124.4 Hanscom AFB Arr/Dep Questions From Beginner

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BOBRR

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Hi,

Have just gotten started with aero monitoring.

Amazingly, I find I can hear 124.4, and the pilot responses really well.

Question: I'm about 2 miles from Hanscom AFB, and perhaps 15 or so from Logan in Boston.

So, exactly what am I hearing, please ?

On the Hanscom site, it says Arrival / Departure for this freq. Logan doesn't seem to have it listed for anything ?
Is what I am hearing actually located at Hanscom ?

And, the Hanscom Tower at 118.5 has very Infrequent comms.
But, the 124.4 is very active; almost continuously.

Where are they located ? What are they ?

Is this what is known as Tracon ?

Do they have anything to do with Logan ? As i mentioned, seems like a lot of traffic for (just) Hanscom.

What are some other really "good" and frequent frreq's to monitor ?

Really curious.
Thanks, and stay well,
Bob
 

AI7PM

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......Is this what is known as Tracon ?...

Yes, TRACON. On the air you'll hear it refered to as "Boston Approach" and/or "Boston Departure" control. It's (the facility) no longer located at Logan, but is what is known as a Metroplex Control Facility (MCF). FAA came up with this concept years ago of combining TRACONs where there was an advantage to it, sometimes in a new building away from the airport. The Boston MCF is a combination of the former Boston and Manchester TRACONs. I've been out of the game for a long time, so for all I know they may have combined more there.

It's typical for larger TRACONs to have radios and RADAR remote from many locations in their service area. The 124.4 site is an example of that, and it serves traffic other than just that going into Hanscom.
 

JDrisc3480

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It looks like Hanscom AFB is only 14 miles from Logan and they do not have military aircraft stationed there nor do they normally fly in there, which would explain why the comms on the hanscom tower is infrequent. Now there is an airfield adjacent to the base called Hanscom airfield which is for smaller private and charter aircraft that utilize the runway. So most of everything you are hearing is probably traffic for Logan.
 

ATCTech

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Oddly enough there's an Air Canada A321 inbound to KBED from Toronto CYYZ as I write this. ACA7031 if you're following along on a flight tracker. Not at all a regular route for the Air Canada mainline fleet.
 

alcahuete

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Oddly enough there's an Air Canada A321 inbound to KBED from Toronto CYYZ as I write this. ACA7031 if you're following along on a flight tracker. Not at all a regular route for the Air Canada mainline fleet.

The ACA 7000s are charter flights. Usually MLB, NFL, NBA, etc. Since the Blue Jays are playing the Red Sox tomorrow and Wednesday, I would bet money that it's the team plane.
 

Lynch_Christopher

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Hi,

Have just gotten started with aero monitoring.

Amazingly, I find I can hear 124.4, and the pilot responses really well.

Question: I'm about 2 miles from Hanscom AFB, and perhaps 15 or so from Logan in Boston.

So, exactly what am I hearing, please ?

On the Hanscom site, it says Arrival / Departure for this freq. Logan doesn't seem to have it listed for anything ?
Is what I am hearing actually located at Hanscom ?

And, the Hanscom Tower at 118.5 has very Infrequent comms.
But, the 124.4 is very active; almost continuously.

Where are they located ? What are they ?

Is this what is known as Tracon ?

Do they have anything to do with Logan ? As i mentioned, seems like a lot of traffic for (just) Hanscom.

What are some other really "good" and frequent frreq's to monitor ?

Really curious.
Thanks, and stay well,
Bob


124.4 is the Bedford Sector of the Boston Consolidated TRACON (A90) located in Merrimack New Hampshire. This primarily a satellite sector for the airports located north of Boston. They own from the surface to about 2,000 - 5,000 feet depending on the distance from Logan. Most likely the transmitter is located on the airport or just off the airport property. The Boston Consolidated TRACON was opened back in 2004 with the combination of the Boston and Manchester TRACON'S. In 2018 the Cape TRACON K90 was consolidated into the Boston TRACON so now BCT owns from Laconia down to Nantucket .

Here are some other good frequencies to monitor:

Rockport 118.2500 - This sector is primarily an arrival sector for Boston arrivals over the Gardner VOR and SCUPP intersection. This is also a departure sector for all departures heading north.

Boston Final 1 - 126.500 This is the primary Final sector for arrivals to Logan Airport. This frequency is located at Logan Airport.

Boston Final 2 - 119.6500 This is the secondary final sector for arrivals to Logan Airport. This sector is only used during certain runway configurations.

Initial Departure - 133.000 This is the primary departure sector for Logan airport and then they will be handed off to either Rockport Sector, Plymouth (South) or Lincoln sector.

Lincoln Sector - 127.2000 This is primarily a West Departure Sector. All departures heading westbound are handed off from Initial Departure where they are sequenced climbed to 14,000 feet and handed off to Boston ARTCC. Lincoln also handles prop arrivals to Logan Airport over WOONS intersection, descends them and hands them off to Final 1 or Final 2.

Lynch Sector - 124.1000 This sector is a satellite sector for all airports south Boston. They own from the surface to between 2,000 and 4,000 feet.

Plymouth Sector - 120.6000 This is a arrival sector for Boston Logan arrivals coming in over PVD. This is also a departure sector for flights heading south

Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center

BOSOX Sector 133.4200 - Low altitude Sector Handles BOS departures to the west-southwest and BED/PVD arrivals departures to and from the west.


 

ATCTech

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A minor correction and just for total clarity a couple of messages back that BOSOX sector frequency will actually be 133.425 as "xxx.420" isn't valid in 25kHz channel spacing for VHF air. The easy way to remember is that If the 2nd digit after the decimal point is a 2 or a 7 the third digit is a 5.
 
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