Getting started in MilAir - newbie questions

[AirScan]

You should have good coverage of the W105 and W107 Warning areas, this is designated military airspace where they do a lot of training and exercises, and are usually active daily. You can see these Warning Areas depicted on various aeronautical charts (SkyVector) and the FAA SUA website.

SkyVector

FAA SUA Website

W105 Frequencies

338.100 Giant Killer (Control) - 135.225 VHF
305.250 Common Primary
327.900 Common Secondary
289.000 Air Refueling

W107 Frequencies

255.000 Giant Killer (Control) - 135.725 VHF
339.725 Common Primary
259.600 Air Refueling

 

[Prospect62]

--The USAF's North East Air Defense Sector (NEADS), callsign "Huntress", monitors air traffic along the NE US coast and will control ("talk to") the various fighter and tanker units in the Northeast, Mid-atlantic and New England. They exist to protect US airspace sovereignty and will control intercept missions of unidentified or unknown aircraft. That would be the 177th flying those missions in your region. Be sure to dial them up.

"Rocko"
Ex USAF Yankee Air Pirate

I live about 2 SM away from NEADS (EADS now) and about 10 SM south of a couple Fort Drum MOA's in northern central NY state.

I am just getting into air band scanning after being a strictly public safety minded listener for my whole life. I recently obtained my sUAS Part 107 certification and will be flying commercially, which is what piqued my interest in air band. For air band, I have a Pro-2006 and am looking to pick up a Pro-43 for times when I am out flying.

Being so close to NEADS (and the former Griffss AFB which still has military stuff going on daily) can anyone tell me if the Pro-2006 and Pro43 will be adequate for monitoring civilan and military traffic within a say, 10 SM radius of me? Are there particular frequencies in use in this area?

Thanks!

 

[AirScan]

can anyone tell me if the Pro-2006 and Pro43 will be adequate for monitoring civilan and military traffic within a say, 10 SM radius of me?

Both should work fine for the VHF airband and milair UHF.

Are there particular frequencies in use in this area?

You can find the local Griffiss Frequencies here .... AirNav KRME

Those MOA's to the north (Adirondack Airspace Complex, aka Viper Airspace) and the Fort Drum Range are used extensively. There is also a couple of ATCAA's that are used by the MQ-9s out of Syracuse on an almost daily basis, plus there are some air refueling routes in the area. If you are interested I can give you those too ?

 

[Prospect62]

Both should work fine for the VHF airband and milair UHF.

You can find the local Griffiss Frequencies here .... AirNav KRME

Those MOA's to the north (Adirondack Airspace Complex, aka Viper Airspace) and the Fort Drum Range are used extensively. There is also a couple of ATCAA's that are used by the MQ-9s out of Syracuse on an almost daily basis, plus there are some air refueling routes in the area. If you are interested I can give you those too ?

Send me whatever you have that you think I'll be able to hear in the greater Rome area and points north.

Would be really cool to hear MQ-9 related traffic.

Griffiss is still quite alive, we had a Globemaster and C-130 chasing each other in circles today for about four hours at altitudes below 2000 feet. I'd love to hear these guys.

Does NEADS actually broadcast on Mil Air frequencies or are these aircraft talking to the KRME tower?

The more I read about Military air monitoring the more confused I get. Seems pretty complex. And my last project was programming P25 NAS on an XG100P so I'm no novice!

Thanks!

 

[AirScan]

Send me whatever you have that you think I'll be able to hear in the greater Rome area and points north.

These are just my notes of the most common frequencies used. (Any corrections or additions appreciated).

Air Traffic Control

127.425/279.600 - Syracuse Approach, 10000 feet and below

- controls airspace around KRME, at times combines with the other Syracuse frequencies 126.125/269.125

124.875/257.600 - Wheeler Sack Approach, 10000 feet and below
120.225/307.125 - Wheeler Sack Approach (secondary)

135.250/377.100 - Boston Center Sector 8, 11000 to FL270 (27000 feet)
123.875/323.000 - Boston Center Sector 9, FL280 and above

- Sector 8 and 9 are almost always combined.
- Controls entry/exit into Viper Airspace, GRIMM and OSWEGO ATCAA's (MQ-9s), and entry into AR206.

NY ANG, 174 Attack Wing, Syracuse, MQ-9s

250.475 - Tactical (SAR)
258.475 - Tactical
259.500 - Tactical
267.800 - Tactical
271.100 - Tactical
379.500 - OPS

- callsigns, (common) APEX 01, COBRA 01, PYTHON 01, (less common) GHOST 01, SNAKE 01, MAMBA 01, PHANTOM 01, HYDRA 01.
- active almost daily Monday-Friday in the GRIMM and OSWEGO ATCAA's.
- normally use VHF with ATC.
- any reports of any other confirmed Tactical frequencies appreciated.

Viper Airspace and the Fort Drum Range

226.300 - Viper Common (sometimes used as Tactical)
244.500 - Fort Drum JTAC Entry/Exit (used by VT F-35s for overflight clearance when in Viper)
226.900 - Fort Drum JTAC Tactical Primary
271.200 - Fort Drum JTAC Tactical Secondary
279.700 - Fort Drum JTAC Air Common (rare)
324.650 - Fort Drum JTAC Tactical (rare)
276.150 - Fort Drum JTAC Tactical (rare)
141.675 - Fort Drum JTAC (rare)

JTAC callsigns - BARKEATER, ICE DIGGER, BRUTAL

VT ANG, 158FW, Burlington, F-35

- most common user of Viper Airspace.
- usually active 0930-1100, 1330-1500 Local.
- normally use VHF with ATC.

