Howdy - This is Bill and I too live in the DFW Metro area. I have been listening into Mil-Air for a while and you might consider using a few tools of the trade, if you don't already use some or all of them:
Do a search my postings and you will see the below with links - some are DOD and you must (at times) download a Public Security update to display. Some have issues doing this whilst I have not on Windows11.
1. Look at the
NOTAMS (ZFW) daily as the NOTAMS will give you the Dates/Times of Operations of Military Operations and Training Areas, along with several Air Refueling Tracks you might be able to hear from DFW.
2. Look at the
Special Use Airspace (SUA) site a few times a day when monitoring as this is a great tool the maps/graphics depicting the info above and you can do "filtering and sorting" via the TEXT TAB as well.
3. See the
AP-1/B (aka 'FLIP Charts") for a LOT of information on IR, VR and SR Training routes with embedded Radio Frequencies in some of the routes. In the back half of the AP-1/P is a Map of the CONUS Tanker Aerial Refueling Routes (AR-104 south of DFW as one example) and both the Tanker to Receiver Radio Freq and the FAA Entry / Exit Freqs too...
4. Download
ADS-B to see the Mil-Air Aircraft in the area. Once the MAP is open, just hit the "
U" button and
ONLY Mil-Air Aircraft will appear vs all the Private and Commercial stuff..in the layers pull down you can select the Tanker A-R Tracks with Labels from the source AP-1/B.
5. Radio Reference: Search the
NATIONAL database to load the "MIL-AIR-COMMON" radio freqs. Air-to-Air, AWACS (via Tinker AFB) and NORAD freqs.
6. Search each base within (as you have done) within 100-200 miles as you can sometimes hear the Aircraft, put you may-not hear ATC/Center.
7.
Navy Ft. Worth has lots of activity daily with USAFR F-16's (call-sign COWBOY nn and Lockheed / NAVY F-35's (Call Sign Lightning nn).
8.
Sheppard AFB has a lot of Training and flights into Alliance Airport (KAFW) in my area - mostly TEX-2 and some T-38 traffic.
9. Dyess / Barksdale you have and once in a blue moon will here transit B-52/B-1's but not often - Air Refueling ops is a better bet!
10. Search for UHF (225-380Mhz Range - all in "AM MODE") looking for
FAA RCAGS site" ZFW" (FAA Remote A-G Comm Sites) and those will help. The USAF uses a lot of VHF Mil Air (138-143 Mhz) too, depending on the area and local polices...NAVY Ft. Worth has TX Air Guard and USAF Reserves (soon trading in the F-16's for F-35's) and the use both VHF and UHF MIL AIR Freq's.
SKYVECTOR is another tool as are the
JEPSON CHARTS and
FAA SECTIONAL Charts - The DFW
Chart also has the Military Operation Areas (MOA) the Radio Freqs on the side-bar....Brownwood MOA and the various MOA's around Sheppard are very busy at times. Brownwood for training for gun runs and bombing missions and some with CCT;s. You will-not hear them in DFW, but if you are out that way its worth loading up the radio freqs - Check NOTAMS for dates/times of use !
Norad Common - Example and many more...
364.200 (AM MODE) is most active I have heard - sometimes training with Fighters / AWACS...
| 271.000 | | BM | CSQ | NORAD WADS | "Blue 15" Western Air Defense Sector ("Bigfoot")/Air-to-Air | AM | Military |
| 282.600 | | M | CSQ | NORAD 282.6 | Air-to-Air | AM | Military |
| 335.950 | | M | CSQ | NORAD AWACS | Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) | AM | Military |
| 364.200 | | BM | CSQ | NORAD AICC | Air Intercept Control Common ("AICC") | | |
Hope this helps...Bill
