Proposal:Airport communication frequencies

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Airport communication frequencies
Proposal status: Canceled (inactive)
Proposed by: FatalFit
Tagging: communication:aviation:ctaf:frequency=*

communication:aviation:unicom:frequency=*
communication:aviation:tower:frequency=*
communication:aviation:ground:frequency=*
communication:aviation:atis:frequency=*
communication:aviation:ctaf:callsign=*
communication:aviation:unicom:callsign=*
communication:aviation:tower:callsign=*
communication:aviation:ground:callsign=*
communication:aviation:atis:callsign=*=*

Applies to: node, area
Definition: To create a standardized way to tag the communication radio frequencies and callsigns used at an aerodrome for aviation-related data applications.
Statistics:

Draft started: 2025-06-19
RFC start: 2025-06-20

information icon

This proposal was cancelled, see Aviation.

Proposal

This proposal seeks to create a standardized tagging scheme for radio communication frequencies and callsigns at airports. Currently, no such standard exists.

The following tags are proposed for use on nodes and areas tagged as aeroway=aerodrome:

Frequency tags:

Callsign tags:

Rationale

Tagging of frequency and callsign data would be a useful source for flight planners, simulator software, and other aviation-related applications.

The generic frequency=* key is fundamentally unsuitable for this purpose. Airports often have multiple, functionally different radio frequencies. For example, a pilot landing at a towered airport like Wilmington Air Park might communicate on multiple different channels:

  • ATIS (124.925, "Wilmington Information") for weather and runway information
  • Tower (119.475, "Wilmington Tower") for clearance to land
  • Ground (121.6, "Wilmington Ground") for taxiing instructions

If the airport were tagged with a single frequency=119.475, a data user wouldn't know of any of the other frequencies or even be told what 119.475 MHz is for.

Smaller, non-towered airports also require this much specificity. These airports use a CTAF frequency for pilots to announce their position and intentions to others and a Unicom frequency for airport-related information like weather and fuel availability. For convenience these are often the same frequency, but there are airports where they are different.

Each frequency and callsign can be verified against official aeronautical charts and publications from national aviation authorities (FAA in the US, CASA in Australia, EASA in Europe). They are also verifiable on user-friendly websites such as SkyVector, for example: ILN - Wilmington Air Park Airport | SkyVector.

The proposed tagging scheme applies globally, following ICAO standards for aviation radio frequencies (108-137 MHz VHF band). This scheme uses the communication:aviation=* namespace to separate aviation frequencies from general telecommunications infrastructure. This proposal uses American English aviation terminology, which is the de facto global standard.

Tagging

These tags are intended to be added to aeroway=aerodrome nodes or areas.

All aeronautical communication frequencies are measured in megahertz (MHz). The value for the frequency tag should be a numerical string using a period . as the decimal separator. Do not include the MHz unit in the value itself.

Callsigns should be entered as they appear in official publications, typically in the format "[Airport Name] [Service]":

Proposed tags
Image Tag Description
node area communication:aviation:tower:frequency=*
communication:aviation:tower:callsign=* 		The frequency and callsign used by the airport's control tower at towered airports. Used by pilots for landing and takeoff clearance.
node area communication:aviation:ground:frequency=*
communication:aviation:ground:callsign=* 		Frequency and callsign used to manage aircraft movement on the ground, such as taxiways and apron areas.
node area communication:aviation:ctaf:frequency=*
communication:aviation:ctaf:callsign=* 		The Common Traffic Advisory Frequency is used at non-towered airports for pilots to announce their intentions and coordinate with others.
node area communication:aviation:unicom:frequency=*
communication:aviation:unicom:callsign=* 		Frequency and callsign used to provide services like weather reports, fuel availability, and parking instructions, commonly used at non-towered airports.
node area communication:aviation:atis:frequency=*
communication:aviation:atis:callsign=* 		The Automatic Terminal Information Service frequency and callsign that continuously broadcasts weather and operational information.


Examples

Non-Towered Airport (Clinton Field, Ohio)
Clinton Field (FAA: I66) is a public non-towered airport near Wilmington, Ohio. It uses a single frequency for CTAF and Unicom.
aeroway=aerodrome
name=Clinton Field
icao=KI66
communication:aviation:ctaf:frequency=122.725
communication:aviation:ctaf:callsign=Clinton Traffic
communication:aviation:unicom:frequency=122.725
communication:aviation:unicom:callsign=Clinton Unicom
Towered Airport (Wilmington Air Park, Ohio)
Wilmington Air Park (FAA: ILN) is a towered airport with multiple frequencies for different services.
aeroway=aerodrome
name=Wilmington Air Park
icao=KILN
communication:aviation:atis:frequency=124.925
communication:aviation:atis:callsign=Wilmington Information
communication:aviation:ground:frequency=121.6
communication:aviation:ground:callsign=Wilmington Ground
communication:aviation:tower:frequency=119.475
communication:aviation:tower:callsign=Wilmington Tower
Towered Airport (Perth Airport, Australia)
Perth Airport (ICAO: YPPH) demonstrates the global applicability of these frequency types.
aeroway=aerodrome
name=Perth Airport
icao=YPPH
communication:aviation:atis:frequency=126.25
communication:aviation:atis:callsign=Perth Information
communication:aviation:ground:frequency=121.7
communication:aviation:ground:callsign=Perth Ground
communication:aviation:tower:frequency=120.5
communication:aviation:tower:callsign=Perth Tower

Features/Pages affected

If approved, this proposal would require the creation of new wiki pages for each tag and updates to the aeroway=aerodrome wiki page to include information on tagging communication frequencies and callsigns.

External discussions

Comments

Please comment on the discussion page.

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