293.700 - Scorpion OPS (AUX 01)
226.300 - Viper/Lightning Common (AUX 13)
238.250 - Yankee/Laser Common (AUX 14)
261.800 - TAC A-A (AUX 15)
314.400 - TAC A-A (AUX 16)
234.800 - TAC A-A (AUX 17)
226.800 - TAC A-A (AUX 18)
349.700 - TAC A-A (AUX 19)

AR - Air Refueling

348.900 - AR206 High
235.100 - AR206 Low
324.600 - AR204
238.900 - AR212
276.500 - AR609 (Viper/Lightning south)
282.700 - AR backup (for all above)

NORAD, East Air Defence Sector, EADS

- callsign HUNTRESS
- please let us know if you can ever hear the ground side (controller) on any of these EADS frequencies.

Confirmed used in area (rare)

260.900 - Control Primary
228.900 - Control Secondary
277.600 - Tactical (Viper ACM Exercise)
316.300 - Tactical (Viper ACM Exercise)
254.200 - Tactical (Viper ACM Exercise)
364.200 - AICC (Air Intercept Control Common) (used by AWACS - very rare)

Confirmed in use, but not confirmed in area

234.600 - Tactical
235.900 - Tactical
257.900 - Tactical
288.400 - Tactical
324.000 - Tactical
327.900 - Tactical

Possibly other, not confirmed

270.200 - ???
274.400 - ???
274.600 - ???
278.000 - ???
281.600 - ???
282.600 - ???
293.600 - ???
320.600 - ???
328.000 - ???
355.200 - ???
386.000 - ???

 

[Prospect62]

So is that just Military Air then? I was led to believe that the KRME tower is manned with a controller for civil aviation (Class D airspace) from 0700-2100 daily. The civil frequencies are published though. I guess my question is if the military aircraft are talking to the tower at KRME or directly to EADS...or do they all go through Syracuse?

 

[AirScan]

I guess my question is if the military aircraft are talking to the tower at KRME or directly to EADS...or do they all go through Syracuse?

For takeoff and landing clearance they are talking to the Tower at KRME (when it's open). The Tower Control Zone extends up to 3000 feet within 5nm of the airport. Otherwise they are talking to Syracuse Approach that controls the surrounding airspace up to 10000 feet. The EADS frequencies are used for enroute tactical missions and are not used for local KRME airport traffic. Just curious if you can hear the ATC controllers at KRME ? Can you hear the ATIS on 118.700 (continuous broadcast) ?

 

[Prospect62]

Makes sense. These guys were in the KRME class D airspace all day yesterday so I assume they were doing a lot of talking to the tower there.

I haven't tried to listen yet, I'm trying to get set up still. I'm so close to KRME and EADS though - I'll be very surprised if I can't hear them.

 

[Prospect62]

Hearing KRME controllers and local traffic loud and clear on 118.100 past 24 hours.

The ATIS is barely audible, I have to turn the squelch almost all the way down and even then it's not really intelligible.

This is on a Pro-2006 with an external Tram magnetic antenna which is affixed to a metal bracket inside my second floor office. I'm sure a home made dipole in the attic or some kind of truly external antenna would help.

So far nothing heard on the military bands, but theres no military traffic in the air today like there was yesterday.

Once my second hand Pro-43 comes in I'll take a ride over to Perimeter Road just outside the base and see what I can hear.

 

[AirScan]

So far nothing heard on the military bands, but theres no military traffic in the air today like there was yesterday.

What mil frequencies were you monitoring ? Viper Airspace was very busy this morning between 9:30-12:00 with VT ANG F-35s doing ACM (Air Combat Maneuvers), 226.300, 314.400, 234.800, 226.800, 347.900, 293.700 were active, and Air Refueling with a McGuire KC-46 on 276.500. Around 11:00 a Maine KC-135 joined up with 2 McGuire KC-46s on AR204 on 324.600.

 

[Prospect62]

What mil frequencies were you monitoring ? Viper Airspace was very busy this morning between 9:30-12:00 with VT ANG F-35s doing ACM (Air Combat Maneuvers), 226.300, 314.400, 234.800, 226.800, 347.900, 293.700 were active, and Air Refueling with a McGuire KC-46 on 276.500. Around 11:00 a Maine KC-135 joined up with 2 McGuire KC-46s on AR204 on 324.600.

I have a cursory list sent to me by another member here who is local to the area, not sure right now if the ones you just listed were also on his list. I will add them when I get a chance.

I'm not hearing much at all on military frequencies. Hearing plenty of civil traffic in and out of KRME, though.

 

[AirScan]

I have a cursory list sent to me by another member here who is local to the area

I'd be interested in what ones they have that aren't on my list. Any reception reports on any of the mil air frequencies appreciated, especially the EADS ones. I'm located to the north and can hear traffic above around 10000 feet in Viper, and above around 20000 feet over the Rome area.