Sticky Thread for MilAir II

[jethunder]

322.55 active

First post from someone who's been promising myself to join for some time...and as mentioned via e-mail to TinEar yesterday...

The new ZDC Linden freq popped up again about 7:35PM local Saturday. Simulcast of VHF telling a civ aircraft to contact Washington Center on 133.2 ZDC Casanova. Heard the controller loud and clear, but only that one transmission heard from Fairfax, VA, and then nothing for the next hour.

 

[TinEar]

First post from someone who's been promising myself to join for some time...and as mentioned via e-mail to TinEar yesterday...

Welcome aboard Joe. Good to have you here finally.

I was talking offline with Matt (Mateo) about that 257.875 freq and how it fits into the TRACON scheme of things. The COWBOY 21 aircraft came in over ARMEL which would normally be 118.675 and then to 119.85 on VHF as Matt pointed out. This guy went 257.875 to 322.3 which is paired with 119.85. So, does that mean 257.875 is paired with 118.675? And, if so, what happened to 254.25 which used to be (or still is?) paired with 118.675? Has anyone heard the 254.25 freq recently?

 

[freqhopping]

So, does that mean 257.875 is paired with 118.675?

Yes.

And, if so, what happened to 254.25 which used to be (or still is?) paired with 118.675? Has anyone heard the 254.25 freq recently?

I don't know, but I do know I only remember ever hearing 254.25 simulcasting on 123.825.

 

[BMT]

ZDC Linden

Last year there was a nationwide airspace realignment
for reduced vertical separation minimums RVSM. As a
result, there were many frequency changes.

The above statement might explain the changes at ZDC.

BMT

 

[baydog]

USCG Helo

At 5:45 AM there was an Urgent Marine Broadcast on Marine Ch 16 regarding an explosion and fire in the area of Thomas Point light, south of Annapolis.

Around 6:30 this AM I caught USCG Rescue 559 (599?) working with Sector Baltimore on 23A while performing a search pattern in the area south of Thomas Point.

At 7:45AM Rescue 559 reported nothing found and it was departing the area after circling the area around the light again.

I never did copy anything on UHF from the helo.

David

 

[CitationJet]

Re: 257.875/254.250

Hi Tin,

No mystery here guys; msg #2264 explains 257.875, and I think I mentioned 254.250/123.825 to you some time ago privately...and it's been in the Wiki as well for quite a while, as 254.250/123.825 because I made the change...)

Tony

Welcome aboard Joe. Good to have you here finally.

I was talking offline with Matt (Mateo) about that 257.875 freq and how it fits into the TRACON scheme of things. The COWBOY 21 aircraft came in over ARMEL which would normally be 118.675 and then to 119.85 on VHF as Matt pointed out. This guy went 257.875 to 322.3 which is paired with 119.85. So, does that mean 257.875 is paired with 118.675? And, if so, what happened to 254.25 which used to be (or still is?) paired with 118.675? Has anyone heard the 254.25 freq recently?

 

[TinEar]

Hi Tin,

No mystery here guys; msg #2264 explains 257.875, and I think I mentioned 254.250/123.825 to you some time ago privately...and it's been in the Wiki as well for quite a while, as 254.250/123.825 because I made the change...)

Tony

Thanks Tony. Here's where my problem comes in...I know the experienced listeners like you that concentrate on that area have developed frequency usages based on what you hear and see. Then, I get official printouts from the concerned agency that show something completely different. For instance, my comment about 254.25 being paired with 118.675** comes directly from a TRACON printout. Does that mean it used to be paired but has now changed? Or does it mean simply that they entered it incorrectly in their computer? Or does it mean some bozo at that agency just randomly entered stuff without knowing what he was doing? All of the above?

** Official document shows 254.25 paired with both 118.675 and 123.825. That's not unusual to have one UHF freq covering more than one TRACON VHF area.

I prefer to take the info from people like you and 'freqhopping' that are under those flight paths and hear them every day - including the ground controllers. But it sure makes it confusing when I have to discard so-called "official" information. I'm sure you understand my dilemma.

We all know that frequencies are subject to change occasionally and expect it to happen. When something new is heard by the posters here and I get something printed out from the source that contradicts the general wisdom, I have tended to go with the official document. I think I'm realizing that I can't do that anymore. The other side of the coin is an official document like the one that pointed out the ZDC-Linden freqs were changing. Had I discarded that one as just more of their trash, I wouldn't have been ready when they actually made the change - like a month after they posted it.

The solution seems to be somewhere in the middle, i.e., trust the posters you know are in a position to understand and express what they're hearing and trust official information but take it with a grain of salt.

