Sticky Thread for MilAir II

[CitationJet]

06.06.2007 pm

06.06.2007 pm

2102Z 118.950 Potomac DEP - HUSKY 44 (C-130H 91-1944 96th AS AFRC) - deps ADW to 14000'.
2103Z 141.550 GRIFFIN CP Andrews - JOSA 526 (C-21A JOSAC) - ETA 2130Z 5 Space A's on board and ments trouble with QSY on UHF freq. Also on 188.675 for the arrival @ 2110Z, and lands rwy 1R at Andrews @ 2120Z on TWR freq 118.400.
2109Z 378.100 GRIFFIN CP Andrews - VENUS 41 (C-37A 97-0401 99th AS) - passing maint. writeups to CP.
2110Z 378.100 GRIFFIN CP Andrews - NAVY JT 380 (C-9B VR-52 NAS JRB Willow Grove) - clg here no joy.
2114Z 118.400 Andrews AFB TWR - NAVY JT 380 (C-9B VR-52 NAS JRB Willow Grove) - gear down lands rwy 1R.
2125Z 281.400 ZDC-Calvert - NAVY TP 14 (T-38C 67-14943 NAS Patuxent USNTPS) - checks in at 1000' then cleared to 8000' QSY Patuxent APP 120.050.
2126Z 119.300 Potomac APP - AVALON 41 (C-9C 932nd AW AFRC Scott) - on the ILS 1R full stop.
2133Z 378.100 GRIFFIN CP Andrews - conducts radio check no callback.
2132Z 118.400 Andrews AFB TWR - AVALON 41 (C-9C 932nd AW AFRC Scott) - on a 9 nm. final to rwy 1R.
2133Z 141.550 GRIFFIN CP Andrews - AVALON 41 (C-9C 932nd AW AFRC Scott) - on a quick turn from Scott, can release 10 seats back to Scott, 12K fuel, send pax out around 2200Z.
2138Z 118.675 Potomac DEP - PAT 632 - 11000' for 12000' QSY ZDC-Linden 120.650 where he's cleared to FL240 @ 2151Z.
2144Z 118.950 Potomac DEP - PAT 2403 (C-12T afternoon shuttle Davison RFC) - deps DAA 1700' for 4000' then cleared to 5000' dir GRUBY QSY 126.400.
2155Z 118.400 Andrews AFB TWR - PAT 163 - visual rwy 1R.

 

[BM82557]

Activity 06072007

0957 - MUSSEL 03 to BLUEGRASS reporting on final, request clearance -- 241.0
0958 - MUSSEL 03 cleared to land -- 241.0
1047 - PLUM, NORTHERN LIGHTS is november charlie sierra -- 364.2
1053 - IMAGE 04, this is NORTHERN LIGHTS go ahead -- 364.2
1054 - IMAGE 04, RED 3 is in the air, request your mode 3 - 364.2
1055 - IMAGE 04, this is NORTHERN LIGHTS on AITC, request your mode 3, ...you are squawking 4342 -- 364.2
1058 - IMAGE 04 this is NORTHERN LIGHTS, tracks are in the Hampton Roads area -- 364.2
1100 - IMAGE 04, NORTHERN LIGHTS requests your front end callsign -- 364.2
1101 - IMAGE 04, NORTHERN LIGHTS receiving 27 tracks your station -- 364.2
1108 - IMAGE 04, this is NORTHERN LIGHTS are you filtering unknowns -- 364.2
1110 - IMAGE 04, confirm you have no receive filters active at this time -- 364.2

comms ongoing, I never heard IMAGE 04, only copied NORTHERN LIGHTS


Ref Alan below - unfortunately I had to stop listening at 1110 and was out of the house until late in the afternoon. I was going to use ARC to record it while I was out but couldn't locate the cable before I had to leave.

 

[TinEar]

Brian, I nominate that for "Post of the Year" so far. I'm amazed you could hear Northern Lights transmitting. Was there anything that happened later that would help identify IMAGE 04? Earlier in the day, the guys up in New England were hearing GOLIATH ALPHA talking to Northern Lights on 364.2.

