Phoenix-Area Air Asset Unit IDs

[clover509]

After many months of listening to Phoenix PD and FD traffic on the Regional Wireless Cooperative System, I have finally logged just about all of the Phoenix-area aerial law enforcement and fire assets.
Fortunately, the unit IDs do not appear to be dynamic and have remained static for the period that I've been able to log them. For those with scanners that have an unit ID alert function:

N-Number - Unit ID
N109FB - 2901397
N352FB - 2901326
N353FB - 2901373
N357FB - 2901335
N359FB - 2901344
N620FB - 2902456

 

[cellphone]

Good work matching the Radio IDs to the N Number of the aircraft! I flag aircraft IDs in my radios with LED alerts to grab my attention.

There are also multiple radios in the aircraft. I have found that 2901397 and 2911397 are the same aircraft. 2901326 and 2911326 are the same aircraft. 2901344, 2911344 and 2921344 are the same aircraft. etc.

 

[clover509]

Thanks, cellphone! Any chance you have the other unit IDs for Phoenix PD's other two fixed-wing assets?

 

[cellphone]

Attached is my rough list. These are not all confirmed. Some are guesses based on radio IDs I have monitored. I have also been composing this list since 2008, so some of these are no longer in service.

 

[clover509]

Quick follow-up question regarding county and state assets:
The Phoenix FD/PD helos that I logged were heard on the RWC system, and I would make the safe assumption that Mesa's helos are heard on TOPAZ; Maricopa county on their system, etc... do you happen to recall on what system the AZ DPS aircraft were heard on? I ask because there was a mountain rescue being worked a day or two ago on RWC Phoenix Fire K-deck channels and my ADSB had one of the state helicopters ( N119AZ) overhead. Maybe they were working a VHF mutual aid channel or I just plain didn't hear them, but I was curious if state assets had the ability to operate on the other local trunked systems. Your thoughts?

 

[cellphone]

Quick follow-up question regarding county and state assets:
The Phoenix FD/PD helos that I logged were heard on the RWC system, and I would make the safe assumption that Mesa's helos are heard on TOPAZ; Maricopa county on their system, etc... do you happen to recall on what system the AZ DPS aircraft were heard on? I ask because there was a mountain rescue being worked a day or two ago on RWC Phoenix Fire K-deck channels and my ADSB had one of the state helicopters ( N119AZ) overhead. Maybe they were working a VHF mutual aid channel or I just plain didn't hear them, but I was curious if state assets had the ability to operate on the other local trunked systems. Your thoughts?

The Radio IDs in the text file were monitored on the RWC. In addition to Phoenix, I have monitored DPS, Mesa, and MCSO aircraft on RWC G-Deck. Mesa aircraft use the same radio IDs on the RWC and TRWC. MCSO aircraft have different Radio IDs on their County trunked system.

I'm not sure if DPS or AZ state helos have Fire K-Deck channels in their radios. I have frequently heard them on G-Deck of the RWC. The incident you monitored may have had a G-Deck talkgroup, or on VHF Mutual Aid. DPS Helos are dispatched on the standard DPS frequencies when they are airborne, and they will often be instructed to change to a mutual aid channel when assisting another agency. I'm not sure where other AZ State helos are dispatched.

 

[clover509]

And another tie-up for the ongoing user ID list:

Caught N911AZ (Arizona Department of Public Safety Bell 429 GlobalRanger) using callsign 'Ranger-1' two nights ago on RWC G-Deck 4 (Interop D) with a unit ID of 8232108.

'Ranger 1' was assisting Phoenix PD and a K-9 unit with a search of an industrial complex for a suspect on foot with spotlight and thermal imaging.

If I heard it correctly, the usual Phoenix PD Firebird air unit was at Deer Valley Airport with an inop spotlight.

And on a side note, I happened to catch a Firebird unit on DPS Metro East assisting DPS units locate armed robbery suspects the night before that!

 

[KB7MIB]

I hear Firebird frequently on DPS metro channels. I believe that they routinely monitor Metro Central when up.

John
Peoria

 

[JohnSpartan]

I'm not sure if DPS or AZ state helos have Fire K-Deck channels in their radios. I have frequently heard them on G-Deck of the RWC. The incident you monitored may have had a G-Deck talkgroup, or on VHF Mutual Aid. DPS Helos are dispatched on the standard DPS frequencies when they are airborne, and they will often be instructed to change to a mutual aid channel when assisting another agency. I'm not sure where other AZ State helos are dispatched.

This was a couple of years back, but I asked about this specifically to DPS and PHX pilots, and they both told me they both have Fire K deck. As far as I know, Ranger has all valley trunked systems for PD and FD, including the inop decks.

As others have mentioned, Firebird is usually heard assisting DPS, more than Ranger as DPS air assets are tasked state wide with rescue, enforcement, and even wildland fire.

The dispatch of state assets is typically done on the working channel requesting the asset. This is of course outside the metro area, where Ranger would be dispatched on one of their UHF channels.

All agencies involved work well with the air assets from others from what I've monitored over time.

Thanks for the list, that's a cool addition to things!

 

[clover509]

Phoenix PD 'Firebird' (N351FB) is up assisting a ground team and K-9 with a search. New user ID logged for this helo of 2914152 on RWC G-Deck 1 (Interop A).

 

[scannermike11]

do they use their air to air channel 123.65 much

do they use their air to air channel 123.65 much