Chicago Lake Front Air and Water Show

[chgomonitor]

Comm Direct Event Rental Radios (show site staff)

It appears Communications Direct, Inc now has a license which includes some of the freqs which were in use last year at the show. Unknown if these are in the radios at the show site, but they might merit some attention if close to North Avenue. These event rental radios are usually programmed for low power operation:

461.1125
461.6875
462.1125
463.5625
463.8375
464.6375
464.8625
466.6875
467.1125
468.5625
468.8375
469.6375
469.8625

From the pool there's usually only 4 or 5 actually in use. Some of these freqs have other downtown users on them. I should know more after the show on Friday.

 

[chgomonitor]

Possible B1B's air to air

349.700 (AM) sounds like the Hawks - B1B bombers air tac, up now off of Gary

 

[chgomonitor]

123.175 Lima-Lima flight air to air

 

[chgomonitor]

Gary Night Show Reports

134.100 / 338.325 (AM) Platform
126.050 (AM) Arv/Dep
122.775 (AM) Discrete

 

[chgomonitor]

123.150 (AM) Red Baron air to air

 

[chgomonitor]

123.475 Golden Knights air to ground

 

[chgomonitor]

123.575 (AM) Lima Lima air tac

 

[chgomonitor]

Friday Dawn Lineup

Looks like this is where we stand:

134.100 / 338.325 Platform Primary
Not yet assigned? Platform Alternate
122.775 Discrete at Gary
126.050 / 398.950 Show Arv/Dep (388.000 UHF pair?)
133.100 / 398.950 Show Arv/Dep
126.800 / 308.400 Tracon
127.875 / 285.600 Gary Arv/Dep
125.600 / 256.700 Gary Tower

The Platform for Friday is subject to change as they had experienced poor reception on Thursday. My guess is this was caused by the infamous stuck open mike on the platform, but we'll see.

Several aircraft going into Gary from the south or west were working South Bend approach on 257.800. Also listed for this facility (but not heard) are: 118.550, 124.100 & 132.025.

Most of the USAF Air Combat Command demonstrations will likely have access to 376.025 and/or 384.550 for spotter and team use. Other acts:

123.475 Golden Knight Air
123.575 Lima Lima (but don't give up on 123.175 yet)
123.150 Red Baron
138.825 A-10's CT ANG Yankees
349.700 Likely B1B air to air Hawk flight
242.400 Midway based Blackhawks

The A-10's will probably use another freq for coordination with the air-sea rescue demonstration. They plan on using other squadron VHF air to air tac freqs if 138.825 doesn't work out. Might keep an ear out for any Apaches gunships on 280.800, not yet heard. Local Chicago Center sites merit watching and don't forget the Volk/Hardwood open house today in Wisconsin.

USAF Thunderbirds:

141.850 Victor 1
143.850 Victor 2
235.250 Uniform 1
322.950 Uniform 2

All of the above are in AM mode.

VHF Marine band will be going hog wild all weekend, as will the CTA and Park District. Best bets for CPD are Citywides 5 & 6 - 460.350 & 460.250. CPD Marine units on the 800 Mhz CPD trunked radio system. CFD appears to be mostly on 477.5125 Digital. Lifeguards probably on 458.075 and check the 3 other 458 CFD event freqs, too - 458.025, 458.125 & 458.175. Check the media channels. FRS is pretty funny at the show.

Happy Scanning! - Ted

 

[XTS3000]

awesum, thanks for all the updates Ted. Looks like I'll be programming my scanner later today!

Keep up the good work

 

[CORN]

When you say platform, i am assuming that is show control or most commonly called the "Air Boss"? Air Boss is what i've always heard it called. Maybe platform is a Northern thing, lol? I don't know, i'm from the slow talking South. Anyhow, these are great reports. I enjoy reading them even if i am jealous that you guys are getting killer shows and great milair monitoring.

Nashville, Tn. (where milair doesn't exist and we have no decent airshows in the area)

 

[wannabescannist]

Nashville, Tn. (where milair doesn't exist and we have no decent airshows in the area)

I don't think Milair exists here either.

