Sticky Thread for MilAir II

[BMT]

287.775

I would not change to WFM!!! The way I understand using freqs in a Wideband block. Aslong as it doesn't interfer with WB operations and it's use is cleared with agency controlling WB operations ,they can use 287.775.

BMT

 

[TinEar]

Ramp freeze posted for Andrews this evening...
AIR TERMINAL RAMP FREEZE 17 MAY 22:45 2007 UNTIL 17 MAY 23:15 2007

As Tony mentioned above, many of the normal Andrews flights are operating out of Dulles during the show. Hearing the JOSA aircraft reporting departures from IAD this morning. Show participants haven't started arriving at ADW yet today. It has been quiet on their freqs.

Weather forecast indicating 40% chance of showers for the first two days of the show. Only clear day is Sunday. High temps forecast for tomorrow only around 60 and then 65 Saturday and 70 for Sunday.

0938: ROMAN 21 (F/A-18 VFA-106, NAS Oceana VA), flight of two, with ADW Approach 335.5 and Tower 349.0 at 0941.
0943: GATOR 55 with ZDC-Calvert 281.4 and then ZDC-Irons 360.85 requesting higher altitude...and is cleared to his requested FL 220 at 0949.
Too many units use that callsign to pin an ID on this one.
0944: Willow Grove A-10s up on interflight....143.75
0949: HORNET 06 with Norfolk TRACOn...370.925
0950: HORNET 06 checking into W-72 with Giant Killer...249.8
0951: HORNET 06 told to switch to 233.7 and does...checks in again for W-72 at FL 230 and says he'll be working with a USS boat (have no idea what that means in relation to W-72 work.)
These are F/A-18s from somewhere...difficult to tell when they use the generic F/A-18 callsign.

1001: AXEMAN flight reports airborne at 1000 to Raven Ops...347.2
1002: And more Willow Grove A-10s on interflight...142.25
1005: AXEMAN flight working interflight...142.3
1006: OTIS 12 (KC-130J, BuNo 165957, VMGR-252, MCAS Cherry Point, NC) calling Andrews CP with arrival message...141.55
1025: Bollen Range active...237.2
1025: There's a TEAM 42 KC-10A from McGuire asking CP the status of his tanker - PACK 11...319.4
1028: The TEAM 42 (KC-10A, 85-0032, 305th AMW McGuire) is with PACK 11 (KC-135R, 63-8038, 133rd ARS NH-ANG) for refueling op...238.9
1032: PACK 11 and TEAM 42 say they're going to secondary and come up on 319.7 as expected.
(There is fighter activity all over the place this morning, however, I'm primarily listening to Andrews for show arrivals so won't log much from this point on.)
1058: ROPER 41 landing ADW...349.0 (prior to this heard him with TRACON 335.5 and CP 378.1 and ZDC-Marlinton 319.1 even earlier) Nothing on my callsign list fits for this flight. TX-ANG is one of the units that uses this callsign but they fly C-130s and wouldn't be using UHF freqs.

1102: ROPER 42 now with ZDC-Marlinton 319.1
1103: ROPER 42 handed off to ZDC-Casanova 282.2
1117: REACH 212 (C-5A, 70-0463, 56th Airlift Squadron Altus AFB OK) arriving ADW...378.1
1121: U/I flight of two fighters arriving ADW...335.5 (And they're working 141.05 interflight but no callsign caught for them yet...they've used it several times and I just can't get it...it's a short one syllable word...might be ZEN 1 or GEM 1)
1127: Same flight over to ADW Tower for initial...349.0 (Sounds more like GEM 1 now)
1138: MUSTANG, flight of two, arriving ADW...with Tower...118.4 (Believe he identified as a P-40)
1143: And another flight arriving ADW with Tower...too weak to pull out callsign which is kind of unusual for someone going into ADW...on 335.5 prior to tower freq...suffix 1 which doesn't help any.
There are aircraft all over the TRACON freqs, the ZDC freqs heading for Andrews.
1144: U/I fighters working interflight 142.45 which are part of the groups heading for Andrews.
1145: And a 51 suffix with ADW Twr for landing...sheesh, I'm having a hell of time all of a sudden pulling out callsigns. I suddenly feel like a rookie. (Maybe if I turned off about a dozen of these radios and concentrated on one I'd do better. )
1147: Okay...it's DEMO 51 that's in the pattern and decides to do a couple of low approaches...349.0
And it's the DEMO 51 flight on interflight 142.45.
1150: And a DEMO 52 doing his own thing in the pattern at ADW...349.0
1156: Suffix 91 (another missed callsign) landing ADW...349.0 (sounded like CLUB 91)

