DC Area Traffic Aircraft?

[KK4HG]

There seems to be a DC Metro area traffic reporting plane that flies around each weekday evening. I see or hear it flying over the Rockville Pike/Old Georgetown Rd. area. towards dusk. Anyone know who this is and where to hear it?

 

[ka3jjz]

Many of them hang out on 122.75 - there are many popular traffic reporters, one of the most active from when I used to drive down in that neck of the woods was Metro traffic on 455.9125 (yes, that's a reverse pair) - I believe the PL was/is 141.3.

Not sure of who is using the plane, though...73 Mike

 

[dwlyons]

If memory serves me correctly, WTOP radio uses a fixed wing traffic reporting service. It may have been a contract company.

They used to be flying out of Freeway Airport up until 9-11 and they all were grounded until the FAA allowed all the aircraft owners to get their aircraft out of that airport. Last I heard, most had relocated their operations to Manassas, Leesburg and Montgomery Co.

It wasn't until just a couple of years ago, that Freeway was allowed to reopen for flying under very tight flight restrictions. I know the owner was just about bankrupted by the DC TCA restrictions.

 

[BoxAlarm187]

My little bit of knowledge on the topic:

When I was doing air traffic reporting for Metro Networks in the mid-90's down here in Richmond, we were using contracted planes and pilots. We flew two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening. The pilot would maintain comms with the other aircraft (we were sharing the adjacent airspace [1500' AGL] with the regional police plane) while I would maintain comms with the studio and a handful of AM/FM radio stations.

 

[redburgundy]

There seems to be a DC Metro area traffic reporting plane that flies around each weekday evening. I see or hear it flying over the Rockville Pike/Old Georgetown Rd. area. towards dusk. Anyone know who this is and where to hear it?

Please describe the plane.
You might be seeing Montgomery County's MC10 Cessna Skymaster aircraft.

 

[KK4HG]

Well, I'm no aircraft expert by any stretch but would guess it to be a Cessna 152 maybe (a "wing-over" design)? It is mostly white or off-white and has a relatively narrow stripe down the sides of the fuse, the color of which is difficult to determine...maybe blue.

Thanks for the frequencies handed down. I believe I have heard a purky female on 122.75 at that time of day but was unsure if she was in the air or on the ground or what the frequency was. Her signal was tight and strong, though.

 

[KK4HG]

I forgot to mention that when I last lived in this area, Walt Starling (great name) reported daily from his plane directly to the disc jocks. I assume now he is long gone.

 

[Dank]

I believe that WTOP uses a small red helicopter for its traffc reports.

MC 10 is all white with the prop in the rear if I remember correctly.

 

[dwlyons]

KK4HG,

Walt Starling's obit.

D.C. Traffic Reporter Walt Starling Dies (washingtonpost.com)

His name was synonymous with DC traffic reporting.

 

[ChartofVirginia]

wrong list

 

[maus92]

At least some DC metro area traffic planes are contracted from Fetter Aviation and based at Hyde Field, in Clinton, MD. Fetter Aviation supplies the plane (C-172's) and pilot, and the client provides the reporter and broadcast equipment. Incidentally, the pilot flies the airplane from the right seat - normally the pilot in fixed wing aircraft flies from the left seat. It has to do with covering Beltway traffic and left turning banks.

MC-10, assuming that it still is a Skymaster, has two engines - one mnounted in the nose and "pulling," and the number two engine mounted in the rear of the fuselage, "pushing" the airplane.

CA
Annapolis

 

[KK4HG]

At least some DC metro area traffic planes are contracted from Fetter Aviation and based at Hyde Field, in Clinton, MD. Fetter Aviation supplies the plane (C-172's) and pilot, and the client provides the reporter and broadcast equipment. Incidentally, the pilot flies the airplane from the right seat - normally the pilot in fixed wing aircraft flies from the left seat. It has to do with covering Beltway traffic and left turning banks.

MC-10, assuming that it still is a Skymaster, has two engines - one mnounted in the nose and "pulling," and the number two engine mounted in the rear of the fuselage, "pushing" the airplane.

CA
Annapolis

That's weird. If they are banking left all of the time, why would they want to sit in the right seat?

 

[ResQguy]

That's weird. If they are banking left all of the time, why would they want to sit in the right seat?

Because if the observer sat in the right seat they would only be covering air traffic not road traffic...

 

[KK4HG]

Duh...I wasn't thinking about an observer on board!!