PS: Lot of traffic on 126.90000

 

[DPD1]

You can get a little something everywhere. It might not be like SoCal or Virginia, but you'll get something. Try putting all the UHF high alt Center freqs in and just run them for a day. I bet you'd hear stuff pass through now and again.

Dave
www.DPDProductions.com
Makers of the "MilTenna" Monitoring Antenna

 

[chgomonitor]

Friday report

Well, we finally did it. We figured out every single important frequency in advance. The Friday dawn report was 100 percent accurate.

AM Mode Ops
134.100 / 338.325 Platform
126.050 / 398.950 Arv/Dep
126.800 / 308.400 Tracon
125.600 / 256.700 Gary Tower
127.875 / 285.600 Gary Arv/Dep
122.775 Discrete
123.575 Lima-Lima
349.700 B1B
376.025 F15
123.150 Red Baron
138.825 A-10's
272.175 Springfield F-16's
123.475 Golden Knights
141.850 Thunderbirds
143.850 Thunderbirds
235.250 Thunderbirds
322.950 Thunderbirds

FM Mode Ops
216.7275 Thunderbirds audio relay feed (FM)
413.275 (DPL431) Thunderbirds ground
413.375 - Thought I heard a T-Birds ground radio check here
151.295 Park District
157.150 USCG Helo/PATCOM
157.175 USCG Auxcomm
458.075 Lifeguards
460.250 (162.2) CPD Citywide 6
460.350 (97.4) CPD Citywide 5
460.525 (179.9) CPD Channel 5 simplex
467.1125 Staff
469.2625 Castaways (DPL)
477.5125 (P25) CFD/EMS
478.2125 (P25) CFD/EMS brief use

Amazing job by all the performers and all your hard working CARMA contributors. A great show. Come join us out on the Fullerton Point on Saturday.

Happy Scanning! - Ted

PS - It's called "platform" because it's callsign is "platform" and because it's built on a giant platform.

 

[wannabescannist]

Well, we finally did it. We figured out every single important frequency in advance. The Friday dawn report was 100 percent accurate.

AM Mode Ops
134.100 / 338.325 Platform
126.050 / 398.950 Arv/Dep
126.800 / 308.400 Tracon
125.600 / 256.700 Gary Tower
127.875 / 285.600 Gary Arv/Dep

What do the slashes indicate? I picked up some traffic on 398.950; think I heard "Eagle Raptors". Thing I don't like about MilAir is they talk too quickly.

 

[W8GFF]

A good air show site for those who might be interested

Ted -

I'm pretty new to this forum but I was interested to see how active you all are at the Chicago show. in case you're not familiar with an EXCELLENT air show web site, check www.airshowbuzz.com. It's got great forums (even some threads about monitoring), videos, photos, air show previews/reviews, and forums for your favorite performers and teams. Hope you enjoy it.

I also saw a comment about the F-22 Raptor demo. You just won't believe it. From the "power loops," pedal turns, and even a tail slide, it's an amazing airplane. I narrated the first full-up demos at Langley and I wanted to watch rather than read.

Hope you all enjoy the show. I'll probably be listening to WBBM. Is there any other streaming of the PA announcer happening?

Regards,

Rob Reider
Air Show Announcer
W8GFF
www.robreider.com
Cincinnati, Oho

This was my very first airshow many years ago. My Dad was trying to impress my aunt from Canada and he dragged us all down to the show. I was a little kid and had no idea what I was getting into. As it turned out, it was the last year the Blue Angels flew in the F4 Phantoms. (High show). WOW, instant airshow addiction, LOL. Haven't missed a Chicago airshow weekend since. For a good look at that era, try to find the Blue Angels video "Threshold". Hokey, but amazing. I'm sure I looked like one of those hypnotized little kids in the video, LOL. I wish the Angels would transition to super hornets or maybe JTSF's, maybe one day...