Noon and time for a break.

From military.com.........(a little late)
Kadena AB, Japan -- After almost three months in the Pacific, 12 F-22A Raptors departed here May 10 having completed the first overseas deployment for the Air Force's newest air supremacy aircraft.
http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,135509,00.html?ESRC=airforce-a.nl

Ref below: Brian, EAGLE is normally the callsign for the U.S. Park Police helicopter. Wonder if that's the same one?

 

[BM82557]

Activity 05172007

0941 - 0944 -- "helicopter EAGLE 1" (that's how he said his id) calling BLUEGRASS OPS from 0941 to 0944. Finally got a response at 0944 when he said he was north of the ridge, one minute out, landing H1 - 241.0
1009 - MUSSEL 02 with "departing to the north, will be back with you in a bit", no callsign given as to who this was for - 241.0
1137 - BATON 20 with STEEL 62 reporting on time, at 8000', squawking 4047 - 295.8

 

[Waltz41]

(I wonder if that BANDIT flight might be the Idaho ANG aircraft that went to Willow Grove last week?)

Yep, that's probably them. There are at least 2 ID ANG A-10s that were flying on Tuesday. Not sure what the story is, why they didn't go over.......I'm guessing maybe they had a problem or something and maybe they took a few of the PA jets instead or they are here getting in some work before going over.

 

[CitationJet]

Re: NORDO

Well, it IS shameful, especially when you end up realizing that you're attempting to listen to his bottle and he's attempting to drink from the radio!

)

Tony....congratulations!!! I kind of figured that's why you haven't been heard from the past few days. Good news and I hope mother and baby are doing well.

P.S. Being NORDO is shameful.

Alan

 

[TinEar]

1330: NICKEL 35 landing at Andrews...currently on 335.5
I've been busy at other things the past hour or more but in the background I've heard a steady stream of aircraft with ZDC freqs and Andrews arriving for the show. Just a few minutes ago there was also a TUFF 1 (B-52 Barksdale) with ZDC-Cape Charles 256.8 talking about being cleared only as far as Sea Isle but wanted to to up to Hampton and JFK but would settle for Briggs. And then the phone rang. And I still have to program my little Yaesu VR-500 for tomorrow.
1336: NICKEL 35 landing ADW with Tower...349.0
1337: DOG 31 flight with ZDC-Potomac...307.025
1337: RHINO 91 (C-5A, 69-0005, 337 AS Westover) calling Dover CP...349.4
1337: TBIRD 14 (C-17A, 06-6155, 60th AMW Travis AFB CA) calling Andrews...372.2/378.1
1340: DRAGNET (E-3, 552nd ACW, Tinker AFb OK) to Giant Killer to say he's working in W-386 with LIMEY 91 and IRON 71 flights from Langley...249.8 (British accent for DRAGNET speaker)
1343: DRAGNET tells Giant Killer he's currently 10 miles east of Langley at FL 270, squawking 5032...goes on to say DRAGNET is the mission callsign for SENTRY 60...he also gives the mission freqs for the two Langley flights...wants LIMEY 91 on 360.15 and IRON 71 on 276.675....249.8
I already had 276.675 in my scan rotation for Langley but did not have 360.15. Do now.
1347: DRAGNET tells Giant Killer his pilot is in contact with Washington (Center)...249.8
1347: DRAGNET UNIFORM calling unknown (perhaps HUNTRESS) on 138.2
1349: DRAGNET UNIFORM is talking to a BICEP flight on 138.2 but I don't hear the BICEPs...no telling where they are...sounds like DRAGNET is trolling for activity....this speaker doesn't have the British accent but I'm assuming it's the same aircraft - just another player in the back end mission space.
1354: DRAGNET calling BICEP 12 for a radio check (and it's our British speaker again)...he then calls for "Any Station" to give him a radio check...138.2
1355: DRAGNET gets Atlantic City Command Post and says he's weak and readable....then the speaker changes to an American and says they're weak but readable and to stand by on this freq...138.2
This is the freq the NJ-ANG usually uses for scrambles with HUNTRESS which I guess is why ACY CP is listening here.
1357: TBIRD 14 landing Andrews...118.4 (I changed the ID on him above...he's a Travis bird)

