A Bendix/King KY197 Airband VHF communication radio mounted above a Cessna ARC RT-359A Transponder (the beige box) in a light aircraft instrument panel. The VHF radio displays the active frequency of 122.8 MHz and a standby frequency of 121.5 MHz, UNICOM and guard frequencies, respectively.

Airband or Aircraft band is the name for a group of frequencies in the VHF radio spectrum allocated to radio communication in civil aviation, sometimes also referred to as VHF, or phonetically as "Victor". Different sections of the band are used for radionavigational aids and air traffic control.^[1][2][3][4]

In most countries a license to operate airband equipment is required and the operator is tested on competency in procedures, language and the use of the phonetic alphabet.^[2][5]

Spectrum usage[link]

Antenna array at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

The VHF airband uses the frequencies between 108 and 137 MHz. The lowest 10 MHz of the band, from 108–117.95 MHz, is split into 200 narrow-band channels of 50 kHz. These are reserved for navigational aids such as VOR beacons, fan marker beacons, Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) and Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) messages, and precision approach systems such as ILS localizers or LAAS.^[2][3][4]

As of 2012, most countries divide the upper 19 MHz into 760 channels for amplitude modulation voice transmissions, on frequencies from 118–136.975 MHz, in steps of 25 kHz. In Europe, it is becoming common to further divide those channels into three (8.33 kHz channel spacing), potentially permitting 2,280 channels. Some channels between 123.100 and 135.950 are available in the US to other users such as government agencies, commercial company advisory, search and rescue, military aircraft, glider and ballooning air-to-ground, flight test and national aviation authority use. A typical transmission range of an aircraft flying at cruise altitude (35,000 ft), is about 200 miles in good weather conditions.^[2][4][6][7]

Other bands[link]

Aeronautical voice communication is also conducted in other frequency bands, including satellite voice on Inmarsat and high frequency voice in the North Atlantic and remote areas. Military aircraft also use a dedicated UHF-AM band from 220.0–399.95 MHz for air-to-air and air-to-ground, including air traffic control communication. This band has a designated emergency and guard channel of 243.0 MHz.^[2][8]

Some types of navaids, such as Non-directional beacons and Distance Measuring Equipment, do not operate on these frequencies; in the case of NDBs the Low frequency and Medium frequency bands are used between 190–415 kHz and 510–535 kHz. The ILS glide path operates in the UHF frequency range of 329.3–335.0 MHz, and DME also uses UHF from 962–1150 MHz.^[3]

Channel spacing[link]

Channel spacing for voice communication on the airband was originally 200 kHz^[9] until 1947, providing 70 channels from 118 to 132 MHz. Some radios of that time provided receive-only coverage below 118 MHz for a total of 90 channels. From 1947–1958 the spacing became 100 kHz; from 1954 split once again to 50 kHz and the upper limit extended to 135.95 MHz (360 channels), and then to 25 kHz in 1972 to provide 720 usable channels. On 1 January 1990 the frequencies between 136.000 and 136.975 MHz were added, resulting in 760 channels.^[6]

Increasing air traffic congestion has led to further subdivision into narrow-band 8.33 kHz channels in the ICAO European region; all aircraft flying above 19,500 feet are required to have communication equipment for this channel spacing.^[2][10][11] Outside of Europe, 8.33 kHz channels are permitted in many countries but not widely used as of 2012.

The emergency communication channel 121.5 MHz is the only channel that retains 100 kHz bandwidth.

Modulation[link]

Aircraft communications radio operations worldwide use amplitude modulation, predominantly A3E double sideband with full carrier on VHF and UHF, and J3E single sideband with suppressed carrier on HF. Besides being simple, power-efficient and compatible with legacy equipment, AM and SSB permit stronger stations to override weaker or interfering stations, and don't suffer from the capture effect found in FM. Even if a pilot is transmitting, a control tower can "talk over" that transmission and other aircraft will hear a somewhat garbled mixture of both transmissions, rather than just one or the other. Even if both transmissions are received with identical signal strength, a heterodyne will be heard where no such indication of blockage would be evident in an FM system.^{[citation needed]}

Alternative analog modulation schemes are under discussion, such as the "CLIMAX"^[12] multi-carrier system and offset carrier techniques to permit more efficient utilization of spectrum.

