Ran out of time on the above message...
1318: HUNTRESS checking on fuel remainders of HARASS fighters...33 reports they both have fuel and reports 1.5 hours...260.9
I have no idea what happened to the TOI...assume since they are staying down low, they are escorting it to some airfield. They didn't play the game as is normally done where one goes down to make the intercept and the other stays higher to be able to relay the traffic to HUNTRESS. This time they both went low - or low enough where I couldn't hear them.
1325: Fighters back up high and 34 heading to the tanker...260.9
1326: HARASS 33 to Potomac thanking him for the help...350.25
1327: HARASS 33/34 back to man prime where they gloat and mention how much fun that was...say the pilot was scared to death...they're getting a good chuckle about the whole intercept. Say they didn't expect that one to happen today...both report they never saw the target on radar...360.15
1330: HARASS 34 cleared in to the tanker...going for a topoff and will need around 10K...260.9
1334: HARASS 34 off the boom after taking 12,000 pounds of fuel...260.9
1335: HARASS 34 tells HUNTRESS he wants to correct his first ID of the target where he called it a SIRRUS...says it was a white, high wing, 2 passenger small plane...says the pilot was trying to follow him...says he had to pass him so many times that he was probably confused...260.9
I can imagine due to the speed difference that the F-15 couldn't fly beside the TOI and would simply zoom past him on each pass.
1337: HARASS 33 and 34 now chatting about the intercept on man prime...34 says he would pass him so fast and then have to turn around and the little plane would try to follow him so was going around in circles...360.15
1338: HARASS 33/34 talking about noises on the Potomac freq (350.25)...360.15....then tells HUNTRESS about it...260.9
1343: HARASS 34 says when he first saw the TOI it was right in front of him about a mile away and level with his altitude...says he passed him at about 380...(and still getting a good laugh out of the experience. I can relate.)....360.15
1346: As an afterthought...HARASS 34 asks 33 if he ever checked the authentications...33 says he did and they were good....34 didn't have time and just went after the target...kind of glad they were good (chuckling some more)...360.15
1406: HARASS 33 requests to go to tanker TEFLON 01...agrees weapons safe, nose cold...TEFLON 01 clears him to join...01 asks what his offload will be...33 replies 4,000 but is on the interflight freq for the reply...so 01 asks again and gets an answer on this freq...260.9
1412: HARASS 33 off the boom after taking 5,000 pounds of fuel...260.9
1419: HARASS 33/34 still yakking away...say they should see their replacements on FiDL about 20 minutes to three...360.15
1431: HARASS 33 mentions he's got 1400 pounds of fuel trapped in his left tank...360.15
1440: HARASS 33 trying to contact HARASS 35 on Primary...no joy....260.9
1444: HARASS 33 to Potomac reports they'll be RTB in 20-25 minutes and requests direct Langley if able...350.25
1446: Hearing some weak chat on interflight freq...must be HARASS 35/36 heading up the road....360.15
I believe TEFLON 02 will be KC-135R, 62-3576, 133rd ARS NH-ANG Pease -- but it remains to be proven. I've been tracking him since 1436 but he's not displaying a callsign (yet) so am not sure. Bad...he's also at FL 240 as is TEFLON 01 rather than the normal 250 they bring them in.
1452: HARASS 35/36 checking in on Primary 260.9 for permission to head to the tanker, report weapons safe, nose cold...and 350.25 where they go to get cleared into Guard Dog.
1454: Potomac sends TEFLON 01 up to FL 250 (he caught it)...135.525
1455: The new tanker (I think) is calling himself NATION 1...the others are calling him TEFLON 02...260.9
1457: TEFLON 01 requesting RTB...260.9
1458: NATION 01 is what the new tanker is calling himself and now so are HARASS 35/36...tail number passed to NATION 01...