 

[Dank]

378.1 issues

I'm not former military so I don't know how things work, but would a pilot has radio issues such as these examples when calliong the CP say anything about it once they get on the ground? Maybe they wouldn't the first time or two, but for pilots who may experience it repeatedly I would think they should or could say something.

 

[TinEar]

I'm not former military so I don't know how things work, but would a pilot has radio issues such as these examples when calliong the CP say anything about it once they get on the ground? Maybe they wouldn't the first time or two, but for pilots who may experience it repeatedly I would think they should or could say something.

Dan, it should be brought up in the debriefing after every flight and noted in the pilot's log when they have an obvious comm problem such as this. And, as I mentioned last night, the approach and tower controllers have been hearing an earful when aircraft suddenly show up on their freqs and explain that they weren't able to contact the Command Post. The problem has got to be well known throughout the ATC community at and around Andrews. Last year, it took them quite awhile to determine the problem was in the receiver before they replaced it. It's typical of radio maintenance. They want to prove the problem first with test signals/equipment rather than just replacing the damn thing and finding out the reasons later on. It's the obvious quick and easy solution to a problem like this but that isn't what's in the maintenance playbook.

 

[Dank]

Thanks Tin, I knew you had the answer. I wonder if AF1 has ever encountered these issues. If so I would think the radios would have been fixed by now. I know have a callsign question for you. Are the Mussell flights all UH-1s and the Nighthawk flights the larger helos that we see in the White House lawn photos?


ref above, Thahnks again Tin. I wanted to confirm the connection between what I was seeing and what I should be hearing or vice versa.

 

[TinEar]

Thanks Tin, I knew you had the answer. I wonder if AF1 has ever encountered these issues. If so I would think the radios would have been fixed by now. I know have a callsign question for you. Are the Mussell flights all UH-1s and the Nighthawk flights the larger helos that we see in the White House lawn photos?

AF 1 wouldn't encounter the 378.1 problem because they don't use UHF nor do they even call the Command Post. They'll come in with ZDC, TRACON, Tower but all on VHF.

I feel fairly sure though that even if AF 1 did have the problem, maintenance would still go by the book on attacking the problem. They don't follow the TinEar course of action that says when something doesn't work right you rip the thing out of the console and replace it immediately with something new. Then fix the broken item at your leisure.

Yes to your second question. Nighthawk, of course, becomes MARINE 1 when the President is onboard, as you know.

 

[CitationJet]

Re: NORTHERN LIGHTS

Hi Tin,

I've heard them here in the Centreville area before, they remote out of Potomac TRACON at times.

It's somewhere on one of the two sticky threads, I think back in late 2006...do I get "Post of The Year 2006" then?

Best regards,

Tony

Brian, I nominate that for "Post of the Year" so far. I'm amazed you could hear Northern Lights transmitting. Was there anything that happened later that would help identify IMAGE 04? Earlier in the day, the guys up in New England were hearing GOLIATH ALPHA talking to Northern Lights on 364.2.

 

[TinEar]

Hi Tin,

...do I get "Post of The Year 2006" then?

Tony

No. There is no provision in the rulebook for making awards retroactively. :roll:
Besides...it was the content that won the award rather than just hearing Northern Lights.

By the way, the Goodyear Blimp is hovering over this area somewhere. What's worthy of his appearance? Registration is N2A. Could it be for the LPGA tournament at Bulle Rock?

Early in the 1400 hour, a flight of four - RAM 31 - came through the area on the ZDC freqs. Heard them with Salisbury 257.7 and then Sea Isle 281.45. Possibly F/A-18s from Oceana.
(Listener in Maine has them going into Brunswick)

Toward the end of the 1400 hour, there was a GYPSY 11 flight heard with ZDC-Sea Isle at FL 280. That callsign fits for F/A-18s from Oceana or A-10s from Battle Creek.