1401: U/I with FSS asking for the weather from Sea Isle to Tinker (not sure if this is DRAGNET or not)...255.4
1402: DRAGNET UNIFORM tells BICEP 11 he has him loud and clear (American speaker)....138.2 (Still not hearing the BICEPs. I wonder if they're still on the ground.)
1402: British speaker aboard DRAGNET says he understands DEVIL Ops will not be involved at all...138.2
1406: IRON 71 flight with ZDC-Cape Charles heading for the offshore areas...256.8
1407: IRON 71 changes to "7" and requests clearance into W-386 from Giant Killer...249.8
1408: And now the expected LIMEY 91 flight with ZDC-Cape Charles...256.8
1408: COLT 1 flight of A-10s report airborne at 08 to Raven Ops...347.2
1408: DRAGNET tells GK he has radar contact with LIMEY 91 flight...249.8
1410: LIMEY flight leader tells wingmen to push button 7, air prime....256.8...and indeed come up with GK as expected...249.8
So, it looks like DRAGNET UNIFORM/SENTRY 60, from his standoff position, will control the Langley LIMEY 91/IRON 71 flights in W-386 and the BICEP flight of ACY F-16s - perhaps in W-107
1413: COLT 1 flight with Harrisburg Approach...273.525 (going to the Bollen Range perhaps or even to The Duke MOA)
1414: RAVEN flight of A-10s report off from MTN at 13 past the hour...347.2
I've got every radio I own on at the moment (the lights are dimming) and everything is busy no matter where they scan. It's a good flying day and then we've got flocks coming to ADW which makes for a busy day. However, right in the middle of all this, I'm going outside to enjoy the day. On a day like this I can't play dungeon rat all day.

Oh yeah...almost forgot to mention a very unusual happening...an Algerian Air Force Gulfstream IV, tail 7T-VPC from their 580 Squadron was in the area around 1330. The airways are open to everyone.

 

[TinEar]

Came inside long enough to check if anything interesting was happening, turned on the airshow band and I'm hearing what sounds like Thunderbirds on 143.85. time is 1547.

And 141.85 also busy at 1554 - another TBird freq. (There's a female among them.)
And 132.95 - a Heritage Flight freq at 1556 (although I'm not sure of the user yet)

Add 322.95 - another TBirds freq.

1600: U/I fighters heading for Andrews currently with ZDC-Cape Charles...256.8
1601: F-16 Demo Team freq 376.025 active
1606: FIRST 51 with ZDC-Kenton 354.15....descending from 14 to 12,000 feet....then cleared to 10,000...they're the same guys working 376.025 so that's not the F-16 Demo Team
1609: FIRST 51 calling DEMO Control on 376.025 (Guess this is a pair of Langley F-22As)
1611: FIRST 51 handed to Potomac TRACON 317.425 and check in there...cleared down to 4000 feet direct Nottingham
1612: U/I with Andrews CP says he understands the field is closed for the next 45 minutes...wants to know for sure when it will be open for arrivals....378.1

Thunderbirds seem to be doing an orientation flight of all the landmarks they'll use during the show.

