Mid-Atlantic (and beyond) MilAir 2025

[Mark]

Hearing couple USMC Hustlers CH-53E HMH-772 A/A 250.800 out of Lancaster Pa KLNS airport headed East..
Mention seeing fireworks at one oclock "no problem" Prob a Sat night game.. First real Mil coms heard all day.

 

[N4TX]

For a bit of unexpected variety in our local listening...the WashPost reports that tomorrow's meeting in Washington between Zelensky and Trump will be joined by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, President Emmanuel Macron of France, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain,
Georgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte, and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union’s executive arm. Nothing more specific about arrivals, timing, etc.

 

[Mark]

For a bit of unexpected variety in our local listening...the WashPost reports that tomorrow's meeting in Washington between Zelensky and Trump will be joined by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, President Emmanuel Macron of France, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain,
Georgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte, and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union’s executive arm. Nothing more specific about arrivals, timing, etc.

Yeah wouldn't surprise me to see them start rolling into US later tonight.
Get some time zone sleep before Monday
I see Air Canada getting forced back to work soon.. Employees won't be happy campers though.
A couple ACA flights showing up this morning.

 

[mdmonitor]

1120- BAF 643 (Belgian AF A-400) finally getting out of ADW. Tried late last week but had to RTB right after take off.

 

[Mark]

Was the VP still overseas?Notice SAM-44 #98-0001 followed by #98-0002 inbound from Prestwck Scotland.
Guess he was still on Holiday over there.

See the Marines even control security even on Hospital ships USNS Comfort should be enroute back home at Norfolk.

USNS Comfort Marines Live Fire

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Aug. 13, 2025) Cpl. Elian Lopez and Lance Cpl. Nazarene Richardson, both assigned to Marine Corps Security Force Regiment, FAST Battalion, Bravo Company, 5th Platoon, conduct a live-fire exercise aboard the Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) in the Atlantic Ocean...

www.dvidshub.net

E-6 is up off Pax River and on 311.000 back end TRANQUIL calling WILD THING sounded like.

 

[Mark]

For a bit of unexpected variety in our local listening...the WashPost reports that tomorrow's meeting in Washington between Zelensky and Trump will be joined by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, President Emmanuel Macron of France, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain,
Georgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte, and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union’s executive arm. Nothing more specific about arrivals, timing, etc.

Brussels departure for Ukraine A-319.

UKN1143 Ukraine Air Enterprise Flight Tracking and History - FlightAware

Track Ukraine Air Enterprise #1143 flight from Melsbroek Air Base to Joint Base Andrews

www.flightaware.com

 

[covert53]

Brussels departure for Ukraine A-319.

UKN1143 Ukraine Air Enterprise Flight Tracking and History - FlightAware

Track Ukraine Air Enterprise #1143 flight from Melsbroek Air Base to Joint Base Andrews

www.flightaware.com

Silly me but that seems like a big flight for an A319. I know this aircraft can do it since it’s done it before but does a stock A319 usually have those kind of legs?

 

[TerryPavlick]

Silly me but that seems like a big flight for an A319. I know this aircraft can do it since it’s done it before but does a stock A319 usually have those kind of legs?

Technically the aircraft is a Airbus A319ACJ ( Airbus Corporate Jet similar to the Boeing BBJ )....with plenty of range due to the lighter load

 

[TerryPavlick]

checking FlightAware that aircraft plus two others are scheduled

 

[spacellamaman]

Yeah figure Air Canada does most of the long hauls to Europe etc
Travellers had that long planned Euro vacation all set then the Moose says "Sorry folks"
Westjet and am sure some US carriers picked up some business.

Another IL-96 going home now after Alaska trip.. Probably loaded with shopping swag like I-Phones etc
View attachment 188604

Now with I-PHONES! *fist in air*

 

[covert53]

Technically the aircraft is a Airbus A319ACJ ( Airbus Corporate Jet similar to the Boeing BBJ )....with plenty of range due to the lighter load

View attachment 188638

Ok that makes much more sense. Thanks

 

[Mark]

I see Air Canada getting forced back to work soon.. Employees won't be happy campers though.
A couple ACA flights showing up this morning.

Seems ACA Flight attendants told Govt no way they are coming back for now.. Tough Strike!
No wonder why only 2 ACA flights up now. Bet these folks in Colombia are gladly getting back as far as Florida anyway.
Being non-mil they can take shortcut over Cuba and bypass Hurricane.
AC7263 (ACA7263) Air Canada Flight Tracking and History 17-Aug-2025 (BOG / SKBO-KMIA) - FlightAware

 

[TerryPavlick]

Seems ACA Flight attendants told Govt no way they are coming back for now.. Tough Strike!
No wonder why only 2 ACA flights up now. Bet these folks in Colombia are gladly getting back as far as Florida anyway.
Being non-mil they can take shortcut over Cuba and bypass Hurricane.
AC7263 (ACA7263) Air Canada Flight Tracking and History 17-Aug-2025 (BOG / SKBO-KMIA) - FlightAware

Yeah a bit of poor timing by the union - had to know with the summer season going especially for international flights to Europe - taking down the large carrier not a good idea - will see what happens next.

 

[Mark]

Odd aircraft out of Miami for Westchester County airport? then dropped off the screen at FL 3k.
Shows callsign XAA3766 (A0FEAB) .Maybe a private Mexican spoof callsign.
flightaware shows as not trackable per owner operator request.

 

[Mark]

Pair of E-3's rotating out of Lajes stop from the Med or Middle East inbound McGuire?

SHUCK-84 #76-1604
SHUCK-85 #76-1605


The USS Gerald Ford made trip thru Dover strait yesterday into the North Sea.

Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group Transits Strait of Dover

The world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Mahan (DDG 72), USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), and USS Bainbridge (DDG 96), all assigned to Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG), transited the Strait of Dover...

www.dvidshub.net

 

[rr60]

Pair of E-3's rotating out of Lajes stop from the Med or Middle East inbound McGuire?

SHUCK-84 #76-1604
SHUCK-85 #76-1605
View attachment 188669

The USS Gerald Ford made trip thru Dover strait yesterday into the North Sea.

Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group Transits Strait of Dover

The world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Mahan (DDG 72), USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), and USS Bainbridge (DDG 96), all assigned to Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG), transited the Strait of Dover...

www.dvidshub.net

yes McQuire! Feet dry just now descending through 5000 at LBI

 

[TerryPavlick]

Odd aircraft out of Miami for Westchester County airport? then dropped off the screen at FL 3k.
Shows callsign XAA3766 (A0FEAB) .Maybe a private Mexican spoof callsign.
flightaware shows as not trackable per owner operator request.

Just a business jet operating using a hidden tail number. Using the privacy system to cover the real aircraft registration and owner.

"The ICAO code XAA is assigned to Aeronautical Radio, Inc. (ARINC), a company in the United States. It is not a three-letter IATA airline code. ARINC uses XAA for their call sign, but it's not a traditional airline."

Flight would identify to ATC as ROCKFISH 3766 (XAA=ROCKFISH callsign as assigned)

They are a bit tougher to figure out -- patience is really required.

 

[mdmonitor]

0915- COTAM 006 (French AF A-330 F-FRAF) w/Potomac (126.1) inbound to Dulles.

 

[frank3si]

0915- COTAM 006 (French AF A-330 F-FRAF) w/Potomac (126.1) inbound to Dulles.

And KRH645 military Airbus 321 from UK about to fly over Long Island.

 

[N4TX]

The Brit airbus is heading for Andrews and is approaching Delaware. I guess the other Europeans sneaked in overnight or I lost them in the Dulles clutter.