Mid-Air Refueling over Nova Scotia

[looknlisten]

RCH730 & PACK51 on AR20-NE

REACH730(C-17, 10-0213) is getting ready to be refueled by PACK51 (KC-135R, 64-14836) on AR20-NE near CYQI at 0115Z

 

[Mark]

SHUCK 31,32 E-3's to CYYR today for upcoming NORAD drill this week.
Looks to be a busy week up that away..

 

[Mark]

A couple SPUR KC-135's from Pittsburgh to Pease it seems this morning.

SPUR 02 58-0077 1300z
SPUR 22 59-1468 1500z

Maybe Buff support for later on.

Also 1635z FANG-01 flight of 4 Florida ANG F-15's coming North I think into CYYR
along with KC-135 BOLT-99 #58-0050 6thAMW as support.
Last night a SNAP-91 60-0337 also into CYYR at 2030z
These are your NORAD drill participants.

 

[Mark]

2330z HF fans fairly active 11175 and 11220 various aircraft PP to Offutt for
"ATTRITION" Asking about various assigned freqs on HF like RF-16,RF-18 etc.

 

[looknlisten]

STEEL84 on AR20-NE

STEEL84 (KC-135R, 58-099) is delaying at CYQI awaiting their receiver for refueling on AR20-NE.
Block FL250-270 1901Z
AR has begun with SNOOP55 (showing as COBRA56, 62-4135 on PlanePlotter)1941Z
Confirmed via comms...SNOOP55/COBRA56 are the same. 1957Z

 

[Mark]

I see AR20-NE booked late tonight 0415z-0540z

 

[looknlisten]

A couple SPUR KC-135's from Pittsburgh to Pease it seems this morning.

SPUR 02 58-0077 1300z
SPUR 22 59-1468 1500z

Maybe Buff support for later on.

SPUR 03 (61-0314,KC-135R) landed at Bangor Airport this evening @ 2120Z

 

[looknlisten]

RAIDER11/12 Flight on AR20-NE 2315Z

RAIDER11 and 12 are being refueled by SPUR04/11 on AR20-NE.
RAIDER12 will be returning to base (Air-Spare). Tanker comms on 252.800...AR Primary 341.750.
All part of NATO Exercise NOBLE JUSTIFICATION.
This will be the third B-52 refuel in as many days on AR20.
Bomber 2 may refuel on AR20-SW for training.

B-52 Stratofortresses to participate in NATO exercise - U.S. Strategic Command

 

[Tech792]

Just had RAIDER come through NY/NJ about an hour ago from the south ....posted the info in Military monitoring forum....thought they were meeting up with TEAM 48/49 for AR but I might be wrong.

 

[looknlisten]

So as you probably noticed, they never did head overseas, instead they both turned back to Barksdale Air Force Base - (KBAD) via Little Rock
A short sample of the comms I picked up.
https://audioboom.com/boos/2591385-raider11-refueled-by-spur-tankers-on-ar20-ne-oct24th

 

[looknlisten]

RAIDER11 heading for AR20-SW

RAIDER11 is with Gander radio (LiveATC) at 1957Z.
Two SPUR tankers took off from Bangor at 1900Z headed to CYYT.
Tankers holding at TAGRA latitude 47.178333,longitude -57.078889 for 10 min FL260-280.
MARSA declared at 2009Z with RAIDER11.
Cleared AR20-SW at 2018Z
(Via LiveATC)

 

[looknlisten]

Interesting...while monitoring CYYT on LiveATC...I also heard JOINT41/42 Flight. They said they would overfly Gander then head back home to (KBAD) Barksdale AFB.
Sounded like Bombers to me.
(I know they were monitored on HF earlier today with comms to 'Red River'.)
Looks like they are headed our way...two tankers headed North IGOR02 (61-0298, KC-135R) and IGOR01 (62-3578, KC-135R)
Tanker A-A on 303.000 2110Z
Confirmed...two B-52s (via LiveATC) 2152Z
Declared MARSA with JOINT41 Flight 2222Z FL260-280 (Via LiveATC)

 

[N1BHH]

RAIDER 11 just heard here at 1809 local with Boston Center on 360.6.

 

[looknlisten]

Kool...hope you have luck with the JOINT flight.

 

[looknlisten]

Here are some of the comms from yesterday's JOINT flight of 2 B-52s refueling on AR20-SW
https://audioboom.com/boos/2594568-oct-24th-joint41-flight-refuel-on-ar20-sw

 

[looknlisten]

BLUE/RETRO Flight on AR20-NE

BLUE48 (86-0032, KC-10A) and BLUE47 (63-8014, KC-135R) are near CYQI refueling a RETRO flight (of three) on AR20-NE track. Believed to be F-15s (493FS?) headed back to the UK from maintenance. Tanker A-A comms on 303.000, Boom freq was 293.000 but switched to 268.400 as soon as they entered Canadian airspace.
Via Comms, PP
0810Z
Sounds like the 3 F15s diverted to Bangor. Tanker headed to Burlington. Unsure why at this time. 0950Z

 

[looknlisten]

All fighters landed safely on RNWY 15 at Burlington @ 1037Z (via LiveATC)

 

[Mark]

Rgr BLUE 47 came back this way 1130z assume to SJ.

Sounds like a F-15 depot delivery with those tanker callsign numbers.

 

[looknlisten]

Rgr BLUE 47 came back this way 1130z assume to SJ.
.

Yep...confirmed they RTB'd to Seymour Johnson AFB.
The F15s were back up later in the day. Sounds like they will try again in the morning.

 

[looknlisten]

AR20-NE active 2011Z

COBRA55 (63-9792, Boeing RC-135V (739-445B)) is refueling with HOIST81 (86-0027, KC-10A) on AR20-NE on AR primary 341.750.
2013Z