1613-20: FIRST 51 again calling DEMO Control on 376.025...no joy.
1616: FIRST 53 with ZDC-Franklin 290.425
1616: U/I telling Andrews CP if the hold lasts until 2100Z he's going to have to go elsewhere due to fuel...378.1
1622: FIRST 51 flight talking among themselves say if they aren't let into Andrews on time they'll have to go back to Langley...376.025...say if they get down to 4000 pounds they're going back to Langley....also mention Dover...currently have 5700 and 5800 pounds of fuel....#3 man is holding over Hopewell right now...say they have 15 minutes of hold time left before they go elsewhere...currently 35 miles from Andrews....says #3 is going to have to land at Langley in 5-10 minutes.
1627: FIRST 51 talking to someone - perhaps back at Langley - listing options for landing...says they'll start working the #3 man toward the north and that he's still 100 miles south...376.025
I haven't heard any reasons why Andrews has the runways closed. There's a ramp freeze but that's not in effect until later....
AIR TERMINAL RAMP FREEZE 17 MAY 22:45 2007 UNTIL 17 MAY 23:15 2007
1630: FIRST 51 says the airfield is now open according to DEMO Control....376.025
1631: FORCE 81 to Andrews CP reports 20 minutes out...141.55
By the way, that 376.025 freq has also been used for B-52 flyovers at past shows. It may just be the airboss UHF freq this time.
1633: FIRST 51 flight leader trying to determine fuel remainder of 53...sounded like 6000 pounds
1634: FIRST 51 to Potomac TRACON...335.5
1635: Now have a FIRST 31 on 376.025 says if they don't get into ADw in 5 minutes he's going back to Langley...51 tells him the field is open and to explain the situation to them.
The FIRST 51 flight is three F-22As and FIRST 31 is at least two...more of these guys coming in than I thought would show up. Of course, it's possible FIRST 31 is just a screwed up callsign with these guys so nervous about fuel and not being able to land.
1638: FIRST 51 changes to tower...tells wingman to "Push 20" so they've got ADW freqs/show freqs preset in their radios....full stop landing on runway 1L...349.0
1641: FIRST 53 heading toward Andrews with ZDC-Irons...360.85
1644: Sounds like PINION 99 landing ADW with Tower...349.0
1647: FIRST 53 still 50 miles from Andrews...also something about being on a backup radio and trying to reset the system....360.85
1649: FIRST 53 handed to TRACON 335.5 and checks in at 12,000 feet (he repeated 335.3 but showed up on the right freq)...handed off to TRACON on 270.275 and checks in
1650: another flight, suffix 11, also with TRACON 335.5 (missed callsign, both guys talking at once)
1656: FIRST 53 to ADW Tower for landing...349.0
There are aircraft all over the damn place...there must be six ZDC freqs all squawking at once and several TRACON freqs.
1657: And someone that sounds like THUD 91 with TRACON...335.5...also something that sounds like ACE 11 on that freq.

1700: And a ?GRAD/GRAB? 01 with ADW Tower for landing...349.0

ref below: Thanks for the PEACH 02 Travis...not sure which one that was now....I've missed several in the scrum.

 

[freqhopping]

HOTEL ROMEO-500 on 322.3 says he's coming for the airshow. Due at 1600 but for some reason he's not being allowed in now. TACAN only for him. Just cleared to 3k ft.
1557- 335.5 now heading 080 at 3k.
1602- PINION-99, a U-2 I would guess, is passed the air boss freq, 125.35-nothing but noise on it for me.
1620- NIGHTHAWK-1 approaching Davison. 126.3 Will probably become MARINE-1 later today.

Alan, it's PEACH-02 with CP.
EXPECT PUBLICATION OF FAA TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTION NOTAM FOR AEROBATICS. 17 MAY 18:00 2007 UNTIL 21 MAY 21:00 2007
TFR # 7/1752
EFFECTIVE 0705171630 UTC UNTIL 0705172030 UTC, 0705181230 UTC UNTIL 0705182100 UTC, 0705191230 UTC UNTIL 0705192100 UTC AND 0705201230 UTC UNTIL 0705202100 UTC. PURSUANT TO 14 CFR SECTION 91.145, MANAGEMENT OF AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS IN THE VICINITY OF AERIAL DEMONSTRATIONS AND MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS ARE PROHIBITED WITHIN A 5 NMR OF 384826N/0765159W OR THE ANDREWS /ADW/ VORTAC AT AND BELOW 15500 FT MSL. EXCLUDING THAT AIRSPACE WEST OF LONGITUDE 0765424W.