 

[BM82557]

1348: COWBOY 21 with that 257.875 freq that isn't Dover at 15,000 feet...then descending to 12,000
1350: COWBOY 21 down to 8000 feet and being handed off to TRACON...257.875
1351: COWBOY 21 to Potomac TRACON checking in on the way to 8000 feet at ARMEL...cleared to 3000 feet at 1353...to course 110 at 1355...322.3
Lots of choices for the COWBOY callsign...think I'll go with F/A-18 from VMFA-112 NAS Dallas.
1357: COWBOY 21 cleared to 2000 feet and handed off to Andrews Tower...322.3
1357: COWBOY 21 calls Tower and IDs as a single F-18 for the overhead...stop...Navy....cleared to runway 19L...has other traffic in sight (VENUS 44 also landing but on 118.4)...349.0 (Should confirm my ID choice)
1400: COWBOY 21 reports gear down, cleared to land on the left...349.05

Heard him heading out this morning:

1002 - COWBOY 21 with flight service reporting enroute Knoxville out of DC - 255.4
1006 - COWBOY 21 with a pirep -- single F-18 at FL260, 250 miles due east of Knoxville - 255.4

 

[freqhopping]

Just heard something for the first time. A Civil Air Patrol roll call on 148.15. Jefferson-349 was the controller for the Virginia net. He called Burke, Fredericksburg, Leesburg, Minuteman, and Winchester. He received replies from two other Jefferson stations and one who IDed as Aspen Gulp-4.

 

[Bobcat091]

A few things from today and tonight:

Vidar 1 x 2 - (S-3; VS-22) - w/ZBW 299.7, #2 declaring an IFE for an engine out, requesting direct Atlantic City for arrested landing.
Vidar 1 - w/ZDC 281.45, 257.7, FL270 direct Norfolk then on course
Vidar 2 - w/ZNY 353.5 descending for ACY, switches ACY App 385.5
Barbo 52 Heavy (E-6??) - w/Huntress 364.2
Shuck 81 - (KC-135) - w/Westover 372.2 inbound to Westover ARB
Navy 1 E 060 - (TH-57; HT-18) - w/Willow Grove GCA 128.675, for fullstop at KNXX
Hawk 81 - (F/A-18D; VMFA-533) - w/ZBW 299.7, ZDC 281.45, 257.7, 327.8, FL320 direct Cherry Point
Bandit 03 x 2 - (F-5; VFC-111) - w/ZDC 281.4, 284.7, 270.35, direct Henderson FL260
Canyon 11 x 2 - (F-18E; VFA-105) - w/ZBW 299.7, ZDC 281.45, 257.7, 256.8 FL260 then descending into Oceana
Navy LL 77 - (P-3; VP-30) - w/ZDC 257.7, 327.8

Also various heavies from McGuire and Dover heard on 349.4/319.4 w/inbound msg's

 

[TinEar]

A few things from today and tonight:

Vidar 1 x 2 - (S-3; VS-22) - w/ZBW 299.7, #2 declaring an IFE for an engine out, requesting direct Atlantic City for arrested landing.
Vidar 1 - w/ZDC 281.45, 257.7, FL270 direct Norfolk then on course
Vidar 2 - w/ZNY 353.5 descending for ACY, switches ACY App 385.5
Barbo 52 Heavy (E-6??) - w/Huntress 364.2
Shuck 81 - (KC-135) - w/Westover 372.2 inbound to Westover ARB
Navy 1 E 060 - (TH-57; HT-18) - w/Willow Grove GCA 128.675, for fullstop at KNXX
Hawk 81 - (F/A-18D; VMFA-533) - w/ZBW 299.7, ZDC 281.45, 257.7, 327.8, FL320 direct Cherry Point
Bandit 03 x 2 - (F-5; VFC-111) - w/ZDC 281.4, 284.7, 270.35, direct Henderson FL260
Canyon 11 x 2 - (F-18E; VFA-105) - w/ZBW 299.7, ZDC 281.45, 257.7, 256.8 FL260 then descending into Oceana
Navy LL 77 - (P-3; VP-30) - w/ZDC 257.7, 327.8

Also various heavies from McGuire and Dover heard on 349.4/319.4 w/inbound msg's

Very nice report. What time did you have BARBO 52 Heavy active? The only E-6B I had Sunday was around 1430 local when 164386 from VQ-4 was active. I only had him working Pax so he wasn't using his callsign. He returned to Patuxent in the 2100 hour last night. I'd like to be able to tie that aircraft to the BARBO callsign if possible - even though their callsigns are generally one time events but are sometimes kept for a few days over the course of a mission.

