BM82557 said:
0942 - sounds like interflight, tanks drained, bullseye, etc - 143.150
Brian, you caught a little piece of a very interesting exercise by the DC-ANG Andrews F-16s. It was a flight of 8 BULLYs - BULLY 11-16 and BULLY 21-22. They went up to W-107 in Giant Killer's area (enter/exit on 255.0). They are all approaching Andrews on their way home now at 1045. They used interflight freqs 139.15, 139.45, 143.15 and 143.6 and 337.225 for a common freq. Upon leaving W-107, they were handed to ZDC-Casino 285.4, Potomac TRACON (BWI) 317.425, Potomac TRACON (DCA) 270.275 and finally to Andrews Tower 349.0.
Again today there are scads of transports and tankers moving around the area. AR-636 is busy on 319.7 and tankers going into Giant Killer's offshore areas on 118.125 and 125.375.
Interestingly, I caught two Japanese Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) B-747/400 types going into Andrews. They were JAF 001 and JAF 002 (tails 20-1101 and 20-1102) from the 701 Hikotai based at Chitose Air Base. They arrived at about 1000 and 1030. They used the VHF freqs all the way through the area, finally landing with Andrews Tower on 118.4.
[Note: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came to town. There will be a state dinner this evening in his honor at the White House.]
There was also a FLYER A-10 flight from Willow Grove at Pax this morning. They left that area shortly after 1000 to head home. Heard with Pax on 305.2 and 354.8, with ZDC-Kenton 354.15, Philadelphia TRACON 269.25 and 317.55 before I dropped them to continue coverage of the BULLY and Japanese flights.
1100 hearing a DEVIL 11 flight of NJ-ANG F-16s heading home with ACY Approach 327.125. No idea where they were in the midst of a crowded sky.
DC 41 and 42 KC-135Rs (59-1469 and 62-3542) from Andrews are up...along with a couple of NJ-ANG KC-135s and NY-ANG KC-135s all flying around our area. Add in at least a couple of KC-10A from McGuire.
This has been one of those mornings that you have problems separating all the military flight activity because there is so much of it. It requires selective listening no matter how many radios you have available. Pick a freq, any freq and there'll be activity on it.
1111: REACH 283 [female] (KC-10A, 84-0192, 305th AMW) to McGuire Command Post -- 25 minutes out, no pax, only cargo is a Silver Bullet...319.4
1115: EVAC 23285 (C-130H, 92-3285, 328th Airlift Squadron AFRC) reports takeoff from Andrews...378.1
1130: Sounds like I've got that foul-mouthed group of A-10 pilots coming home from wherever they went a few days ago. They're working 140.2 interflight again.
It is...it's the YANKEE 1 flight of four A-10s (CT-ANG Bradley) and currently with ZDC-Cape Charles 256.8 and still talking non-stop on interflight.
1135: Air Force 2 off from Andrews...118.95 [Female pilot, C-32A, 98-0002]
1151: YANKEE 1 flight handed off to ZDC-Sea Isle 281.45 and check in at FL 190
1151: STEEL 61 (KC-135R, 58-0072, 171st ARW PA-ANG Pittsburgh) checking in with Giant Killer at FL 280 ...118.125
1156: YANKEE 1 flight requests and is cleared to 17000 feet...281.45
1156: YANKEE 1 flight handed off to ZDC-Casino and check in at FL 180 heading for 17,000...285.4
Have to admit their chat this time has been clean...big difference from on their way out.
1203: YANKEE 1 flight handed to ZNY-Dixie 307.8 and check in...or try to...no joy so back to 285.4 they go and are sent to ZNY-Manta 353.5 and check in there with no problem at 1206.
1203: SENTRY 60 (E-3, 552nd ACW, Tinker AFB OK) calling Any Station for a signal check on 349.4
[Just tossing in interesting things - not logging everything I hear - I can neither type that fast nor wish to wear myself out on this extremely busy day for MilAir. Besides...it's more fun listening than typing.
]
1238: Just heard an aircraft IDing as EVAL 64 calling Any Radio on FSS 255.4. He makes contact with Millville Radio and further IDs as Guard Aircraft 00250 and says he's coming ashore and landing at Southern Airport in Delaware. He's in the vicinity of Wilmington DE and says he departed from MUI. He's not sure if his flight plan is filed under EVAL 64 or his Guard tail number.
MUI = Muir Army Airfield at Ft. Indiantown Gap PA
1240: CRAB 53 (C-130J, 97-1354, 135th AS MD-ANG Warfield ANGB) calling CRAB Ops on 143.8
CRAB 51 (97-1351) is also up.
1248: NASA 961 with Andrews Tower for landing...118.4 (Earlier, at 1235, he was heard transmitting to Navy Ops at Andrews in the blind on 386.8 with his arrival message.)
1252: HAWK 01 calling Langley Dispatch on 372.2
1256: Coast Guard Copter 6572 to CG Baltimore to say he has landed at Coast Guard Yard and Baltimore can discontinue watch at this time...Baltimore tells him to have a good time with the kids. (huh?)...Marine channel 23A - 157.15
1300: HAWK 01 with Norfolk TRACON 370.925 and then ZDC-Cape Charles 256.8
1302: HAWK 01 to Langley Dispatch...IDs as a flight of three A-10s...wants a message passed to DSN 698-xxxx at Barnes to let them know they'll be arriving at 1800Z. These are MA-ANG Barnes A-10s
1304: FLYER 1 flight of two A-10s from Willow Grove with ZNY-Pottstown 278.3
Requesting direct Slate Run so they're on the way to The Duke, Dave.