HARASS 35 = 81-0038, 71st FS
HARASS 36 = 80-0019, 71st FS (Scramble shows 58th FS Eglin)
Confirm NATION 1 is KC-135R, 62-3576, 133rd ARS NH-ANG Pease (He's now displaying that in Mode-S). Apparently, the HARASS fighters had him as TEFLON 02 on their flight plan. Surprise!
1601: TEFLON 01 gets clearance to Indianhead on his way to Pittsburgh...handed off to ZDC-Hagerstown 134.15...135.525
1603: HARASS 333/34 requesting RTB...260.9....then tell Potomac they're still working on it...350.25
1604: HARASS 33/34 are cleared to RTB...260.9...then to Potomac to pick up clearance to Langley...request descent and clearance direct Langley...350.25 (Potomac seems to be having trouble today hearing the fighters on UHF...no problem with the tankers on VHF)
1607: Potomac finally clears HARASS 33/34 to RTB...hands them off to ZDC-Calvert on 281.4...350.25
1607: HARASS 33/34 check in with ZDC at FL 210 direct Langley...281.4
1609: HARASS 33 requesting lower altitude...281.4...then on interflight tells 34 to "strangle squawk"...360.15
1609: While on 281.4 heard WILD 31 flight of F-16s, DC-ANG Andrews on the way to Pax for some work.
WILD working interflight freq 143.6 and is a flight of four.
1611: WILD flight checks into Pax for 40 minutes of work and requests to work up to FL 350 but are only cleared to 250 for now...354.8
So...HARASS 33/34 are on their way to Langley...TEFLON 01 on his way to Pittsburgh...HARASS 35/36 and NATION 1(or 01) have the CAP and I'm about to run out of time for this message (2 hour limit for editing) so will call this message toast.
Bringing the RODEO list forward and adding a few more that are flying...
Sure would like to be able to hear it...radios must be non-stop chat out there. Friend tells me several T-1A types have gone into McChord today too (perhaps bringing in viewers)
RODEO 10 = C-17A, 99-0165, 62nd AW
RODEO 13 = C-17A, 99-0058 62nd AW
RODEO 19 = KC-135R, 58-0092, 92nd ARW
RODEO 21 = C-130J, 08-8601, 37th AS
RODEO 22 = C-17A, 06-6162, 60th AMW
RODEO 24 = C-130H, CH08, Belgian AF
RODEO 25 = KC-135R, 63-8037, 319th ARW
RODEO 27 = C-130J, 07-4610, 41st AS
RODEO 28 = KC-135R, 58-0126, 22nd ARW
RODEO 31 = KC-135R, 63-8883, 97th AMW
RODEO 33 = C-130J, 04-3143, 48th AS
RODEO 34 = C-17A, 92-3293, 97th AMW
RODEO 35 = C-21A, 84-0081, 76th AS
RODEO 36 = C-130E, 63-7832, 40th AS
RODEO 37 = KC-135R, 58-0051, 465th ARS
RODEO 38 = C-21A, 84-0070, 45th AS
RODEO 41 = C-17A, 99-0167, 517th AS
RODEO 42 = KC-10A, 86-0028, 305th AMW
RODEO 44 = C-17A, 04-4137, 6th AS
RODEO 45 = KC-135R, 58-0100, 351st ARS
RODEO 46 = C-17A, 07-7185, 437th AW
RODEO 48 = C-17A, 07-7174, 436th AW
RODEO 49 = KC-135R, 62-3577, 77th ARS
RODEO 50 = C-17A, 05-5152, 535th AS
RODEO 52 = C-130H, 73-1582, 39th AS
Several other C-130s arrived at McChord using their unit callsigns that should turn into RODEO aircraft as they take their turn in the exercise. Among them were KANTO, HAZRD, DEUCE, BULL, ANVIL callsigns that I've noticed. That RODEO 38 arrived as FAME 88 and changed his callsign while in the air just as he approached McChord.
Ref below: Many thanks for the report. I sure couldn't copy any of the details from here at those altitudes.
