Mid-Atlantic MilAir 2024

[john8436]

Today from WRI FORCE13 went to SJ AFB, FORCE14 & 15 are west bound, yesterday FORCE12 went west to Mathers as well as FORCE32 to Nellis. A lot of FORCE call signs this weekend.

To the group, is there a mission associated with the FORCE Call Sign?

 

[apex31]

Today from WRI FORCE13 went to SJ AFB, FORCE14 & 15 are west bound, yesterday FORCE12 went west to Mathers as well as FORCE32 to Nellis. A lot of FORCE call signs this weekend.

To the group, is there a mission associated with the FORCE Call Sign?

I had the same curiosity as I watched FORCE14 &15 pass over me today as they left the area. I only recall seeing this calling used within the last few months, and it seems to be getting used more frequently as of late.

 

[Mark]

FORCE sounds like 514th AMW Reserve guys on various training deployments..
McGuire has plenty of KC-46's now to send around for training.
When they had KC-135's they would use FORCE-07 or FORCE-08 for depot overhaul delivery flights but occasionally
would use FORCE as stateside training mission flights.

The USAF says they will probably beef up fighters in the Middle East due to recent events as SJ already has some F-15E's down range.
No word on who is going yet.. Likely will be some Euro based fighters but you never know.

There is a GOLD-41 KC-10 #86-0031 dropping down towards Utah.. Only a few KC-10's still flying now and
will be all gone by end of the year.

Speaking of tankers Travis getting their 7th KC-46 delivery now. GOLDN-07 #21-46094.

 

[john8436]

FORCE sounds like 514th AMW Reserve guys on various training deployments..
McGuire has plenty of KC-46's now to send around for training.
When they had KC-135's they would use FORCE-07 or FORCE-08 for depot overhaul delivery flights but occasionally
would use FORCE as stateside training mission flights.

The USAF says they will probably beef up fighters in the Middle East due to recent events as SJ already has some F-15E's down range.
No word on who is going yet.. Likely will be some Euro based fighters but you never know.

1335 Local: FORCE13 just departed GSB heading west. I would have to assume they picked up some members of the 917th ARW (K-46A Members) to go with them for whatever they are doing. Maybe some level of KC-46A training with west coast bases.

That would be 5 aircraft on the west coast this weekend.

 

[Mark]

Here comes McGuire's last Boeing KC-46 delivery. PUDGY-24 #21-46093.
One for Travis and one for McGuire

SCORE-53 KC-130J from Pax River doing A/R with #14 unknown on Pax discrete 254.750..

HMX-1 ops 143.825 Nighthawk-32 says about 10 mikes out from my drop off inbound KILG.

 

[freqhopping]

Brunswick airboss is on 119.6
Navy Heritage Flight A>A 118.95 I think was also used for some things preceding that, Mike Gulian and sky divers maybe.
T-6s used 123.425

 

[john8436]

It appears that there is some level of training and/or exercise involving tankers on the west coast.

4 of the McGuire tankers went to Mathers Airport (Mathers AFB) as well as 3 McConnell KC-46's (LAMBxx Call Signs). FORCE32 from McGuire is operating out of Nellis AFB right now.

Before I left to go to work there were 4 KC-135s on the same flight path as the McGuire KC-46's. heading west. Maybe they are joining the party!!

I know the 22nd has been testing the WRP's for the KC-46's maybe there is some movement on them!!

 

[apex31]

It appears that there is some level of training and/or exercise involving tankers on the west coast.

4 of the McGuire tankers went to Mathers Airport (Mathers AFB) as well as 3 McConnell KC-46's (LAMBxx Call Signs). FORCE32 from McGuire is operating out of Nellis AFB right now.

Before I left to go to work there were 4 KC-135s on the same flight path as the McGuire KC-46's. heading west. Maybe they are joining the party!!

I know the 22nd has been testing the WRP's for the KC-46's maybe there is some movement on them!!

I’m thinking for Bamboo Eagle 24-3? This exercise takes place in the weeks following Red Flag at Nellis which I believe finished up today. If I remember correctly, there were multiple McGuire KC-46s that participated last year.

 

[jetcrafter]

Brunswick airboss is on 119.6
Navy Heritage Flight A>A 118.95 I think was also used for some things preceding that, Mike Gulian and sky divers maybe.
T-6s used 123.425

Thanks freqhopping for the freqs. 119.6 used to be tower when it was a Navy base. Well that explains why I had no airshow related comms on 122.725 other than inbound on recordings today. Did the F-18 demo go up today? If so, what time? Trying to plan tomorrow, but don't want to sit there all day for civil acts I've seen before.

