Shannon Airadio. It’s a vital element in the North Atlantic aero communications network. For shortwave listeners, however, it’s a unique and relatively easy station to hear and one that provides a wide range of fascinating information.
Listeners can tune — in upper sideband and using simple voice communications — such things as communications from pilots flying the transatlantic routes between North America and Europe, and, best of all, regular weather reports for . . . more than 30 of Europe’s main airports.
Perhaps the most familiar to the shortwave utility monitor are the regular aviation weather broadcasts from the Shannon Airadio VOLMET station. Meteorological information covering 33 of the main European airports comes into Ballygirreen constantly. A “live” announcer sits in a glass-enclosed booth and transmits this information in a 25 minute broadcast on the hour and on the half hour over three shortwave frequencies.
