246.8000 Navigation out?

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AlphaFive

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246.8000 overnight on 01/10/19. A clear conversation between a pilot (Charlie 3), and a female who was acting in the role of an air traffic controller. Although her transmissions appeared to be from a second aircraft.
Charlie 3 - Let's dim the lights in the overpass area.
Charlie 3 - Come pick us up, if we can escort them, it will be turn by turn. Getting ready to throw these radios in the trash.
Female controller - Light to moderate traffic, no obstructions seen at this time. She then proceeds to give the pilot road directions. Beginning in South Carolina, coming up Interstate 26 into North Carolina, then into Morganton North Carolina, to a specific road by name that leads into the Foothills Regional Airport KMRN.

There were many garbled transmissions that I could not decipher. One sounded as if Charlie 3 said "Charlie 3 to Memphis"?? Makes no sense, Memphis ARTCC is too far from me. The female controller did not appear to be a ground transmitter, I could not receive that from Morganton. Her transmissions were loud and clear. Why would an aircraft such as Charlie 3's be guided to the Foothills Regional Airport? Was this a training exercise? Or was his navigation system out? Were they using an AM radio system and not in the air? I can only locate a few documented uses for 246.8000, Maryland N.G., West Point, and a few hits out of Mayport Jax. Does this sound familiar?
 

autovon

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246.8 is a unofficial air-to-air frequency known as 'cheerleader'. Most military pilots know it, so the unit could be anyone. Often used for cross countries or anytime they need a quick TAC freq.
 

AlphaFive

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246.8 is a unofficial air-to-air frequency known as 'cheerleader'. Most military pilots know it, so the unit could be anyone. Often used for cross countries or anytime they need a quick TAC freq.
Interesting, good information. That piece is going into a front file... Thank you for that.
 

nd5y

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"Memphis" could be a tactical callsign and nothing to do with TN or ARTCC.
I have heard something similar a couple times. Unable to tell whether it was military training or DEA/CBP/ICE/FBI training or something real.

One time when I lived closer to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area I heard atual CBP aircraft following a smuggler(?) aircraft and coodinating with Fort Worth ARTCC on a UHF freq that was normally an approach/departure channel at DFW Airport. They followed the smuggler (or whatever it was) to a small airport.
 

KMG54

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Not much help. but there was 3 F16's flying over Travelers Rest yesterday afternoon. Maybe exercises?
 

w4amp

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Never underestimate the power of an elevated tropo duct. They can occur at 20 or 30 thousand feet just like on the service.
 

AlphaFive

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hmmm def interesting. i hear periodic random traffic on 246.8, as well as 246.7 and 246.9 but generally chit chat and nothing like that. seems like a good freq to check more often after hearing that.

First time I have logged anything there since 2012, like hooking a shark in a Florida golf course pond, bound to happen once in a blue moon, haaaaaaa
 

spacellamaman

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i dunno if at all related, but both this morning and this afternoon have gotten traffic on 136.275, which is fairly rare and just few minutes ago 163.100, unknown NAC, traffic in the clear (garbled), but definately had the ambient background sounds of being airborne, at least to my ears.

i have a suspicion you gave up golfing/golf course poaching in the past?
 

Mark

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Up this way 246.800 is Maryland Army ANG UH-72A 1st Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment Chopper A/A freq.
That freq range is popular common freq for Army ANG choppers working A/A.
I remember a few years ago on this freq two UH-72's were circling wooded area nearby and thought they saw Pot plants :)
 
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AlphaFive

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Up this way 246.800 is Maryland Army ANG UH-72A 1st Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment Chopper A/A freq.
That freq range is popular common freq for Army ANG choppers working A/A.
I remember a few years ago on this freq two UH-72's were circling wooded area nearby and thought they saw Pot plants :)

It was interesting from the viewpoint that there could be different types of strangeness going on, that's why I'm always looking forward to this band coming up on my search rotations. Regarding 136.2750, I don't have that one, but close to it I logged one of the Aviation Spectrum Resources at 136.8500. 163.1000, the closest I have is 163.3375, long ago someone ran a vehicle registration with 026 DPL. Never located that i.d.
Over here in the hills there have been a few aircraft from the surrounding Maryland area on exercises, pass near enough to receive. Without looking, I think they are from Pax River, Vacapes. I can't remember anymore. And....Florida golf courses, a lot has changed since 1975. I sure wouldn't be out fishing the golf course ponds nowadays.. Those were fun years. So keep listening, I'm going to set this band up again today and see what happens.
 

ericcarlson

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136.275 is a DOJ freq used by FBI and DEA aircraft. UH-72s do anti-narcotics work with DEA and have been heard on 136.275.

163.1 is a federal itinerant and also used by FBI aircraft.
 

trauts14

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besides RR, can anyone recommend a list of mil air frequencies that might be useful in central NC? @nmelfi i did not know there was much mil air traffic around travelers rest or greenville proper.
 

KMG54

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Trauts14, Donaldson center is still semi active here. Also have seen fighter jets land at GSP a few times. Also I can hear some of the refueling tracks here.
 

KMG54

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Line of site, not far at all, just don't try to drive there. My new home puts me in the very northern part of Pickens county right on the NC border.
 

spacellamaman

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besides RR, can anyone recommend a list of mil air frequencies that might be useful in central NC? @nmelfi i did not know there was much mil air traffic around travelers rest or greenville proper.

search by description gives a lot of good options, but "Stanly Co" is a safe bet. resulting list linked here:

Military Radio Comms VHF/UHF Frequencies

fairly reliable for central NC.
 

trauts14

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search by description gives a lot of good options, but "Stanly Co" is a safe bet. resulting list linked here:

Military Radio Comms VHF/UHF Frequencies

fairly reliable for central NC.
@spacellamaman thank you. i am mounting my first scanner antenna on the chimney this weeked, and hopefully will be able to receive some mil air comms even though i am in central nc. pretty crazy to think stanly co airport has civilian and mil traffic. i looked online and could not find any pages explaining exactly what mil air traffic utilizes stanly co airport. Thanks for the link.
 
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