[Scan-DC] Planespotting and Aviation Frequencies in California

[b_thom at juno.com]

With all the talk at Scan-DC about aviation frequencies over the last few
days, I thought this article might be of interest.

http://villagevoice.com/news/0642,torturetaxi,74732,2.html

Planespotting
Nerds with binoculars bust the CIA's torture taxis

by Trevor Paglen & A. C. Thompson
October 15th, 2006 10:26 PM

....
Ray is a planespotter - a person obsessed with almost everything having
to do with aviation. As a hobby, Ray tracks airplanes, logs their serial
numbers and movements, analyzes their radio systems, and keeps detailed
records of the frequencies and designs that their systems use. He tries
to understand how aviation systems work, how planes communicate with the
ground controllers and with each other, and how the military and the
Federal Aviation Administration manage various kinds of airspace. On this
mild spring day, Ray's testing a new piece of gear: a Kinetic Avionics
SBS-1, a "virtual radar" system. Attached to his laptop with a USB cable,
the system allows him to watch air traffic within a forty- or fifty-mile
radius and to log call signs and basic information about the planes.