Sticky Thread For Mid-Atlantic MilAir 2022

[Mark]

BOBBY 71 took first group offshore VA Beach
Then turned SW over the ocean.Bermuda or San Juan stop?
BOBBY 61 was second and did the same.
Dutchmil posted the other day say enroute South America.

Both BOBBY tankers #58-0035 and #58-0069 final dest today was into TISX airport in St Croix,VI.
Good jumping off point to South America..

 

[wbagley]

From the POLITICO:

'...However, Lt. Col. JEFFREY WINGBLADE, the lead aviation officer who Ryan authorized to direct the helicopters to launch that night, is no longer with the Guard, Carver said.'

2 years after George Floyd protest, D.C. Guard limits flying

By LARA SELIGMAN, ALEXANDER WARD and QUINT FORGEY 06/27/2022 03:55 PM EDT


D.C. National Guard leadership has restricted flight operations while it works to correct systematic problems with its aviation units, two years after the command was caught up in the controversy over the Trump administration’s response to racial justice protests in the nation’s capital.

Since early May, D.C. Army National Guard aviation units have limited flying to “maintenance operations,” meaning only test flights following aircraft maintenance are permitted, D.C. National Guard spokesperson Col. ROBERT CARVER told NatSec Daily.

The restriction was put in place “in order to concentrate on personnel training, safety and maintenance,” Carver said. The helicopters are available if needed for other assignments — emergency patient transfer, for example — although they are not routinely flying these missions.

The restrictions have had a significant impact on the unit’s operations, particularly aircrew training and medical evacuations in the D.C. area. Normally, the units’ Black Hawk and Lakota helicopters are on alert to respond quickly to threats to the National Capital Region, as well as to large gatherings and high-profile events. The helicopters also provide VIP transport and patient transfer.

The new limits also curtail training for the aircrews. Maintenance test pilots are doing most of the flights, which are shorter and less frequent than usual, according to one former D.C. Guard member.

“It’s almost impossible to overstate the need for constant training for aircrews,” this person said. “Maintenance can be done by any pilot who’ll just hop on the aircraft and turn it on for the mechanics to check systems as the bird remains on the ground. You ain’t getting valuable training doing this.”

Overall, the former D.C. Guard member said the decision is a “severe blow” to the unit, compounding D.C. National Guard aviation’s “persistent problem with talent attraction and retaining.”

The Guard expects to resume normal flight operations this summer, while still focusing on internal improvements over the next six months to a year, Carver said.

“Bottom line, the return to normal flying operations is conditions based, predicated on completing corrective actions and not on any given period of time,” Carver said.

The decision this May to restrict flying is part of an “organizational reset” after two years of pushing the D.C. Guard to its limit, Carver said. Local and federal officials have relied heavily on the unit — as have Guard units across the country — to deal with civil unrest on top of its usual missions. Units have deployed to respond to the peaceful protests against racial injustice and police brutality in summer 2020, the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6 and Covid-19 pandemic relief efforts.

The news of the command’s restrictions comes almost two years after the D.C. National Guard launched five helicopters on the night of June 1, 2020, to respond to massive protests in the nation’s capital over police officers’ role in GEORGE FLOYD’s death. Video captured that night showed a military helicopter flying low over a group of protesters in downtown D.C., kicking up wind and debris in a show-of-force tactic typically used only in combat zones. The strong winds caused buildings to vibrate, and witnesses reported windows breaking.

An investigation into the helicopter incident by the Pentagon’s inspector general determined that the decision to deploy the aircraft was “reasonable” based on the emergency nature of the situation. But the watchdog dinged Brig. Gen. ROBERT RYAN, the head of the D.C. Guard’s Joint Task Force on Civil Disturbance, for failing to give clear guidance to the aviators that night.

“No specific training, policies, or procedures were in place for using helicopters to support requests for assistance from civilian authorities in civil disturbances,” according to the IG report, released last May. “Prior to the night of June 1st, 2020, the DC [National Guard] did not have a prepared plan to maintain command and control of aviation assets used to support civil disturbances.”

Ryan is now the commander of the D.C. National Guard Land Component Command.

However, Lt. Col. JEFFREY WINGBLADE, the lead aviation officer who Ryan authorized to direct the helicopters to launch that night, is no longer with the Guard, Carver said. Carver did not say whether Wingblade was fired or reassigned.

 

[Justmescanneruser]

Noticed that Zulu 82 high flyer working its way thru Texas this past week on ADSBX (AE1313) at 35 knots.
Belongs to Uk Govt and Airbus getting testing. Reg is N469TN solar electric high flyer.
Wonder if it has remote ATC coms? Guessing so light weight not likely.May be with us for weeks to come.
A look at the Zephyr 8, Britain’s new surveillance aircraft (ukdefencejournal.org.uk)

