Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Saturday

How Can You Get a Pilot's Radio?

Aired January 12, 2002 - 18:23   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Authorities in New York are holding an Egyptian man today. They're trying to figure out if he acted as a ground spotter for the September 11 hijackers. The man was staying in a hotel across from the World Trade Center. Police say he had a pilot's radio in his room safe, and that would have enabled him to talk to talk to the hijackers. Suspect admits to being a communications expert, but he denies that the radio is his. He's being held without bail.

So how does a pilot's radio work, and where do you get one? We asked CNN's Charles Feldman to find out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The type of radio that was found in a hotel room in New York City is the kind that pilots might use as an emergency basis to talk to other aircraft or to air traffic control when their primary radio on board the aircraft is for some reason damaged or is not working.

Barry Schiff is an aviation expert, has written many books on aviation safety and is also a recently retired 747 and 767 captain and has one of these radios in his hands. This particular radio has both communication and navigation features, is that right?

BARRY SCHIFF, AVIATION EXPERT: Yes, that's correct.

FELDMAN: And what would, as I mentioned before, what would somebody use this for? Why would a pilot want to have a radio such as this?

SCHIFF: Only in the event that the onboard radios were to fail for some reason or the aircraft had an electrical failure, this could be used as a backup to communicate with air traffic control.

FELDMAN: Now if we turn it on, we can demonstrate that this is right now on a frequency for the Santa Monica towers, is that right?

SCHIFF: Yes, 120.1 is the tower frequency at Santa Monica Airport.

FELDMAN: And so what are we listening to when we hear some talking on this? SCHIFF: You will hear communications between the tower controller at Santa Monica and aircraft both on the ground and in the air in the vicinity of the Santa Monica Airport.

FELDMAN: Let's listen to a little bit of that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) what's your direction of flight?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) nine-zero (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cessna two, six to your left, turn off and (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

FELDMAN: Why would a pilot or anybody want to use this on the ground?

SCHIFF: Well, a pilot might listen to various broadcasts on the ground to gain a sense of the conditions existing on a given day before he went into the air, otherwise it's strictly a backup for an emergency transceiver.

FELDMAN: And is legal to own -- anyone can buy it; you don't have to be a pilot.

SCHIFF: That's correct.

FELDMAN: And do you need any licensing to use it?

SCHIFF: In the air you do not. However, you may not transmit on this radio on the ground without a station license from the FCC.

FELDMAN: Expensive? Cheap?

SCHIFF: Oh, it's no problem at all to get one.

FELDMAN: A couple of hundred dollars?

SCHIFF: Oh, less.

FELDMAN: Less than that -- OK. And so that's the kind of radio that, at least this type, that was found in New York and why it was there is still to be determined.

Charles Feldman, CNN, at Santa Monica Airport in California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com