1638- U/I with ZDC-Casanova/Luray 282.2 Suffix is 91 I think. They're holding out there. Someone was told to change to 257.87. (Dover approach?, that doesn't make much sense)
1650- U/I-(sounded like 55)on 282.2 descending, sounded like he was told to push to 257.87 ?. Have to check the recording.
1657- Must've been SUN-91 who is now on approach.

1706- Just had a visual on HMX-1 CH-53 and CH-46 heading east. I thought I heard someone on 241.0 earlier.
1759- THUNDERBIRD-8 is airborne now, 15k with ZDC-Calvert. Should be pushing to 354.8.

1802- Cleared into R-4006 354.8

 

[CitationJet]

Iad 05.17.2007

Hi,

Some of the traffic noted out the windows today arriving IAD. Freqs either IAD TWR East 120.100 or IAD TWR West 128.425...

AVALON 30 - C-9C 932nd AW AFRC Scott
LOBO 867 - UC-35 Cherry Point VMR-1
JOSA 654 - C-21A JOSAC
SAM 1471 - C-20B 86-0201 99th AS
SAM 1145 - C-37A 99-0402 99th AS

REACH 5007 - C-5B 85-0007 436th AMW

Best regards,

Tony

 

[freqhopping]

Seems that 257.875 is more than just Dover approach. I just tracked a FIGHTER-9 flight from 282.2 to 257.875 (14k to 8k) to 338.2 (9k and below) to 335.5 at 3k and finally tower 349.0 for 1L. He went to the Air Force side.

There was no mention of Potomac or Washington Center so I'm not sure which it is.

 

[TinEar]

Seems that 257.875 is more than just Dover approach. I just tracked a FIGHTER-9 flight from 282.2 to 257.875 (14k to 8k) to 338.2 (9k and below) to 335.5 at 3k and finally tower 349.0 for 1L. He went to the Air Force side.

There was no mention of Potomac or Washington Center so I'm not sure which it is.

I'm not sure I'm following you here Travis. Are you wondering if Dover's 257.875 is a Potomac TRACON or Washington Center freq?

If so, I don't think so. Dover's 257.875 seems to act like any "Approach" freq controlling aircraft that fly through its area - just the same as a TRACON freq controller would. It isn't strictly for approach to Dover's airport. For instance, when the Willow Grove A-10s leave Pax to return home, they can take one of two low level routes. One goes almost straight north and is controlled by ZDC-Kenton on 354.15 as the handoff from Pax. The other goes to the northeast on a route that takes them very near Dover and the handoff is from Pax directly to Dover's 257.875 and from there straight to Philly TRACON's 269.25. So, an aircraft coming to Andrews from the northeast, for instance from McGuire, could take that route that runs near Dover and would use 257.875 for control through the area before being handed off to the Potomac TRACON controllers in the Andrews area.

If you didn't mean what I thought you meant, sorry for the long explanation.

 

[freqhopping]

What I'm saying it that is used by someone other than Dover approach for an area no where near Dover. It covers the Culpeper, Fauquier and Stafford counties area of VA.

 

[TinEar]

What I'm saying it that is used by someone other than Dover approach for an area no where near Dover. It covers the Culpeper, Fauquier and Stafford counties area of VA.

Well now...that's a whole other situation to have to consider and becomes yet another unknown. I was thinking the fly in the ointment of my explanation above was that you had mentioned 282.2 - the Casanova Sector. It hardly seems possible they'd assign that 257.875 freq to someone so close to Dover's area of responsibility but yet they apparently have. It's going to take some digging. Sorry for the roundabout meaningless explanation above for what you were trying to describe.

