VDL Mode 2 (aircraft data link)
A faster, digital successor to ACARS for airliners.
ModeVDL Mode 2
FamilyAviation data
Audio exampleComing
What does it sound like?
Plate 74Aviation data
A short, dense burst of digital noise.
Field marksShort, dense bursts31.5 kilobits per second136.975 MHz is the common channel
Who uses it?
Airlines and aircraft.
Where and when can I hear it?
VHF airband, for example 136.975 MHz.
Easily confused with
- ACARS (aircraft messages): ACARS is slower two-tone data on nearby channels