#N469TN - Twitter Search / Twitter

Yes, I've been observing that too. First saw it back on the 18th and couldn't believe I'd missed it that long, as it took off on 15 June. (usually I'll check the world for very high or unusual aircraft daily, when I remember to.) At first I didn't know what it was, but from its altitude(above 60,000'), speed(as low as 25 knots or so) and time aloft(about 3 days at the time), I figured it was a lightweight drone with a pretty good sized wingspan. Did more research on the 21st and found that the restricted areas it was flying in was part of U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, and from there found https://www.army.mil/article/217347/drone_technology_achieves_new_heights_at_yuma_proving_ground and although it was from 2019, it seemed a good bet that it was probably an improved version of the same aircraft. Although from 2018, this https://warisboring.com/britains-new-spy-planes-are-practically-spacecraft/ gives a lot of history on the project. It (ZULU82) just started venturing out of the Yuma Proving Ground maybe 4 or 5 days ago. The news seems to be picking up on it now with articles like this Zephyr flies throughout America - sUAS Information - The Enterprise of Drones - Newstimes18.com , but there are articles on it or its predecessors flying from Ascension Island in the South Atlantic, "a flight in 2014 from Dubai that explored the Zephyr’s integration into civilian airspace" and the Woomera Prohibited Area — an unfathomably large test range sometimes called Australia’s Area 51. Apparently the project started back before 2003 by QinetiQ, which was bought by Airbus in 2013. Various sources seem to like calling them a high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UAV, high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) or High Altitude Platform System(also HAPS). The only things I've seen flying in the same altitude range have been some U-2s out of Palmdale or Beale AFB, MQ-4C drones out of Pax River, some other drones over by Ukraine/ The Black Sea and some high altitude balloons that I think were part of an experimental Microsoft Internet service. Seems like I remember seeing a RQ-4 Global Hawk somewhere, but I don't remember how high it was. Sorry for rambling a bit.

 

[Dutchmil]

BOBBY 71 took first group offshore VA Beach
Then turned SW over the ocean.Bermuda or San Juan stop?
BOBBY 61 was second and did the same.
Dutchmil posted the other day say enroute South America.

They joined with CUBE 11 and CUBE 21 flight, switched to Giant Killer after Norfolk departure,
declared MARSA with their tankers and then I lost them .... the KC-135s went to St. Croix [TISX].

 

[BM82557]

Noticed that Zulu 82 high flyer working its way thru Texas this past week on ADSBX (AE1313) at 35 knots.
Belongs to Uk Govt and Airbus getting testing. Reg is N469TN solar electric high flyer.
Wonder if it has remote ATC coms? Guessing so light weight not likely.May be with us for weeks to come.
A look at the Zephyr 8, Britain’s new surveillance aircraft (ukdefencejournal.org.uk)

#N469TN - Twitter Search / Twitter

Currently over the Gulf of Mexico --

 

[Hbright]

09-0016 appeared to do a test flight today using the c/s SAM96. I assume everything is back in order.

 

[wbagley]

Interesting SAM flight tonight departed ADW headed NW, but no aircraft info based on the Hex.
SAM 433 AE4DDD

Would guess SAM 448 and 433 headed to Philippines.

After an overnight stop at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, Gulfstreams SAM 448 and SAM 443 indeed appear to be on the way to the Philippines for the inauguration of Bongbong Marcos on NOPAC airway R220.

The next stop is Yokota Air Base in Japan.

 

[Mark]

Looks like the 159th FW New Orleans F-15's are done with CAP work and 8 of them dropped into San Juan recently.
Was thinking their deployment to Langley was about done as has been a few months..

HD-RARE visitors in Puerto Rico of New Orleans F-15C| San Juan Airport SJU. - YouTube

 

[mdmonitor]

VIP Movement Summary 27 Jun

SAM 284 (C-37 # 06-0500) Anchorage ?-ADW
SAM 384 (C-32 # 98-0001) Madrid-ADW
SAM 387 (C-37 # 21-1941) ADW-Colorado Springs-ADW
SAM 449 (C-37 # 01-0040) ADW-Ramstein-ADW

 

[GriffissSpotter]

Heads up NY/Canada monitors, Fort Drum’s restricted airspace along with the Viper airspace is active starting at 1600z.

 

[Hbright]

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III will depart June 28 to attend the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, Spain, he will then travel to U.S. European Command to participate in the change of command ceremony for U.S. Air Force Gen. Tod D. Wolters and U.S. Army Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli at Patch Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany, July 1.

SAM384 C-32A 98-0002 off ADW headed NE.

 

[Mark]

Heads up NY/Canada monitors, Fort Drum’s restricted airspace along with the Viper airspace is active starting at 1600z.

FIST 23,33 McGuire KC10 79-1947 85-0028 headed towards upstate NY.Flying low at 22k.

 

[yow777]

FIST 23,33 McGuire KC10 79-1947 85-0028 headed towards upstate NY.Flying low at 22k.

They are currently refueling each other on 268.025. An unusual route to be taking!

 

[Mark]

Looks like McGuire C-32B #00-9001 headed for Falls tour..

 

[wbagley]

Looks like McGuire C-32B #00-9001 headed for Falls tour..

After the Falls, TERRA 58 is in the pattern at Buffalo practicing RNAV approaches.

 

[GriffissSpotter]

1223 - BULLY 1 flight cleared into the Viper all airspace. (ZBW 377.100)

1224 - STEEL 64 cleared to conduct air refueling with DECOY 99 in the AR-206 High block.

1229 - BULLY flight with Fort Drum range control 244.500.

 

[yow777]

1223 - BULLY 1 flight cleared into the Viper all airspace. (ZBW 377.100)

BULLY Air/Air is 238.175 - DC ANG F-16's.

 

[GriffissSpotter]

BULLY Air/Air is 238.175 - DC ANG F-16's.

Thanks for that A-A, I figured it was DC F-16s.

 

[wbagley]

It appears that 09-0017 is quietly sitting at Spangdahlem AB in Germany right now, possibly after flying KADW-ETAD on Saturday using an MC211 callsign.

According to a well-placed source who has reported reliably in the past, the FMS (Flight Management System) on 09-0017 was programmed for a transit from Spangdahlem AB, Germany to NS Rota, Spain.

Any spotters see a C-32A at Navy Rota today?

 

[yow777]

Thanks for that A-A, I figured it was DC F-16s.

There are more DC ANG F-16's in the area using 285.225 Air/Air.

1243 - B-52(s) inbound to the Northeast. Appear to have refueled on AR-216 with JAKE 12.