SHUCK 81 Heavy was an E-3B, tail 77-0356, from Tinker. He's been in the area, perhaps just for an RON. He came in from Europe where he was heard all over the place on the 25th before arriving here. Yesterday afternoon he headed west, probably flying back to Tinker - or so I thought. I had him mid-1500 hour and then he was reported a couple of states to the west about an hour later. If you had him going to Westover later than that, it means he came back. If it was earlier, I'll keep him in the "gone" column.

VIDAR is a new callsign for me. Do you have it associated only with VS-22? A Massachusetts listener had them using 325.4 for interflight discussing the problem but couldn't pull out the callsign.

That reminds me of something...it seems over the past month or two that everything going up the coast jumps from ZDC-Sea Isle directly to ZBW-Hampton 299.7. They used to go Sea Isle and then ZNY-Kennedy, ZNY-Dixie and then to ZBW. Same thing now in the southerly direction, ZBW-Hampton directly to ZDC-Sea Isle and this is even at lower altitudes. At first I thought it was a low/high thing but it doesn't seem to be. Maybe it's just to simplify things for the pilots rather than having to change controllers every 30 seconds or so in that area.

0602: JOSA 329 (C-21A, 84-0095, 457th AS Andrews) reports "off the deck on the hour"...to Andrews...378.1....with TRACON for his climbout...118.95

Okay, that's enough of this early morning stuff. Not sure I like this time of day. Time to drink coffiee, read the paper and try to wake up.

 

[BMT]

Vs-22 "vidar"

NAS Jax VS-22 "VIDAR" air to air is 325.4.

BMT

 

[TinEar]

0740: REACH 9469 (KC-135R, 59-1469, 756th ARS Andrews) to LIBERATOR to report "off the ground at 1135(Z)"...378.1 (Andrews tankers don't get many REACH missions)
0743: REACH 9469 with Atlantic City Approach...134.25 (First time I've caught Mil traffic on this freq...had it programmed forever...seems too early in the flight to contact ACY though...mistake?)

Late 0700, early 0800 hours the LBE (Lard Butt Express) fleet comes alive...Army UC-35A 00-1052 -- Army C-12T 85-1268 -- Army UC-35B 03-0016 -- Army C-12T 85-1267 -- Marines UC-35D 166767 -- Navy C-9B 159119 -- Navy C-20G 165093 -- Air Force C-21A 84-0077 -- Air Force C-20B 86-0201 -- Air Force C-9C 73-1683 -- Air Force C-37A 01-0029 all zipping around the area. Not military but N1, the Guflstream 4 of the FAA's LBE fleet is also up and so is the FAA's N3, a Cessna 560....and a bit later N2, another FAA Cessna 560 in the area.

0850: CHAP 74 (Langley) with Giant Killer reporting RTB...descending from FL 300 to 14,000 feet via HEELS...249.8
0853: TESTER 02 (F/A-18B, 161357, USN Test Pilot School at Pax) with BayWatch...256.5
0854: VENUS 22 (C-20B, 86-0202, 99th AS Andrews) reporting takeoff time 1240Z...141.55

0903: TESTER 18 (T-38C) is working with TESTER 02...sounds like they're starting some ACM activity ("Fight's on")...256.5
0920: BOBCAT 11 (F-22A Langley) w/Norfolk TRACON...FL 230...370.925
0921: BOBCAT 11 flight to Giant Killer to enter W-386 A-J on mission V-2711...249.8
0926: NAIL 21 flight (F-22A Langley) to Giant Killer to work W-386 for the next 30 minutes...249.8
0926: BOBCAT 11 is a flight of 4 aircraft...working interflight...233.525
0928: TESTER 12 (T-38C, 158200, USN Test Pilot School) with Patuxent announcing RTB...354.8
0930: SCARY flight (F-16 DC-ANG Andrews) off the deck at Andrews...w/TRACON...348.725
0932: SCARY flight with ZDC-Calvert...cleared to climb to FL 220....281.4
0935: One of the BOBCAT F-22s lost his radio (BOBCAT 2)...flight leader asking him to rock his wings if he can hear him and again if his systems are okay....told to head on home with one of the other flight aircraft escorting him...233.525 (Sounds like 1 and 4 are staying -- 2 and 3 heading home)
0939: SCARY 1 handed to ZDC-Franklin and checks in at FL 220...requesting direct 5314 (R-5314, Dare County Range NC) when able...290.425
0939: BOBCAT 3 checks in with Giant Killer to let him know of RTB plans for 2-ship...249.8
0941: COACH 51 (F-22A Langley) asking Giant Killer to confirm TEAM 12 (KC-10A McGuire) is on station...249.8 (I've got two McGuire KC-10A tankers up , 79-0434 and 85-0030, but don't know which one is TEAM 12)
0944: Found U/I fighters using interflight 138.15...normally a Shaw freq but not sure who this is...thought it was the SCARY flight on a new freq at first but it isn't them. Voice is familiar sounding though.
0945: BULLY flight (F-16 DC-ANG) also up with ZDC-Calvert and climbing....281.4
0946: BOBCAT 13 finally at the point to check out of Giant Killer's area...249.8
0954: AR freq active...238.9
0956: For the past several minutes, there has been someone talking to Giant Killer on 125.375...sounds like a fighter but my VHF freqs are covered with noise today and I can't pull him out of the mud...he's loud but the static is louder. Actually, I don't know he's talking to Giant Killer but this is a GK freq.
0959: F-22A aircraft with a tanker for AR ops...each jet is to take 6,000 pounds...no callsigns heard yet....238.9