1309: FLYER requests 13000 due to icing at 15000...they're cleared to that altitude...278.3
1309: HAWK 01 flight with ZDC-Cape Charles...256.8 and handed off.
1311: HAWK 01 flight over to ZDC-Kenton 354.15 and check in at 15000 feet, ID as a flight of 3 A-10s, want to cancel IFR...descending to 13,500 direct Barnes (BAF)
1312: FLYER handed to ZNY-Williamsport 338.3 and check in at 13,000 feet
1315: FLYER confirms going to the Duke MOA...want wx along the route...338.3
1335: MAPLE 26 (F-16, Vt-ANG Burlington) heading for Langley...he's talking with Ops and asks the weather in the Richmond area...also says he's Code 2 for the targeting pod and 100 pounds of trapped fuel in his wing tanks...138.0...currently with ZDC-Cape Charles 256.8...at 1350 he's handed to Norfolk TRACON where he checks in in the descent for Langley.
1340: Willow Grove A-10s on interflight 143.25
1341: CADE flight from Willow Grove talking with Raven Ops...apparently they're going to land at MTN and mentions a quick turn on the ramp...143.8
1352: NJ-ANG F-16s active on interflight 138.425
1353: UGLY flight of A-10s from Willow Grove with ZDC-Kenton 354.15
UGLY flight using 143.25 for interflight.
1404: UGLY flight of two A-10s with ZDC-Kenton 354.15 and are handed off to Pax Advisory and check in on 305.2 at 1405. They'll work there for the next 30 minutes. Switch to BayWatch at Pax 270.8 at 1408
1412: UGLY flight asks if they can use R-6609 for 10-15 minutes...they're cleared and say they're headed that way now....270.8
1416: BICEP 11 (F-16 NJ-ANG Atlantic City) into W-107 with Giant Killer...255.0
1416: UGLY flight wants to cancel the R-6609 portion of their flight...changed their minds about it...270.8
1417: REACH 0791 (C-130H, 90-1791, OH-ANG) airborne from Andrews...378.1 (He came in as an EVAC 01791 flight)
Andrews Command Post sending aircraft from 141.55 to 378.1. I didn't hear a reason so perhaps it's just noise on the Victor freq.
1423: DRAGNET (E-3 552nd ACW Tinker AFB OK) to Giant Killer to say he's on Event C-2411 but has to leave W-122 and cannot support the aircraft there...251.6 (GK's control freq for W-122)
1423: MAPLE 91 (F-16 Vt-ANG) with ZDC-Cape Charles...256.8 (Don't know whether he's going to Langley or back to Burlington - probably the latter.)
Confirmed...his next stop is ZDC-Coyle 254.3 at 1429 so he's heading north.
1426: Have a U/I pair working interflight 138.1....this freq has been associated with the NJ-ANG in the past but I haven't heard it used in a very long time. Two aircraft setting up for ground attack mission so it looks more like A-10s than F-16s. They sound close enough to be at Pax.
1432: I've got a CADE flight (two A-10s from Willow Grove) talking to Phillips AAF Tower on 126.15. They say something about UHF not working and that's why they are here. They are descending for an approach.
The amount of MilAir this afternoon is just incredible. No way possible to keep up with it all - even in just a listening mode.
1444: CADE flight finishes doing approaches at Phillips AAF on 126.15 and leave to the north. Mention switching to Uniform freq 323.1. Took me a bit to get onto that freq and no doubt missed their check in...but listening for further if it happens. Couple of minutes later heard someone calling Philly Approach one time and that was it.
1448: UGLY flight with ZDC-Kenton 354.15...get sent to Philly 286.0 as they always do and, as always, they get no reply so wind up back with Kenton. This time they are sent to Phil TRACON 317.55 and check in and immediately are handed to Phil TRACON 269.25...at 1454, the UGLY flight is with Ops on 343.0 and mention they'll be getting home 15 minutes late and one of them has a UHF problem
NOTE: I have a strong feeling the CADE and UGLY flights were the same guys. They used UGLY for the Pax portion of their flight and with ATC but CADE when they talked to Raven Ops earlier and while with Phillips AAF. One strong suggestion of that is the UGLY flight mentioned to Ops on 343.0 about a problem with the UHF radio. Heard the exact problem from the CADE flight when with Phillips on 126.15 as the reason they weren't working UHF. After leaving Phillips, the CADE flight just seemed to disappear. They should have been heard with Philly but it was the UGLY flight that showed up at just the right time.
1506: Have EVAL 64 (Guard aircraft tail 00250) again calling Millville Radio on FSS freq 255.4. He reports in the vicinity of Wilmington DE...doesn't seem to get a reply.
1509: RAVEN flight of A-10s airborne from MTN at 1859Z (reporting late)...347.2....a couple of minutes later it sounds like them checking in with Pax on 270.8 to work for the next 45 minutes
THE END (Will try to hear some of the Langley inbound flights for the air show this evening)
