MCAS Miramar "Paddles" frequency?

[inigo88]

Hi all,

I've been trying to figure out the frequency used by the landing signal officers at MCAS Miramar for their Fleet Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) pattern. Prior to heading out to a real aircraft carrier, the F/A-18 trainee pilots in VMFAT-101 have to practice landing on a painted outline of a carrier deck on runway 24L, and an LSO talks them down on a frequency called "Paddles."

I found this thread from back in 2006, which says:

I live in the University City area so I monitor Miramar a lot. What I have for the training that you are referring to are the frequencies that they call "paddles". At least from my experience, you will often hear the tower tell the pilot to contact "paddles". This is the hand-off to work with the people on the tarmac for FCLP's or Fleet Carrier Landing Practice. These frequencies are:

paddles - 362.600
paddles - 377.200

I've tried both when the FCLP pattern was active with no luck, and so far bandscanning hasn't yielded results either. Anyone have any idea what the current paddles frequency (or frequencies) is for Miramar?

 

[inigo88]

Well no such luck from any of you folks the last 4 years.

I came across this old video shot by an F-14 RIO (back seater) sometime in the 80s by the looks of it. Includes ATC audio and starts with a landing at Miramar, followed by carrier ops and general tomfoolery. At 3:25 minutes in, Miramar tower tells Tanker 613 to "contact paddles on 362.6." So clearly that paddles frequency has been around for a long time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El7VgDigpdA

 

[QDP2012]

Nice catch.

Is that something that can go in the DB, or is there a better place for it in the Wiki?

 

[inigo88]

Probably the wiki, unless someone can verify it's still in use.

 

[QDP2012]

Since I didn't find a Miramar-specific page in either the DB or Wiki, the above data, and a link to this thread, have been added
to the San Diego County (CA)#Unconfirmed Military Data RR Wiki page, so more people can learn about this.

Thanks for sharing.