1000: The 138.15 freq is a pair of F-16s. Was the F-16 demo team at Otis for the show? This is one of their common freqs.
1001: A pair of fighters (the F-16s maybe?) was just handed off from ZNY-Milton 269.1 to unknown freq...searching....and can't find them...they were heading west so were probably handed off to a ZOB freq that I don't have programmed.
1006: Found them...it's STEALTH 81, a flight of two F-117s from the 49th Fighter Wing, Holloman AFB NM going home from Otis...after 269.1, the next freq was ZNY-Philipsburg 306.2 and from there to ZOB-Tyrone freq 299.2 where they check in. And while on the freq, I've got TEAM 80 (KC-10A McGuire) also checking in there.

I just had a couple of quick power outages...off for a couple of seconds and back on again....everything stayed on and operated because I have everything running through UPS battery backup units. Still scares the hell out of you though. You automatically imagine a crap storm is about to descend upon the PC. Hope that was the end of it.

1020: It's the COACH flight refueling with the TEAM KC-10A now...TEAM relays that Giant Killer said for them to climb to FL 290 when this last guy is done with the AR...he also told the fighters he was operating on 233.7...238.9
1025: U/I F-22A to Giant Killer to say he's on mission V-2711 and will work with KNIFE and the other Raptors in W-386...249.8 (Sheesh...I didn't have KNIFE on my Langley callsign list - but it's there now.)
1028: Above transmission was from RODEO...now wants his flight to push "13 over 35"...249.8
1029: RODEO flight now with the TEAM tanker on AR freq...238.9
1036: RODEO 41 off the tanker after taking 10,300 pounds....42 cleared to contact the boom...238.9
1038: ROMAN 15 (F/A-18 VFA-106, NAS Oceana VA) with ZDC-Cape Charles...256.8 (he came to this freq from ZDC-Salisbury 257.7 so he's heading south)
1039: RODEO 42 was unable to connect with the boom...he's going to try again...still can't contact the boom...asks tanker if it's a problem with his (42's) system...tanker confirms it is...238.9
1043: After another try...still no joy for RODEO 42 with the boom...tanker admits it might be his problem....RODEO flight leader says it's time to go so they break away from the tanker and TEAM 12 says he's sorry....RODEO flight leader tells TEAM 12 they're leaving his freq....238.9
1046: SCARY 1 identifies as a single ship as he contacts Andrews Tower...349.0 (At 1018 he contacted Andrews CP on 378.1 to announce he was 20 minutes out)
1047: BULLY flight just coming back into range on interflight....139.15
1048: SCARY 1 reports, "Base, gear, stop, right"....and lands....349.0
1050: BULLY is a four-ship flight...give fuel remainders and all between 2500 and 3000 pounds...139.15 (Wonder why they went down to the range as four BULLYs and one SCARY rather than 2 and 3 ship flights?)
1052: BULLYs check in with ADW Tower 14 miles to the south for initial to runway 1R...IDs as a flight of four to Tower...349.0
1053: BULLY flight leader puts the flight into an 'echelon left' formation....139.15
1055: BULLY 1 reports, "Base, gear, stop, right"....BULLY 2 does the same...and then 3 and finally 4 with same reports....and we color them done...349.0

And I'm done for now.