 

[TinEar]

Considering the weather this morning, I didn't leave for the Andrews show. This low cloud cover will prevent much from happening. I was most interested in seeing and getting the tail number for my records of that U-2 (PINION 99) that landed yesterday afternoon. Oh well...maybe next year.

There is a WILD flight of four F-16s airborne from Andrews at 0915...interflight 143.6...with departure 348.725 and now over to ZDC-Calvert 281.4 at 0919. I'm surprised they're flying this morning.
0922: WILD flight checking in at Pax at 15,000 feet and cancel IFR...want R-4006/4008 from 3500-20000 feet for the next 20 minutes and then will head back to Andrews...270.8 (Flight leader mentions he has a visual sighting on a T-6)
0930: Two of the WILD F-16s have changed to interflight 139.15 so they can do two-on-two ACM.

There is also fighter activity on interflight 143.25...Willow Grove?
Late in 0800 hour I heard an A-10 from WG up checking the weather and giving a PIREP to Ops on 141.8
0926: CADE flight of Willow Grove A-10s with ZNY-Philipsburg 306.2 and then ZNY-Milton 269.1 at 0927.

1001: Flight of 3 MD-ANG A-10s report off at 0959...347.2...using interflight 142.3 but I haven't heard a callsign yet. Turns out to be a COLT flight.
1114: COLT flight returning to MTN...with Tower 297.2 for landing....will do at least one low approach before coming around to land. Finally touching down at 1122.

1058: Have that HORNET 06 (F/A-18) up again...this time with ZDC-Calvert 281.4
1100: HORNET 06 handed off to Giant Killer 249.8 to work in W-72...he requests an IFR clearance back to Pax River in 90 minutes (so we finally know where this aircraft is from). Giant Killer sends him to 233.7 and he goes there and repeats the message.

1117: JOSA 361 (C-21A, 84-0092, 457th AS Andrews) reports airborne from Dulles at 1510Z...378.1
1123: Tanker interplane freq active...143.825 (It's 53 and 54 suffixes talking - probably McGuire KC-10As - sounds like a training mission)
1124: Royal Air Force ASCOT 2503 (VC-10, tail XV108, 101 Squadron) overflying the area at FL 350.
1126: PAT 23 (helo) with Leesburg Radio on FSS...reports he'll be lifting off from MTN (Martin State) heading for MDT (Harrisburg) and wants to open the flight plan for that leg of his flight....255.4
1129: PAT 23 landing at MTN with Tower...says he's coming in for passenger pickup...297.2
1141: Those two KC-10A on 143.825 are in our general area and are fairly low...mentioned they have the block 8-9000 feet....they're going to split up soon once established in the altitude block...and they are TEAM 53 and 54...143.825
1144: TEAM 53 calling McGuire CP...319.4
1145: One of the TEAMs is at 8000 now and the other at 9000...separated by 2.5 miles...at one point they mentioned being down to these altitudes by the time they got to RATTA...143.825

 

[TinEar]

1226: I've been hearing the show announcer at Andrews working on 123.15. I'm not sure how that's getting retransmitted on that freq which has been used by the USAF T-6 Texans in the past. However, I'm not hearing anything at all on any of the show freqs I've got programmed from the aircraft themselves - if any are flying which seems doubtful with this low ceiling.
The show announcer retransmission on 123.15 didn't last long - just a few minutes and then gone.

I plugged into that bank the freq that freqhopping reported was given to the U-2 when he came in yesterday of 125.35 for the airboss. Remember that freq was also the backup freq used for ADW Tower for a couple days a month ago when they shut down 118.4 for whatever reason. I also got the idea from comments yesterday that 376.025 might be the UHF airboss freq. One of the F-22s referred to it as the "Demo boss freq." Not hearing anything on either of them today.

I wish it had been a bit warmer. I think I would have gone today anyway in spite of the threat of rain.

1304: RHODY 01 (C-130J, 99-1433, 143rd AS RI-ANG) calling Andrews Dispatch...no joy x2...372.2
1307: CADE flight of PA-ANG A-10s with ZNY-Pottstown 278.3...climbing to 13,000 and "pushing direct Slate Run"...says they're "in scattered formation"
I believe I heard another flight in front of the CADEs on ZNY-Williamsport 338.3 a couple of minutes prior to this.