1535-45: REACH 3603 (C-17A, 93-0603, 437th AS Charleston) wearing himself out trying to call SAM Command on 378.1
1545: REACH 3603 finally changes to 141.55 and makes contact...20 minutes out, 2 pax, needs crew bus for 2 and 50K fuel...wants info on his upload.
1547: ____ 91 (can't catch his callsign) through ZDC with Franklin 290.425 and now Hopewell 323.225
1559: Northrup Grumman test aircraft on company freq 123.2 (haven't heard them for awhile). Pilot of N161NG says he's going to RTB. He has "fog in the cockpit."

Log is not all-inclusive today. I'm not scanning - just searching. Have Andrews and most local freqs blocked out. If I run across them in search and find something, fine.

1600: TESTER 16 landing at Patuxent (missed freq)
1600: CRAB 52 (97-1352) and CRAB 56 (98-1356), C-130Js of the MD-ANG both up in the area...385.9
1600: REACH 385 had an ordeal contacting McGuire to give arrival message...he called and called on both 319.4 and 349.4 for about 15 minutes before making contact on 319.4. That was a problem of calling too early since he was still 35 minutes out when he made contact. It might be a C-130H from the 517th AS at Elmendorf AFB Alaska but not positive of that.
1610: Raven Ops talking to aircraft on the ground...A-10 flights should be airborne soon...347.2
1613: F-22A activity on Langley interflight...252.775 (Heard a KEVLAR F-22A flight w/Giant Killer a few minutes ago on 249.8 entering the offshore area. This might be them.)
1618: MTN A-10s up on interflight...140.0 (COLT flight...report they were off at 15 after the hour...347.2...they're going to Pax R-4006)
1628: SLAM 61 flight to Giant Killer reports direct HEELS, direct Langley on their RTB run...249.8
1632: One of the COLT A-10s has lost his HUD, his auto-pilot and other problems while at Pax...140.0
Ran into the problem when using his "Master Arm" selection...tried to select a weapon and everything went out. He fixed it by following the steps in his pilot's manual. He'll try the same thing to see if it happens again. It apparently didn't./
1633: RAVEN flight of A-10s reports off at 30 past the hour...347.2
1634: RAVEN flight on interflight...143.0

Ref Below: NORTHERN LIGHTS is from the NorthEast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) based at Rome NY.

 

[trainman111]

What is Northern Lights? I can't say I've ever heard of them. What's their purpose?

 

[CitationJet]

Re: NORTHERN LIGHTS

Hi Tin,

Post #2668 on the original thread, and yes I'd say Brian's content beats mine in that post...)

Tony

No. There is no provision in the rulebook for making awards retroactively. :roll:
Besides...it was the content that won the award rather than just hearing Northern Lights.

 

[TinEar]

Hi Tin,

Post #2668 on the original thread, and yes I'd say Brian's content beats mine in that post...)

Tony

I'm amazed you even remembered that post from that long ago Tony. I had to go back and look it up....

Said Tony on July 26, 2006..." 1854Z 364.200 ZDC-HUNTRESS - "this is NORTHERN LIGHTS read you LC".

Yes, we have to give the edge to Brian for content.
********************************************
Just at 1800, the A-10 flights are beginning to return to Martin State. An AXEMAN flight also eventually made it's way into the air to join COLT and RAVEN. COLT is chatting about someone doing some "hot pitting" at MTN.

I understand the RAM 31 flight of F/A-18s has left Brunswick and is on its way back to this area. Will give a listen on the ZDC UHF freqs which they used on the way up there.

1808: SALTY DOG 324 with ZDC-Norfolk...327.8
1809: Someone is at the Bollen Range working 237.2. Might be one of the MTN flights.
1813: KEVLAR flight of F-22As has left the offshore area with Giant Killer on 249.8, is working interflight 252.775 and is talking to SOF on 383.2 at the moment just to let them know the flight is on its way home.

