Posted: 5/23/2025 7:52:05 AM EDT
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Located in NE Ga and run a bank of scanners 24/7. I have one scanner that covers air band mainly local ctaf and nation wide frequencies. I hear guys key up on 123.45 weekly and just make meow noise. It’s kinda funny. But was wondering if this is code to other pilots in the area for something. I also hear a lot of cool side chats on that frequency. There for a while (once a week) would hear a group of 2-4 ladies talking about work and where they are flying. Almost like they are standing around the water cooler talking shop. Once got out of range would die off. |
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123.45 as I understand it, is essentially the non-designated frequency. The Everything frequency. When I use it it’s typically used to talk to other company (or even other than company’s) aircraft within the area we’re operating in for things like turbulence reports, WX deviations and other sorts of non-official PIREPs. But that’s when we’re outside of radar coverage and over the Atlantic. Years ago when I was a practicing CFI we would key up over 123.45 for position reports when conducting maneuvers to maximize safety. Of course because it’s open to everyone, it is subject to a lot of unrelated chatter like sports scores, the occasional meow or even simple conversations between friends. To my knowledge, the feds don’t really have an issue with it, but don’t quote me on that. |
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Originally Posted By Colt653: An old 130 herc pilot told me they chatted on “winchester 3030” I asked him what freq that was,….he’s old and a bit senile and didn’t remember if it was HF, VHF, or UHF anyone know ? Google search AI Overview Learn more The aviation frequency 303.000 MHz AM is known as "Winchester" by pilots and is a standard frequency for the Air National Guard. It is also a common frequency for the USAF. Wish VHF ham band was wider so we could have cool channel designators like that. |
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Originally Posted By swampfoxoutdoors: Google search AI Overview Learn more The aviation frequency 303.000 MHz AM is known as "Winchester" by pilots and is a standard frequency for the Air National Guard. It is also a common frequency for the USAF. thanks  Attached File |
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Originally Posted By Colt653: thanks https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/2275/IMG_6296_jpeg-3546772.JPG Hopefully you hear something. Need to add it to my scan list |
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I have never heard anyone "meow" on fingers or 123.45 but I have heard it often on Guard here in the USA. We use fingers over the ocean to talk to other aircraft. We share information about weather and turbulence frequently and you can ask the guys ahead of you when they can climb too. |
"I will leave when I have your wounded." MAJ Kelly
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Originally Posted By Colt653: I’ve heard on ARFCOM threads that guys meow on 121.5 but ive never heard it I have a radio in my hangar that used to scan 121.5, along with 122.9. I had to quit listening to 121.5, it got so annoying. |
9 lives - 9 pellets... Coincidence?
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Originally Posted By Colt653: An old 130 herc pilot told me they chatted on “winchester 3030” I asked him what freq that was,….he’s old and a bit senile and didn’t remember if it was HF, VHF, or UHF anyone know ? UHF and it's not just National Guard usage. I was active duty and we used it quite a bit. |
"We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution." - Abraham Lincoln
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Originally Posted By TimeOnTarget: I have never heard anyone "meow" on fingers or 123.45 but I have heard it often on Guard here in the USA. We use fingers over the ocean to talk to other aircraft. We share information about weather and turbulence frequently and you can ask the guys ahead of you when they can climb too. Amplifying ToT's answer: 123.45 ("fingers") is officially sanctioned over the ocean, but not over land in the US. There are official air-to-air freq's for both fixed wing (122.75) and rotary wing (123.025). Gliders and hot air balloons have their own freq's, too. Why on Earth there isn't an official, universal, everybody talks to everyone else frequency, including ground-to-air, I've never understood, but 123.45 has, very unofficially, become that universal frequency. Think CB channel 19. Like ToT, I've never heard "meow" on 123.45, but I have heard it many, many times on Guard (121.5). Ostensibly this all started after the film "Super Troopers" came out (you can google the "meow" scene). I suspect most don't know this and just enjoy the meow game. It used to be really bad. A single "meow" on Guard could generate a whole chorus of "meows". But it seems to have mostly fallen out of favor. The other Guard trope is when a pilot accidentally makes a call on Guard. This will generate one or more returns calls of "Guard!", or "You are on guard.", or "Guuuuuaaaaarrrrddddd!" I've never "meowed". I have accidentally made a call on Guard. But if you are doing your job of keeping Guard tuned on COM2, who hasn't? 