Here's my log from todays recordings:

All times local EDT
0835 259.900 GOLD/BOLD/BOLO??? 01 Flight of two 104th F15s A-A on their way up and around Bar Harbor area.
0922 122.725 104th F15s inbound for approaches then land at Brunswick. Could not clearly make out the callsign.
1029 235.250 THUNDERBIRDS sounded like first practice of the day. Comms heard from 1029-1107
1516 235.250 THUNDERBIRDS practice show, regularly scheduled time. Comms heard 1516-1550
1518 149.650 THUNDERBIRDS practice show comms heard 1518-1550

 

[john8436]

1814 Local: KC-10A 86-0031 GOLD41 over DE turning south towards Dover. CAP or finial flight to be a display bird?

 

[apex31]

1814 Local: KC-10A 86-0031 GOLD41 over DE turning south towards Dover. CAP or finial flight to be a display bird?

With the GOLD callsign, almost certainly dragging fighters over the Atlantic. Will have to keep an eye out tomorrow or in the coming days. Maybe this ties into USAF “beefing up” their fighter presence in the Middle East as mentioned a few posts above?

 

[RichardKramer]

@1840L RAIDR 19 C-130J 170277/MARS 13927usb p/p. NNW of Richmond, Va.

 

[john8436]

I’m thinking for Bamboo Eagle 24-3? This exercise takes place in the weeks following Red Flag at Nellis which I believe finished up today. If I remember correctly, there were multiple McGuire KC-46s that participated last year.

You are on the bullseye!!!

https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3860427/bamboo-eagle-24-3-usafwcs-approach-to-great-power-competition/

 

[N4TX]

Fox reports Pentagon will send a fighter squadron and a couple of cruisers and DEs to the Middle East. No word on who.

 

[N4TX]

More: “The military will send one additional squadron of Air Force F-22 fighter jets, an unspecified number of additional Navy cruisers and destroyers capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, and, if needed, more land-based ballistic-missile defense systems.…Mr. Austin also directed the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, now in the eastern Pacific, to relieve the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt in the next couple of weeks when it is scheduled to return home.” NYTimes

 

[Mark]

With the GOLD callsign, almost certainly dragging fighters over the Atlantic. Will have to keep an eye out tomorrow or in the coming days. Maybe this ties into USAF “beefing up” their fighter presence in the Middle East as mentioned a few posts above?

GOLD-41 did odd route as in North Eastern Nevada in middle of nowhere they dropped and did small race track circuit
at FL-18k. Guessing they topped off some Idaho A-10's on the way back to Boise then pressed on East at high altitude.
Landed McGuire alpha-1 so plane is in good shape and req follow me truck..
Usually when GOLD's or BLUE use 4 prefix like 41 it is a depot type delivery mission..
Maybe F-15's from Warner Robins or SJ for Lakenheath or new South Carolina made F-16's for Slovakia.. Slovs expecting
a dozen more by end of the year.. Just a couple WAG's

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/slovakia-gets-first-new-f-16s-boost-air-defence-2024-07-22/

 

[freqhopping]

Thanks freqhopping for the freqs. 119.6 used to be tower when it was a Navy base. Well that explains why I had no airshow related comms on 122.725 other than inbound on recordings today. Did the F-18 demo go up today? If so, what time? Trying to plan tomorrow, but don't want to sit there all day for civil acts I've seen before.

Sounded like GOLD01 to me the one time I heard it.

The heritage flight F-18 did a demo prior to pairing up with the Corsair. I'm not so sure the schedule will be the same as today. The Tbirds 4-ship kicked off right around 1030. I had a hunch on that happening because that's when the TFR went into effect today. Later in the day while heading out to SCUBA dive around 1530 I heard Tbirds active again, maybe the pair.

4-ship was followed by a Cessna 182 dropping some jumpers with Gulian doing the usual spiraling around a jumper. This is the show opener with the national anthem. I think the T-6s were after the heritage flight. Then the Rhino demo followed by RJ Gritter. RJ and the P-51 N51MX took off about the same time. The P-51 went elsewhere while RJ performed and I left. That was about 1400.

 

[freqhopping]

The ground crew was nice enough to relocate it from the show center area and move it around so I could get all angles.

166896 The other one should be 168942.

 

[apex31]

NATION-13 on way South from Pease Iowa KC-135 #58-0057

Found this on my Twitter feed, photo by @mhtplanes. NATION13 returning to KPSM this evening after working the Dogfish CAP. Nice tail art on that one!

 

[jetcrafter]

Sounded like GOLD01 to me the one time I heard it.

The heritage flight F-18 did a demo prior to pairing up with the Corsair. I'm not so sure the schedule will be the same as today. The Tbirds 4-ship kicked off right around 1030. I had a hunch on that happening because that's when the TFR went into effect today. Later in the day while heading out to SCUBA dive around 1530 I heard Tbirds active again, maybe the pair.

4-ship was followed by a Cessna 182 dropping some jumpers with Gulian doing the usual spiraling around a jumper. This is the show opener with the national anthem. I think the T-6s were after the heritage flight. Then the Rhino demo followed by RJ Gritter. RJ and the P-51 N51MX took off about the same time. The P-51 went elsewhere while RJ performed and I left. That was about 1400.


View attachment 166944

View attachment 166945

Thank you for that nice report and photos! Much appreciated!