Digital radio[link]

A switch to digital radios has been contemplated, as this would greatly increase capacity by reducing the bandwidth required to transmit speech. Other benefits from digital coding of voice transmissions include decreased susceptibility to electrical interference and jamming. The change-over to digital radio has yet to happen, partly because the mobility of aircraft necessitates complete international cooperation to move to a new system and also the time implementation for subsequent changeover.^[13][14] Another factor delaying the move to any digital mode is the need to retain the ability for one station to override another in an emergency.

Unauthorised use[link]

It is illegal to broadcast on the Airband frequencies without a suitable license. Many countries' regulations also restrict communications in the airband. For instance in Canada airband communications are limited to those required for "the safety and navigation of an aircraft; the general operation of the aircraft; and the exchange of messages on behalf of the public. In addition, a person may operate radio apparatus only to transmit a non-superfluous signal or a signal containing non-profane or non-obscene radiocommunications."^[2]

While it is not an offence to listen to voice transmissions in the airband frequencies, it may be an offence to possess such equipment in certain countries. Instances of such illegal activity has been the subject of international situations between governments when tourists bring airband equipment into countries which ban the possession and use of such equipment.^[15][16]

See also[link]

• Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System
• Air traffic flow management
• Air traffic control
• Avionics
• Control tower
• Future Air Navigation System
• Radio horizon

References[link]

v t e Telecommunications (general) History Beacons Broadcasting Communications satellites Computer networks Drums Electrical telegraphs Fax Heliographs Hydraulic telegraphs Internet Mass media Mobile phones Optical telegraphy Photophones Radio Radiotelephones Telegraphy Telephones The Telephone Cases Television Undersea telegraph lines Videophones Pioneers Edwin Howard Armstrong John Logie Baird Alexander Graham Bell Tim Berners-Lee Jagadish Chandra Bose Vint Cerf Claude Chappe Lee De Forest Philo Farnsworth Reginald Fessenden Elisha Gray Guglielmo Marconi Alexander Stepanovich Popov Johann Philipp Reis Nikola Tesla Alfred Vail Charles Wheatstone Vladimir K. Zworykin Media Coaxial cable Free-space optical Optical fiber Radio waves Telephone lines Terrestrial microwave Networks ARPANET BITNET Ethernet FidoNet ISDN Internet Local area Mobile NGN Packet switched Public Switched Telephone Radio Television Telex Wide area World Wide Web Wireless Geographic v t e Telecommunications in Africa Sovereign states Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe States with limited recognition Azawad Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Somaliland Dependencies and other territories Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla / Plazas de soberanía (Spain) Madeira (Portugal) Mayotte / Réunion (France) Saint Helena / Ascension Island / Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom) Western Sahara v t e Telecommunications in Asia Sovereign states Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Burma (Myanmar) Cambodia People's Republic of China Cyprus East Timor (Timor-Leste) Egypt Georgia India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan North Korea South Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Nepal Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Syria Tajikistan Thailand Turkey Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen States with limited recognition Abkhazia Nagorno-Karabakh Northern Cyprus Palestine Republic of China (Taiwan) South Ossetia Dependencies and other territories British Indian Ocean Territory Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Hong Kong Macau v t e Telecommunications in Europe Sovereign states Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom England Northern Ireland Scotland Wales States with limited recognition Abkhazia Kosovo Nagorno-Karabakh Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Transnistria Dependencies and other territories Åland Faroe Islands Gibraltar Guernsey Jersey Isle of Man Svalbard Other entities European Union v t e Telecommunications in North America Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago United States Dependencies and other territories Anguilla Aruba Bermuda Bonaire British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Curaçao Greenland Guadeloupe Martinique Montserrat Navassa Island Puerto Rico Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saba Sint Eustatius Sint Maarten Turks and Caicos Islands United States Virgin Islands v t e Telecommunications in Oceania Sovereign states Australia East Timor (Timor-Leste) Fiji Indonesia Kiribati Marshall Islands Federated States of Micronesia Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu Dependencies and other territories American Samoa Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cook Islands Easter Island French Polynesia Guam Hawaii New Caledonia Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Pitcairn Islands Tokelau Wallis and Futuna v t e Telecommunications in South America Sovereign states Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela Dependencies and other territories Aruba Bonaire Curaçao Falkland Islands French Guiana South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2010)

