about 10 minutes later in silence I said "hmmm haven't heard radio chatter in a while". I used a combination of several things (charts on iPad etc) to figure out the nearest airport / ATC frequency - they had handed me off but I never put the new number in my radio or wrote it down due to a huge bump which made me focus on flying the plane and not messing with the radios. I was really frazzled and in the middle of basically nowhere (down south) so all I wanted was to stabalize the plane. Communication was second or third. It was neat to see, though, when I called them up, that I'd landed on the correct ATC and my squak code was still in the box too. Maybe they never knew I left. Not sure. Was glad to have them back.
 
You can do NRST ARTCC if you have it. Chances are it will be wrong for many places (especially in the coastal megalopolis) but if you give your location and altitude succinctly, the controller can redirect you to the right frequency.
 
Airport Facility Directory. You know the book you are supposed to have on board your flight anyways. I have my Jepp subscription on iPad. So I am able to get a frequency off of a DP, STAR or Approach plate.

Does anyone produce a VFR flight guide in a PDF version?
 
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Well, I don't know if this is cheating or not, but if there's a towered airport anywhere nearby, you could call them and ask for an approach or center frequency. They'll know, and all their frequencies are on the charts. I've done that.
 
Newer GPS' ie G1000 have the nearest freqs, VOR's, NDB's, etc. it takes seconds to find out from any point.

It's nice to have.
 
Alexb2000 said:
Newer GPS' ie G1000 have the nearest freqs, VOR's, NDB's, etc. it takes seconds to find out from any point.

It's nice to have.
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The NRST ATC FREQ gives you only center.
You can pull up a nearby airport with an approach however and look up that frequency.

Garmin/Jepp can't put anymore in the databases than what exists...
 
jpower said:
Well, I don't know if this is cheating or not, but if there's a towered airport anywhere nearby, you could call them and ask for an approach or center frequency. They'll know, and all their frequencies are on the charts. I've done that.
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jpower said:
Well, I don't know if this is cheating or not, but if there's a towered airport anywhere nearby, you could call them and ask for an approach or center frequency. They'll know, and all their frequencies are on the charts. I've done that.
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122.2 is the common FSS frequency. Ask them.

Bob Gardner
 
Look up approach/departure frequency of closest airport. Every one has one listed in the chart supplement or frequency section on Foreflight. If not the right one for your exact position, they will point you in the right direction.

The reason they are not posted en route is because in many areas the boundaries can change based on controller workload.
 
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Here are several options, depending on what you have available:
  • Look up an approach plate for any nearby airport. The approach frequency will be printed at the top of the chart
  • Look up the AF/D entry of a nearby airport. An approach/departure frequency will be published there
  • Look up the nearest TRSA or Class C airport on a sectional map or chart. The frequencies are often published right on the map.
  • Look up the relevant Center frequency on the IFR low altitude chart
If the frequency you choose is not the correct one for the airspace you are in, ATC will redirect you. They are nice that way. :D
 
Shawn said:
Look up approach/departure frequency of closest airport. Every one has one listed in the chart supplement or frequency section on Foreflight. If not the right one for your exact position, they will point you in the right direction.

The reason they are not posted en route is because in many areas the boundaries can change based on controller workload.
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Boundaries don’t change. The number of sectors a controller is working may if it’s slow enough to combine sectors. When sectors are combined the controller will be monitoring the frequencies of all the sectors they are working. This is where “change to my frequency” comes in.
 
Radio. If you have any idea what state you are flying over, just get up on 122.2 and call the biggest city that you think you are near...or even "Any station, Bigbird 1234X listening on 122.2, request, over." Respond to the strongest signal.

Bob
 
The Garmin 430 has a ‘nearest’ page for that. It will show you frequencies that will enable you to contact whoever you need. The person you contact may have you change frequencies after the initial contact but it gets the process started.

I’m guessing other GPS units have something similar

Gary
 
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