1835: And here's the RAM flight of three F/A-18s with ZDC-Cape Charles 256.8 and mention direct NTU (Oceana NAS)
1835: EVAC 23577 (KC-135R, 62-3577, 77th ARS Seymour Johnson) arriving Andrews (finally showed up on 141.55 after trying for a long time to get CP on 378.1). Has a retired O-9 Admiral on board that doesn't want any hoo-haa made when they land. (Good for him.)

 

[Mark]

TIN wrote:
1600: CRAB 52 (97-1352) and CRAB 56 (98-1356), C-130Js of the MD-ANG both up in the area...385.9

Heard CRAB 56 with Dover CP says there is a disabled aircraft on Martin State runway
so will stay in pattern at Dover till cleared up.
Told Martin will relay status in about half hour.

Guess they got it cleared up..

REACH 0447 C-5 arriving Dover uploads to Ramstein
SAM 1521 with dep message signal check,problems as usual on UHF.dep 2234z,eta 0805z.
CUTLASS 25 T-38 CB? heard briefly with Dover tower UHF,breaking off for tonite.
REACH 701 KC-10 arrive Dover from McGuire.
BOLAR 02 C-5 asks Dover CP if the C-17 is getting off the ground tonite.

Mark

Ref below.. Nascar 1. Sounds like the France family jet.Saw he passed away this past weekend.I think they are only Nascar family based at Daytona Beach
as all the others are Charlotte area and elsewhere.
The France family has always been kind of loyal to Daytona as that is where they started it all but you knew that.

I remember about 5-6 years ago at Dover Nascar race corporate jet was trying to land Dover AFB shortly before the race,I can't recall callsign but pilot was begging
Dover AFB to let him land but he didn't have required reservation and Dover AFB is real strict on that.
Pilot says."I have the President of NASCAR aboard and we have to land".
Dover said sorry but no can do!,so jet had to divert Georgetown De airport and of course chopper shuttled him in shortly after that.

God speed Bill France Jr!

 

[freqhopping]

1850 AR on 238.9 MISTY-37 reported being 4 min early and at 24k. To be refueled by OPEC-48 at 25k. MISTY passed his tail number which was weak but sounded like 164382 and read back OPEC's of 870121.

 

[TinEar]

1850 AR on 238.9 MISTY-37 reported being 4 min early and at 24k. To be refueled by OPEC-48 at 25k. MISTY passed his tail number which was weak but sounded like 164382 and read back OPEC's of 870121.

Any chance that could be 164386 on that receiver Travis? I had that one in the area a little earlier in the 1800 hour. He's an E-6B from VQ-4 if so.

2030: We finally have a name for the drop zone used by the MD-ANG C-130Js stationed at Martin State Airport. They've been using the callsign AEGIS DZ for a long time but never let us know the location of the DZ. Tonight, 97-1352 and 98-1356 who would normally be CRAB 52 and 56 are operating as CRAB 10 (and I presume 11). They told the Phillips AAF Tower controller on 126.15 that they'd be doing drops at the Swan Creek Drop Zone. Swan Creek is apparently in the general vicinity of Havre de Grace and, coincidentally, Aberdeen Proving Grounds.

2045: A-10s from Martin State are in the air again...AXEMAN flight on interflight 142.3. They tried contacting TRACON 290.475, had no joy, so switched to 317.425. They are just climbing out and probably headed for Pax.
2058: AXEMAN checking into Pax on 354.8 for the next 45 minutes.

2110: COLT flight of A-10s takes off from MTN...347.2...interflight on 140.025

It's a couple of minutes before 2200 and the MTN A-10s are still operating around the Vienna MD area. They are blasting the hell out of cars pulling into driveways, farm houses and whatever they find that looks interesting - all simulated of course. Those folks down in Vienna just go about their business fat, dumb and happy and never realize they are in the targeting pod of an A-10 that's practicing sending them to meet their maker. They're practicing buddy-laze procedures.

While searching the low band FM freqs in case there's a third flight of A-10s up, I ran across 46.75 just booming in. No idea who it is but it's police/sheriff type activity. Thought I just heard someone mention Holt/Hope county sending reinforcements to the scene of a beating under a bridge. Wherever it is, it just proves that people act like asses no matter where they live.

