New Air Evac frequency?

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wbswetnam

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I programmed in a slew of 'business' category frequencies into my BCT15X today, and after a while I got activity on 151.505 MHz, 143 DCS. It sounded like the base frequency communicating with the helicopter, giving coordinates to an accident, and discussing the weather at the landing zone. The dispatcher said "Air Evac" several times. I only heard one side of the conversation, however, the base I think. I looked into the Arkansas Medical Evacuation frequencies but I did not find this one listed. Which base it is I do not know, and I find it odd that it was the base I heard and not the helicopter.

Can anyone else try monitoring this frequency ? I hate to submit info for the database if I'm not 99% sure.
 

INDY72

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This freq is usually an indication that there is a new AEL Base about to become live. I would keep an eye on EMS, and Fire/Rescue web sites, Facebook, and media for any snippets.
 

wbswetnam

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Russellville already has Life Flight at Saint Mary's Hospital. The nearest base for Air Evac is in Morrilton, about 25 miles east southeast of Russellville. Life Flight and Air Evac have widely overlapping service areas. That's why I have memberships with both of them. If you're in a serious accident, you have no idea which one first responders are going to call!
 

INDY72

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Russellville already has Life Flight at Saint Mary's Hospital. The nearest base for Air Evac is in Morrilton, about 25 miles east southeast of Russellville. Life Flight and Air Evac have widely overlapping service areas. That's why I have memberships with both of them. If you're in a serious accident, you have no idea which one first responders are going to call!
Same in IN.. Especially here in Metro Indy.. Its all up to the Air Ambulance pilots, and status of the helo.. If one of the 2 primary servers has qualms about the weather, or they do not have a helo available they go with the other. Or if both services decline to fly due to weather, or do not have a helo then they will offer one of the ground units. Here the 2 primary services are IU Health's LifeLine, and St. Vincent's STAT (Flight/Ground). Then you also have AEL/PHI other if they have availability.
 

wbswetnam

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Twice this morning I heard Air Evac on 151.505 / DCS143 referred to as "Morrilton tower". I looked at the Air Evac website for its service locations, and it gives the location of Air Evac 30 as being in Morrilton. So I think that I have it nailed down. But, if this is an itinerant, temporary frequency, I don't want to report it to the database yet.

Now if only I could find Survival Flight 7's frequencies here in Russellville! I've been searching for over a year.
 

03msc

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For SF, search for repeaters that are owned by a radio service (radio shop) and listed accordingly. For example: the Batesville tower is actually owned by the local comms shop and SF leases it (and it has an IP link to their ops center for dispatch).

Also keep in mind that SF uses satellite comms, too, which we, of course, can't hear. I hear them on the Batesville tower fairly often (Batesville is their training base and HQ...they lease 2 large hangars at the airport) but do hear them sometimes say "We're not getting you on the satellite...do you copy on Batesville tower?"
 

INDY72

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I would start watching FCC data for new lic or amendments to lic for AEL or PHI.... :)
 

wbswetnam

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I heard "Air Evac 30" communicating on 155.340 today with an unidentified ER. It was patient condition, etc.. Most comms that I hear on 155.340 are CSQ, but this particular transmission from Air Evac 30 had a tone of 156.7 Hz. Interesting...
 

INDY72

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Arkansas Statewide VMED28 has tone of 131.8 PL. Most of the state anyway for Ground Units... Air might be 156.7 PL
 

bubbaearle

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03msc

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^ ^ Yeah, those look like good possibilities. If it's anyting like Survival Flight here, they lease it from a radio service (radio shop) - it was one he already had in his "pool" of available frequencies/repeaters. They've been running ops/dispatch out of Arizona and the repeater is linked over VOIP service to them. They've advertised locally (Arkansas) for dispatchers and rumor is they'll move ops here when they get some hired and trained. I live < 1/2 mile from their office and a little over a mile from the airport where they have 2 large hangars leased as they have their fixed wing base here as well as mechanics/repair and flight training. Anyway, back to AirEvac...I would suspect they do similar as far as comms.
 
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