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Originally Posted By aa777888-2:... The other Guard trope is when a pilot accidentally makes a call on Guard. This will generate one or more returns calls of "Guard!", or "You are on guard.", or "Guuuuuaaaaarrrrddddd!" ..... this I have heard a zillion times.  Similar to cops accidently calling dispatch on 155.475mhz |
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Originally Posted By Sundowner08L: Meows are restricted to Fingers (123.45). Wookie calls are restricted to Guard (121.5). Pretty sure it’s in the FAR somewhere.
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“ Well, it feels like someone took a rubber band and snapped it right on the edge of your anus.” -JThompson
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Originally Posted By TimeOnTarget: I have never heard anyone "meow" on fingers or 123.45 but I have heard it often on Guard here in the USA. We use fingers over the ocean to talk to other aircraft. We share information about weather and turbulence frequently and you can ask the guys ahead of you when they can climb too. I like trying to make turbulence and weather callouts on fingers and some yahoos in CA are bullshitting between GA planes. Super rad. |
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Originally Posted By ZoomieFoosh: I like trying to make turbulence and weather callouts on fingers and some yahoos in CA are bullshitting between GA planes. Super rad. Originally Posted By ZoomieFoosh: Originally Posted By TimeOnTarget: I have never heard anyone "meow" on fingers or 123.45 but I have heard it often on Guard here in the USA. We use fingers over the ocean to talk to other aircraft. We share information about weather and turbulence frequently and you can ask the guys ahead of you when they can climb too. I like trying to make turbulence and weather callouts on fingers and some yahoos in CA are bullshitting between GA planes. Super rad. What's the difference? Neither one is "authorized". Be glad the "yahoos" took their conversation off of an active frequency, and aren't bullshitting on some local CTAF. |
9 lives - 9 pellets... Coincidence?
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Originally Posted By TimeOnTarget: I have never heard anyone "meow" on fingers or 123.45 but I have heard it often on Guard here in the USA. We use fingers over the ocean to talk to other aircraft. We share information about weather and turbulence frequently and you can ask the guys ahead of you when they can climb too. Fingers common...you sound like a Navy Pilot 
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Originally Posted By Colt653: I’ve heard on ARFCOM threads that guys meow on 121.5 but ive never heard it I’ve found my monitoring of 121.5 has about a five minute shelf life before the dickheads start meowing. Keeping it to 23.45 would be a blessing. Not a guard Nazi, I just don’t want to listen to that crap. |
In America, the village idiots have organized.
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Originally Posted By illini52: Army helos. Lowband FM  Attached File |
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Originally Posted By AA717driver: I’ve found my monitoring of 121.5 has about a five minute shelf life before the dickheads start meowing. Keeping it to 23.45 would be a blessing. Not a guard Nazi, I just don’t want to listen to that crap. Originally Posted By AA717driver: Originally Posted By Colt653: I’ve heard on ARFCOM threads that guys meow on 121.5 but ive never heard it I’ve found my monitoring of 121.5 has about a five minute shelf life before the dickheads start meowing. Keeping it to 23.45 would be a blessing. Not a guard Nazi, I just don’t want to listen to that crap. Preach. I threatened to take away an FOs radio privileges if he didn’t stop meowing/fucking around on guard recently. |
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I never tune a radio to 121.5. I’m kinda superstitious. The one and only time I did. I heard a pilot declare an emergency. He lost his flaps in a Citation. I was doing my run up and watched him land. He got it down safely but damn he was coming in fast. He used up a bunch of that runway. |
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Anytime you get a group of people, some percentage of them will think farting and other body noises are funny, along with meowing on the radio and replying with dumb things. It's really funny though when the assholes collide. LiveATC has had some gold in it these last few years. Slowtation/freightdog recently was pretty funny. |
WhyTanFox : "the world is exponentially more complicated every decade, yet at the same time it has become increasingly simple to demonstrate your ignorance to a large audience. "
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I hated meows on guard. 47F has a radio that monitors guard and I used to turn the guard monitor off when someone did it. Now Im at Delta and hate meows on guard, its basically full circle. |
Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.