2209: There was a third MTN A-10 flight...RAVEN flight reports 10 minutes out...two Code 1s...347.2
2210: AXEMAN flight to Raven Ops to report 10 minutes out..two Code 1s...347.2 (142.3 interflight)
2213: RAVEN asks Raven Ops to coordinate with Tower for a (runway) 33 approach...347.2
2216: TRACON controller tells AXEMAN they'll be delayed for a couple of minutes due to RAVEN A-10s coming in from the north (RAVEN flight who must have been at Bollen Range)...317.425
2218: AXEMAN cleared direct MTN at 3000 feet...317.425
2218: RAVEN to MTN Tower...six miles out for approach and then will come around again...asks Tower to turn lights down a bit...297.2
2220: TRACON advises AXEMAN flight there's a pair of A-10s 7 miles south of MTN...then has to explain to someone on VHF that he was talking to A-10s on UHF (simulcasting)...317.425
For those of you that can't hear the ground controllers operating at BWI, they're so used to working with these A-10s that they mention radio preset buttons rather than freqs when they do handoffs.
2223: AXEMAN to MTN Tower for straight in approach to runway 33 for full stop...297.2
Okay...enough of these guys...we all know the routine by now. AXEMAN and then RAVEN will land and we'll wait for COLT to show up.
2242: COLT flight finally comes home...reports 10 out, 1 is Code 2 for targeting pod, 2 is Code 1...347.2
2245: A United Arab Emirates B737/8 assigned to the Dubai Air Wing is in the area with TRACON...probably landing at Dulles...registration is A6-MRM....flight number is DUB 005. (Dubai 005 voice)
2247: COLT to MTN Tower...says they'll be landing with NVGs on so would like the lights turned all the way down...297.2
I heard some references tonight from these MTN guys that make me believe they're soon going to be sent to the desert. Perhaps that's one reason they're flying so many sorties recently.

Mark: Heard a callsign NASCAR 1 today. It belonged to a Falcon 50. Registration was N500R but the owner shows as a leasing company on International Speedway Boulevard, Daytona Beach FL. Wonder who that could be?

 

[CitationJet]

Re: NASCAR 1

Hi Tin,

Static callsign for this Da50EX, operated by NASCAR along with LJ31 N79BJ, Ce650 N100R, Be350 N300R, G450 N500N, 125-800XP N700R and 125-800XP N800R.

Have some logs from yesterday but have been hit by a brutal cold, so probably will lump them in with any others heard from home today.

Best regards,

Tony

Mark: Heard a callsign NASCAR 1 today. It belonged to a Falcon 50. Registration was N500R but the owner shows as a leasing company on International Speedway Boulevard, Daytona Beach FL. Wonder who that could be?

 

[BM82557]

Activity 06082007

0920 - "this is a flight of 2 F-18's looking for the weather at KMSN" -- 255.4
0921 - "ROMAN xx out" -- 255.4
0929 - broken comms on 315.85
0932 - "direct PXV (or PXB not sure of that one) might work better", signal getting stronger -- 315.85
0935 - comns continuing -- 315.85
0937 - mentioned "Rickenbacker International" -- 315.85
1008 - interflight active with several ac talking about "block of 240 to 260" -- 143.825

 

[TinEar]

MAD HOG flight of A-10s is returning home to Willow Grove from Pope. 0950 heard with ZDC-Blackstone 235.625 > ZDC-Irons 360.85 at 0952 > ZDC-Calvert 281.4 at 0953. Flight is at FL 230. I have both 143.75 and 142.25 interflight freqs active. (I believe the 142.25 was being used by other Willow Grove A-10s operating at the Bollen Range)
0955: MAD HOG flight cleared to FL 190...281.4