My girlfriend in high school was a couple hundred yards from the crash site of the Vulcan bomber out near Glenview in the 80's. Glenview NAS (and her) are long gone. We were at the show 2 years ago for the infamous T-Birds "bump". I was at the show down on Oak street for the legendary SR-71 "slow" pass. A few years ago (?) we got an improvised AWACS fly-by. I remember one year a Bucaneer dropped a simulated torp into Lake Michigan and another year a USAF aerospace rescue chopper fired a door gun MG into the water. These same guys once once dragged one of the park district guys about 100 yards down the beach sand on a helo extraction, turning him into a human sand castle. A few years ago the Scott (former O'Hare) KC-135 on Friday did a slow turn-in pass about 50 feet off the water. One year at our Fullerton site we had chopper so close to us the rotor wash was knocking squirrels and twigs from our trees. Always something AMAZING to see at the Chicago show.

The under rated part of the thrill show is the boating mayhem out about a mile on the lake from the hundreds of civillian and commercial boater spectators being managed by the coast guard, CPD and others. There's almost always one good boat fire, a sinking, collision or something to watch. VHF marine band goes hog-wild. You also see some great media helos and banner tows, but I do miss Meigs field.

After 15 years of doing the airshow at North Ave beach on Saturdays we finally gave up with the heat, sun, crowds and especially with having equipment destroyed by kicked/flying sand and we relocated to our Fullerton Ave "easy" spot for the big show on Saturday. But we'll be show center at the beach house on Friday!

We have made many airshow friends, including one from Australia. Hat's off to our buddy Jackie and his family and their fine grill. So many airshow memories, it's such a great event. Come to the show!

Happy Airshow! - Ted & the CARMA crew

 

[wannabescannist]

I started recording a little late but this is a recording of a pilot who absolutely loves his job (he stated it, not me)...you can hear ecstatic he is when doing his maneuvers.

Heard on 122.775 - Discrete around 1PM.

PS: I had to listen in open-squelch.

 

[chgomonitor]

Audo clips

Nice recordings. One Sean D. Tucker in the new bright red Oracle. He does an impressive performance, clearly enthusiastic. I'm told he's like this on ground, too, LOL. He did great shows Friday and Saturday. 122.775 has been settled on as a show discrete for the weekend. Some air to air and plenty of air to ground audio feeds.

 

[W8GFF]

Sean D. Tucker "live from the cockpit"

I started recording a little late but this is a recording of a pilot who absolutely loves his job (he stated it, not me)...you can hear ecstatic he is when doing his maneuvers.

Heard on 122.775 - Discrete around 1PM.

PS: I had to listen in open-squelch.

Wannabescannist -

Fun recordings for sure.

I announce a lot of air shows around the country and I'm always impressed at how good his cockpit audio is. I use two different radios to do live air-to-ground transmissions. One, for my transmissions, is a Sporty's SP-200 tranceiver. The receive radio is a Sporty's JD-100 aviation scanner, both VHF & UHF milair. It's got great receive audio, though it's not the most sensitive receiver. Every word of Sean's transmissions is clear through my rig and the PA at every air show I work.

I hope to get a chance to listen again today - over WBBM. I wish they'd use the PA announcer a little bit, though their announcers are WAY better than the team that broadcasts the Fort Lauderdale Air & Sea Show.

Regards,

Rob

Rob Reider
air show announcer
www.robreider.com
www.airshowcast.com

 

[chgomonitor]

Traffic & Police

460.300 Citywide 7 - Traffic Management Authority / Aides
460.350 Citywide 5 - Police traffic detail
460.250 Citywide 6 - Event detail
460.525 Channel 5 CPD simplex
460.150 CPD 1st and 18th Districts (Downtown)

The TMA's on Citywide 7 certainly have their hands full.

 

[CORN]

Yes Rob, you do an outstanding job. I was at Dayton 2003 (the BIG one) and you were the anouncer. I have a lot of it recorded. It's nice to have someone from the airshow industry on these boards. Keep up the good work.