1313: And here come the THUNDERBIRDS....143.85 (And suddenly the flight leader is sounding sort of like the "Zombie" leader of the Blue Angels. It's contagious! You must have had experience listening to the Blue Angels to understand that comment.)
It's a four ship in whatever maneuver they're doing. Wonder if this is just practice for the real thing or perhaps they're just doing a low level show.
1318: Add freq 235.25 for the TBirds..."checking Uniform"
1318: TBIRD 1 calling DRAGO on 279.575 (that's the DRAGO ground controller, not the DRAGO 51 memorial flyby flight) He's asking DRAGO if they're still on time. Could they be doing a flyby at Arlington? We shall see.
1321: THUNDERBIRD says the time on target is 1730:30 and then gives a time hack to DRAGO to coordinate their clocks...279.575
1324: Add 255.2 for TBirds
1326: TBird flight leader tells DRAGO they'll be doing the same thing tomorrow with all six of them...279.575
1326: UGLY flight of 2 A-10s from Willow Grove up with ZNY-Pottstown 278.3
1328: TBirds operating on 235.25 and mention they're going to the tanker and will use 324.6 for the AR
1329: TBirds over the Naval Academy and say they can practice their flyby right now ...235.25 (Does this mean they're going to do the flyby rather than the Blue Angels? That's a rhetorical question.)
1338: OPEC 78 (KC-10A McGuire) is the tanker working the Thunderbirds...TBIRD 4 with the tanker on 324.6 coordinating post AR track...also explains they're late due to vectoring
1339: TBIRDS now back to Victor freq 143.85 (Seems 143.85/235.25 are their primaries)
1341: TBIRDS just got visual on the tanker...143.85
1344: TBIRDS move to refueling freq and establish contact with OPEC 78...324.6 (chat still on 143.85)
1345: Boom operator performs radio check with TBIRD 1...324.6
They mentioned earlier the AR would be at 12,000 feet. OPEC 78 is tail 79-1949...boomer asked if TBIRDS have tail numbers...got 86-281/87-323/87-325 (and those are the only 3 I heard for 1, 2 and 4)...324.6
1350: First TBIRD is off the boom...324.6 (Tanker crew is showing a little more deference to these guys than normal. Can't say I blame them in light of Air Force tradition. This is considered an honor for the tanker crew.)
1352: Another TBIRD off the boom...324.6....OPEC 78 asks if they can get the three ship off to the left for photos - so maybe only three did refuel which is why I only heard 3 tails...banter back and forth about how great this is...the tanker crew is impressed....boomer mentions that there are people down below actually having to work for a living...and at 1354 they're done with pictures and say goodbye.
1354: TBIRD leader tells flight to switch to 305.2, a Pax freq...143.85
1355: TBIRDS on 305.2 descending to 8000....then continue descent...sounds like they're being vectored back to Andrews now
1358: TBIRDS handed to Pax 281.8 and cleared down to 3000 feet

1401: TBIRDS still chatting on 143.85...getting weak considering their altitude...nahhh, must have been in a turn...loud and clear again
1403: TBIRDS still with Pax on 281.8
1404: TBIRDS handed off to TRACON 270.275 and check in at 3000 feet. Says they're going in for some practice work. Cleared direct Andrews.
1405: TBIRDS cleared down to 1700 feet...270.275 (still on 143.85 for interflight - Mentions solos will take off at 1810Z)...TBIRDS report having field in sight at this time.
1408: OPEC 78 to McGuire CP with arrival message...30 minutes out for full stop landing, A-2, autopilot 1 is erratic...319.4 (He sounds jacked. I understand.)
1411: TBIRD leader doing his sing-song voice for their maneuvers over the field...143.85
(You just know they're showing off for the crowds down below looking up at them.)
1420: TBIRDS still doing maneuvers over the field...143.85 (It is a 3 ship flight at the moment -- 1, 2 and 4...not sure when 3 broke away from them...it was a 4 ship when with DRAGO earlier.)
1425: TBIRDS 3 ship still on 143.85 and one or more of them on 322.95 which might be the solos he mentioned earlier that would take off at 1810Z
1433: All six TBIRDS are now together and working 322.95 and 143.85 (one is a female - #6 - she's on 322.95)
1434: TBIRD flight leader giving a critique of various maneuvers and what they did wrong...143.85
By the way, VHF conditions here are terrible today. There's a buzzing noise across the band - almost sounds like electrical noise in a vehicle. Just one of those days and you suffer through it if you want to listen.
1437: TBIRDS are cross talking 143.85 and 322.95. Must have both in separate radios to hear both sides of all the conversations.