Air
Air performing in England, 2010
Background information
Origin	Versailles, France
Genres	Electronica, downtempo, ambient, chill out, dream pop, space rock
Years active	1995–present[1]
Labels	Astralwerks/EMI France
Website	en.aircheology.com
Members
Nicolas Godin Jean-Benoît Dunckel

Air is a music duo from Versailles, France, consisting of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel.^[1] The name Air is derived from the backronym Amour, Imagination, Rêve^[2] which translates to Love, Imagination, Dream.

Air's debut EP, Premiers Symptômes, was followed by the critically acclaimed album Moon Safari, the re-release of Premiers Symptômes, The Virgin Suicides score, and subsequently albums 10 000 Hz Legend, Everybody Hertz, Talkie Walkie, Pocket Symphony, Love 2, and Le Voyage Dans La Lune.

Career[link]

Formation of the band[link]

Nicolas Godin studied architecture at the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Versailles whereas Jean-Benoît Dunckel studied mathematics before forming a band in 1995. Before founding Air, Dunckel and Godin played together in the band Orange,^[1] with others such as Alex Gopher, Xavier Jamaux, Éric LaCourt, and Étienne de Crécy. These musicians have subsequently contributed to remixes of tracks recorded by Air.

Initially Nicholas Godin was alone. He recorded a demo with members of Funkadelic as his backing band before releasing his first entirely solo effort 'Modular Mix', which featured production by Étienne de Crécy.^[2][3][4]

Musical style[link]

Air's music is often referred to as electronica; their form of electronic music was influenced by the synthesizer sounds of the 1970s such as Jean Michel Jarre, Vangelis, and Francis Lai. Other influences include psychedelic rock pioneers Pink Floyd; film composer Ennio Morricone; krautrockers Tangerine Dream; early pioneers of the eurodance electronica subgenre Space; Jean-Jacques Perrey and Claude Perraudin (although there are some echoes of dance music styles in the production); French crooner Serge Gainsbourg (Histoire de Melody Nelson, for example); and soft rock duo The Carpenters (Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft, for example).^[5][6]

Air use many of their studio instruments (like Moog synthesizers, the Korg MS-20, Wurlitzer and Vocoder) live on stage, where their ability to improvise is more clearly highlighted. The band performs the well-known tracks from the albums live as extended or altered versions. Air often works together, both in the studio and live on stage, with artists like Beth Hirsch (Moon Safari), Françoise Hardy ("Jeanne"), Jean-Jacques Perrey ("Cosmic Bird"), Gordon Tracks ("Playground Love" and "Easy Going Woman" - Gordon Tracks is a pseudonym of the French singer Thomas Mars from Phoenix), Beck (10 000 Hz Legend), on the 2004 tour with Dave Palmer and on the 2007 tour with drummer Earl Harvin, Vincent Taurelle and Steve Jones.

Other works[link]

Air have often collaborated with American film director Sofia Coppola. They composed the music to her debut film The Virgin Suicides in 2000. Air drummer and former Redd Kross member Brian Reitzell put together the soundtrack to 2003's Lost in Translation, including one original contribution by Air titled "Alone In Kyoto". The soundtrack for Coppola's October 2006 film Marie Antoinette featured a track by Air ("Il Secondo Giorno").

