NAS Jax Air Show :: Nov. 5-6, 2011

[KB4REA]

Jacksonville Air Show 2011

For those of you who live in the area...I highly recommend catching the Blue Angels on Friday during their practice show from the Target parking lot right next door. You won't be disappointed! I've seen them practice on a Thursday too but last year they didn't.

Here's a video from a couple of years ago of what it's like.

 

[kg4ojj]

Thanks for the reminder about that watching/listening post. Scouted it out today. Zaxby's !!!

Was able to stay for a bit and monitored routine air and trunked traffic. Played with UniTrunker (see my post about what I found).


Do you know when they typically practice?

 

[KB4REA]

Thanks for the reminder about that watching/listening post. Scouted it out today. Zaxby's !!!

Was able to stay for a bit and monitored routine air and trunked traffic. Played with UniTrunker (see my post about what I found).


Do you know when they typically practice?

haha, yeah Zaxby's is a big plus when you get the munchies!

Blue Angels typically arrive on Wednesday before a show and last year I heard them for the first time doing a survey of the area describing landmarks, tallest buildings, etc. that afternoon. I only had a 20 minute break so it was torture gettin back to work.

As far as practice goes, I've seen them practice both Thursday & Friday a number of times, except for last year, for whatever reason they didn't go up Thursday (at least in the afternoon I should say). But I'll be at Target both days between 2:30-3p. Looks like the weather is going to cooperate for us this year. Flat shows can be boring sometimes...

 

[kg4ojj]

For those watching and listening to the upcoming airshow, here are a few must-have resources:

Airnav data for KNIP (NASJAX): AirNav: KNIP - Jacksonville Naval Air Station (Towers Field)

Monitoring Times 2011 Air Show Guide: http://www.monitoringtimes.com/0311airshowspecial.pdf

 

[kg4ojj]

On the NASJAX Trunked System:
Active talkgroup now, discussing airshow details ?airboss? #28120

 

[kg4ojj]

Practice & VIP Show today announced today on 87.9 FM.

This is the published frequency for the airshow.

Blue Angels practice at 3:00 p.m. local (in 15 minutes).

Confirmed talkgroup 28120 is "airboss." Tower talkgroup (28118) also active, as "FM Tower."

 

[kg4ojj]

NASJAX talkgroup 29529 is for Blue Angels' handlers.

 

[kg4ojj]

BA Fat Albert freq as advertised in 2011 MT's Air Show Guide (305.9 AM).

BA 275.35 AM, 255.2 AM, 346.5 AM, 237.8 AM in use, as advertised.

Clear skies, breezy and nice day to watch the Blue Angels fly.....

 

[kg4ojj]

NASJAX talkgroup 29529 is for Blue Angels' handlers.

This comes up, in the Navy SE Region TRS, as allocated near other NAS Pensacola talkgroups.

I suspect they are able to use multi-site roaming with their existing Pensacola-based radios.

That is, use the Pensacola talkgroup here at NASJAX. Hmmmm

 

[kg4ojj]

Cloudy, WINDY, and cool for today's airshow. However, I did confirm the Blue Angels' use of Navy SE Region TRS talkgroup 29529. Also, 29530 was used by them during the start of their performance. Again, these fit nicely in the NAS Pensacola range of validated talkgroups. I'll submit these to the DB today.

Confirmed the Horsemen on 136.675 AM. They have a nice travel bus and chase truck.

Those winds out of the north (gusting to 20+ MPH) were right in my face all day long. Regardless, it was a great airshow. We did have an "emergency" at the start of the show. An A-10 from Moody ARB blew out a rear tire on landing. Shut the runway down for awhile, but didn't stall the show for long.

Also picked up NASJAX talkgroups 28229 and 28148. Unconfirmed use. Also, a handful of encrypted talkgroups were heard, including 28106, 28273, 28276, 28278, 28195, 28179, and 28121. These talkgroups correspond nicely with other NASJAX talkgroups, so I assume that is where they are located.

FDLE, FHP, NASJAX command trucks were here, too. The JSO SWAT truck tried to hide, but it's so ugly you can't miss it. From the feds, we had a nice static display of Customs (CBP) aircraft. Dozens of military planes and helicopters were on display (all with their radios off - too bad).

It's tough trying to take pictures, listening to the airshow announcer, and confirming & capturing talkgroups. Tomorrow, I'll be back with just the radio and a notebook. If the winds are as bad, it'll be better show with me in my vehicle......

 

[KB4REA]

Jay,

Did you catch the other mishap with Blue Angel #5? After extending his arrestor hook for a maneuver it did not return in place. He flew the rest of the show with it down but the concern was when it was time to land. They had him break for landing last after #6 and his hook, still down, scraped along the whole runway. I was toward the end of the runway where he was coming to a stop and could see sparks, though faint, coming from his hook. Just like with the A-10, he sat there on the runway as a maintenance truck came to help and they got the hook up and he was able to taxi back in place with the team.

The weather was indeed miserable. The wind did not let up for a second. Still great show like you said. That Skip Steward was pretty entertaining to watch.

 

[kg4ojj]

Airshow discrete frequency was 123.150 AM. Used by all performers, except the Blue Angels.

Blue Angels used their "trunking radios" - their term, not mine. Also, heard traffic on the second Fat Albert frequency (as listed in previous post) during Bert's flight and during Angels' flight. The trunking talkgroups were used by tower to comm cart (TG 29529). Used that talkgroup to get last minute wind/weather checks to pass to the pilots. Never did hear precisely why they had a second talkgroup, but it was busy with BA comm checks and ground chatter. The BA crew walked around with Motorola VHF (long, thick antenna style) radios and used Bravo Ground (their frequency) during the day. The Monitoring Times' Airshow Guide was a good source of information. Once the Angels started hitting their afterburners, I couldn't hear much though, even with noise-canceling earbuds....

Medical emergencies, two today, were handled on NASJAX talkgroups 28150 (Fire), 28148 (Command Post or Operations). Also, medic to hospital traffic heard on 463.150 (PL 203.5) - the known MED-Comm channel for NASJAX E.R. The pyrotechnics of Patty Wagstaff and Skip Stewart caused a five-acre grass fire on the north side of the airfield. This almost delayed the start of the Blue Angels but the men and women of NASJAX Fire put enough water on it and the show moved on.

Missed the BA mishap....was exiting stage left onto Roosevelt. Did heard they had a bird strike on a canopy today but the plane (not the bird) suffered no real damage.

Also, if you venture out to see the Blue Angels (in Pensacola for their last show or in 2012), search for the narration script to their show. Between it and their announcer, I anticipated the shots (for taking photos) and who to try and listen to (diamond or solo performers).

 

[ka3jjz]

This would make a very good wiki article - I've never seen so much trunking being reported, especially one where multi site roaming was in use.

Hope you can (or will?) condense this and submit it to MT for inclusion in Larry's database (I assume he's using one to track all the performances...)

Nice job 73 Mike

 

[kg4ojj]

Thanks, Mike. A fun time was had by all.

To make the posting complete, here are a few photos: 2011 NASJAX Air Show - a set on Flickr

I will send Larry all the data I have.

 

[KB4REA]

Did heard they had a bird strike on a canopy today but the plane (not the bird) suffered no real damage.

There was a bird strike yesterday too. The F-4 struck a bird on takeoff en route to another show at Cocoa Beach. There are a lot of birds at that field apparently. Even during the demos, they were flying in flocks above the field.

I wish I had the guts to bring my scanner on base like you. I've seen who I assume are professional photographers with radios at the show but I figure they get a pass. IDK, I just imagine it getting taken away from me.