Continued below if necessary.....

And here's TBIRD #6....(uhhh TBIRD #3 as noted below) (Major Nicole Malachowski pictured while still a captain last year)

 

[DPD1]

Seems that 257.875 is more than just Dover approach. I just tracked a FIGHTER-9 flight from 282.2 to 257.875 (14k to 8k) to 338.2 (9k and below) to 335.5 at 3k and finally tower 349.0 for 1L. He went to the Air Force side.

There was no mention of Potomac or Washington Center so I'm not sure which it is.

I don't know if you actually heard them call out that freq, or if you just heard them on it, but... For years as I've gone out in the desert near Edwards, I often heard (what I thought were) distant aircraft on various freqs in use near Edwards, but they were contacting Nellis Control and other Nellis area things. I always thought it was weird that they would put users on the same freq so close together. Turns out they were actually on other freqs and just bleeding over. The reception was so good from that spot that certain strong radios would come over other freqs that they weren't on... But by coincidence they just happen to be contacting Nellis control on the freq they were really on. The bleeding over made them sound like they were way off in the distance. It fooled me a number of times. I'm not saying that's what happen to you, but under rare circumstances it can. Then on the other hand, I've heard freqs used by two entities as well... Some of which were a real surprise because they did interfere with each other until it was resolved.

Dave
http://www.dpdproductions.com
- Featuring the MilTenna Air Band Antennas -

 

[TinEar]

Shortly after 1500 and it appears all the TBIRDS landed. None of the other show freqs have activity.

Oh, and just in case you might have thought TBIRD 6 (make that TBIRD 3) got worse looking as she got older (now age 32) from the previous picture, here's her 2007 shot....(and that'll be the end of this game)

 

[freqhopping]

I don't know if you actually heard them call out that freq, or if you just heard them on it, but...-

No doubt about it. It was clear that ATC told him to change freqs and he acknowledged to push to 257.875. I first heard this in afternoon but misheard the freq and programmed it wrong. I listened to my recording later and programmed the freq correctly. I heard the hand off correctly with the FIGHTER-9 flight last night. I just listened to my 282.2 recording from yesterday again and picked up on something I didn't catch before. The afternoon flight suffixed with '55 says '...-55 down to 1-5-thousand direct Linden'
So maybe an alternate ZDC-Linden freq? I know 319.1 is still good because I can just barely hear the ground side of it.

Any idea what FIGHTER-9 is? What's the c/s for the F-35?

1605-THUNDERBIRD-7 out flying around ZDC-Blue Ridge 285.6

1618- Just heard someone on 257.875.
1623-THUNDERBIRD-7 on 269.0
1636-THUNDERBIRD-8 with TRACON 348.725, direct Patuxent.

THUNDERBIRD-8 is the one giving rides to the media yesterday and today. They go out to R-4006.

 

[BM82557]

Activity 05182007

1615 - chatter with "working with ATC" - 143.85
1621 - ongoing - 143.85 -- signal of 5 in Berkeley Co. WV

 

[Waltz41]

Shortly after 1500 and it appears all the TBIRDS landed. None of the other show freqs have activity.

Oh, and just in case you might have thought TBIRD 6 got worse looking as she got older (now age 32) from the previous picture, here's her 2007 shot....(and that'll be the end of this game)

Actually the pilot you have posted is TBIRD 3, but.....TBIRD 6 is another female...