Air wrote and played the music of the album 5:55 by French actress and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg, which was released in August 2006.

Air have recorded a DJ mix album, Late Night Tales: Air, for Azuli Records' Late Night Tales series. The release was initially scheduled for October 2005, but was delayed several times. It finally was released, complete with a new sleeve design, on 11 September 2006.

On September 18, 2006, Darkel, a solo album by Jean-Benoît Dunckel, was released.

City Reading (2003) started as an idea for a collaboration with contemporary Italian writer Alessandro Baricco, known for his unusual characterizations and lyrical, poetic style. Baricco contacted Air in summer 2002 with the idea to marry narration of texts from his book City with live original musical accompaniment. The performance premiered live in November 2002 at Rome's Teatro Valle, and was deemed such a success that both parties resolved to make a full studio recording that resulted in the album City Reading: Tre Storie Western.

Air are currently performing live with drummer Alex Thomas.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• Moon Safari (1998)
• The Virgin Suicides (2000)
• 10 000 Hz Legend (2001)
• Talkie Walkie (2004)
• Pocket Symphony (2007)
• Love 2 (2009)
• Le Voyage Dans La Lune (A Trip to the Moon) (2012)

Compilations and remix albums[link]

• Premiers Symptômes (1997)
• Everybody Hertz (2002)
• City Reading (Tre Storie Western) (2003)
• Late Night Tales (2006)

Instruments[link]

On tour, a variety of instruments are used, including:

• Moon Safari (JB Dunckel, Nicolas Godin, Brian Reitzell, Roger Manning Jr., Brian Kehew, Justin Meldal Johnsen)

Moog source, Roland JX-3P, Roland VP-330 Vocoder plus, Wurlitzer 200A, Moog minimoog, Solina string ensemble, Yamaha CS1x Hammond XB-2, Roland PC-180, Guitare Fender Jaguar, EMU SP-1200 Fender Rhodes suitecase Mk I, Korg MS-20, Moog Theremin

• 10,000 Hz Legend (JB Dunckel, Nicolas Godin, Brian Reitzell, Jason Falkner, James Rotondi)

VP 330, Roland PC-200, Fender Rhodes mk II, Moogerfooger MF-103, Solina String Ensemble, Korg Ms-20, Akai MPC 2000 XL Alesis A6 Andromeda, Kurzweil keyboard Korg cx3 (with EHX Memory Man), Roland PC-200, Harmonica Boss Dr Sample SP-202, Boss VT-1 Voice Transformer, EHX Delay Moogerfooger MF-104 Gibson SG, 70's Guild D35 70's Fender Mustang Bass, Ashdown Amp

• Talkie Walkie (JB Dunckel, Nicolas Godin, Dave Palmer, Earl Harvin)

Yamaha CP-80, Nord Lead 2, Korg MS-20, Solina String Ensemble, Fender Rhodes Mk I Sequential Circuits Six Track, Hammond XB-2, Roland SH-101 (blue version), Microkorg, Moog Minimoog Voyager

• Pocket Symphony (JB Dunckel, Nicolas Godin, Steve Jones, Vincent Taurelle, Earl Harvin)

Yamaha CP 80, Korg MS-20, Solina String Ensemble, Fender Rhodes mk I VP-550, Fender Mustang Bass Red Competition, Hofner Club Bass 500/2, Guild Acoustic Guitar, Ashdown Amp

• Love 2 (JB Dunckel, Nicolas Godin, Alex Thomas)

Korg MS-20, Solina String Ensemble, Manikin Memotron, Wurlitzer, Moog Source, VP-550, Fender Mustang Bass Blue Competition, Guild D35, Ashdown Amp

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Air (band)

• Official website
• Air discography at Discogs
• Air at the Internet Movie Database
• (French) Article about the concert in Casino de Paris, 2010