1000: MAD HOG flight cleared to 13,000 feet...281.4
1007: MAD HOG flight handed to ZDC-Kenton...354.15
1010: FLight of four KC-10A tankers off from McGuire and heading south...87-0021/79-1711/85-0028/87-0120....two of them are chatting on interplane 139.875 and the other two are on interplane 143.825
About an hour earlier, two other KC-10As left McGuire -- 83-0079 and 84-0186 -- and also headed south overhead this area. Busy day for them.
1014: A-10s working Bollen Range...237.2 (probably the guys reported above on 142.25 interflight)
1015: MAD HOG flight handed to Philadelphia TRACON 291.7 and check in...immediately handed off to Philly TRACON on 269.25, have no joy, go back to 291.7 and are sent right back to 269.25 and check in. Say they're over Smyrna and heading for Willow Grove.
1021: MAD HOG flight cleared down to 6000 feet.
1021: There has also been a pair of F-16s from Atlantic City working interflight 138.875 for the past 30 minutes but have not used callsigns yet to prove the ID. Sound far enough away to perhaps be out in W-107.
1022: MAD HOG cleared down to 3000 feet and told to expedite...cleared into Willow Grove...269.25
Wingman went to Ops to give in flight report and get parking spots (B1 and B2) but I wasn't searching and missed the call...probably on 343.0
1023: MAD HOG flight handed off to another Philly TRACON freq...passing 5000 for 3000...273.575
1025: MAD HOG flight handed to Philly TRACON and check in at 3000 feet...291.7
They went to this freq first when handed off by ZDC but they selected it themselves since ZDC kept giving them a VHF freq in spite of their many requests for UHF. That's why they were handed off immediately to 269.25
I guess this is where I lose them due to altitude (or lack thereof). Hope they had a fun week at Pope.

Ref Below: You're right Brian. That is a change of pace. We don't see too many bears in my area but definitely a few people who should be tranquilized....and maybe euthanized.

1100 hour: There is some interesting activity going on at Patuxent - although I don't have a clue what they're doing. There are fighters working 277.0 and a refueling aircraft on 123.525 where I've copied lots of Navy refueling activity in the past. One of the participants on 123.525 is WATERBUG 815 who I believe is the tanker. Many Pax freqs active.
1126: SAM 1517 (C-37A, 97-0400, 99th AS Andrews) to SAM Command to report out of the blocks at 1517Z, airborne at 1525Z and ETA is 1830Z...378.1
1128: U/I fighters on interflight freq...138.9 (Not used by anyone local to this area but is a preset for the MA-ANG at Barnes) (Still getting occasional transmissions at 1143 but they aren't saying much)
1129: DC 51 (KC-135R, 57-1487, 756th ARS Andrews) has been calling LIBERATOR since 1106...now 20 minutes out, will have 23K on the gas upon arrival...378.1
1131: JOSA 521 (C-21A, 84-0100, 457th AS Andrews) calls Griffin Command 378.1...no joy....over to 141.55 to report off at 1530Z.
1149: U/I fighters on 138.9 mention seeing Langley "down there to the right at 1 o'clock"
1150: ROMAN 75 (F/A-18, VFA-106, NAS Oceana VA) calling Washington Center...several calls, no joy...323.225 (Hopewell)...they go back to ZDC-Norfolk 327.8....sent to ZDC-Gordonsville 351.9...check in there at FL 280 at 1156.

1200: U/I fighters working interflight...138.825 (this is a preset for A-10s from the CT-ANG Bradley so it might be them) They're on a cross-country flight to somewhere.

It's noon and I've got places to go and people to see. Back later.

 

[BM82557]

WV attractions

For a change of pace here's something to show you guys what you're missing by not living in my area -- http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?p=539728#post539728 That location is about 6 miles from my house.

Brian

 

[trainman111]

Wow. I don't think I've gone through one scan cycle today where I haven't heard anything. The NAVY tankers are going crazy over at PAX and I've heard lots of interflights active. Seems like right now is a little bit of downtime since I haven't heard much within the last 45 minutes or so. I'll post a log later this evening with most of what I heard. As of this moment (1146) I've got some a/c up on 138.9. No c/s heard yet.