Anyone know who this is?....Eurocopter N984ME...heard on Baltimore Helo chat channel 123.025...registered to CJ Systems Aviation Group at Alleghany County Airport in PA. Looking for their medical affiliation.
Ref below: Thanks Travis. Lifeline. And I eventually heard him going into Johns Hopkins. Nice picture, by the way.

 

[freqhopping]

Anyone know who this is?....Eurocopter N984ME...heard on Baltimore Helo chat channel 123.025...registered to CJ Systems Aviation Group at Alleghany County Airport in PA. Looking for their medical affiliation.

http://www.planespotters.net/Aviation_Photos/photo.show?id=028643

 

[dparana]

Good Morning All,
Just to follow-up on Tins catch of the STEALTH 81 flight...

As of about 1000 TEAM 80 and the STEALTH 81 flight were refuelling on the AR218 Track on the Primary 274.45 Freq. STEALTH 81 Tail is 86-0823 and STEALTH 82 is 85-0836. At 1023 STEALTH 32 is headed to the boom.

Dave

 

[DPD1]

This was Cuervo 1 flight of two, also headed to Otis for the airshow. They are CA ANG F-16s from Fresno.

Cuervo seems to be their cross-country call. For ex out here, they also use Rank, Rabble, Crud and some other rare ones. I hear Rank 1 right now doing sim Darkstar calls out over the water near Mugu.

Dave
www.DPDProductions.com
Makers of the "MilTenna" Monitoring Antenna

 

[freqhopping]

NIGHTHAWK-15 is at Mt Weather getting ready to depart. Apparently they were trying out their encryption. 241.0

 

[Bobcat091]

SHUCK 81 Heavy was an E-3B

Tin, thanks for the help with that one, also regarding the Barbo c/s I'm not sure whether it was an E-6 for sure or not, but I assumed so using such an odd callsign. I heard him up w/Huntress around 1300L.

A few from today:

Navy 7B ### - (C-12; Nas Atlanta) - w/Willow Grove Tower 119.6, cleared fullstop rwy 33
Vidar 6 - (S-3; VS-22) - w/ZDC 285.4, inbound to ACY, assuming he had parts for the S-3 that trapped there yesterday. Later departed headed south.
Lion 13 - (F/A-18F; VFA-213) - w/ZDC 256.8, 281.45, ZNY 307.8, headed towards Cameron? then clnce back to Oceana, w/ZDC 285.4, 257.7 on the way home
Wild and Scary flts - (F-16; DC ANG) - w/ZDC 285.4, 354.15 direct ADW

 

[TinEar]

0600: REACH 347T (C-17A, 06-6161, 60th AMW Travis) off the deck at Andrews and heading west. Marine 101 also up at same time, a C-37B 166377 on TRACON. Other than those two, not much happening for the rest of the hour. Not much? Nothing.

0700 hour: Langley F-22As are cranking up and heading to W-386 with Giant Killer. Freq 249.8 for entry/exit. One flight (might be the KEVLAR 61 flight) is using 238.825 for interflight late in the hour.

0800 hour: Not much early in the hour. The Marine 101 (166377) leaves Andrews. At 0815, TRAP 41 to Giant Killer on 238.1 talking about meeting up with the RODEO 41 flight. Both flights are Langley F-22A types

0821: TP 33 (Tango Papa 33 which should be a TESTER aircraft from Pax) to Giant Killer reports checking into the area at FL 230...251.6 (freq normally used for W-122 area)
0824: RODEO and TRAP flights chatting on interflight...mention going to SOF freq 383.2....238.825
0825: TRAP 41 and RODEO 41 flights are with SOF but difficult to hear on this freq...seems one aircraft has a problem....heard someone say they'd recover at Norfolk...383.2
0825: TRAP/RODEO flights back to interflight to discuss how and where to land for the aircraft with the problem....238.825
0826: TRAP 41 to Norfolk TRACON discusses the situation...says RODEO 41 has an electrical problem and is declaring an emergency at this time...says he's a single F-22 with one pilot, 30 minutes of fuel and TRAP 41 will accompany him to the runway for a straight in approach....370.925
0828: WB 509 to Giant Killer says he's holding at FL 500 and wants clearance to climb to FL 600...249.8 (This is a WATERBUG aircraft from Patuxent)
0833: BANK 51 (F-22A Langley) telling his flight to "Push 5" (which should be Norfolk TRACON)...249.8
0834: RODEO 42 to Giant Killer to announce RTB as a single ship through HEELS in 5 minutes...249.8
0835: REACH 2569 (KC-135R, 62-3569, 99th ARS Robins AFB) to Andrews Metro asking for weather at KWRB - Warner Robins, from 1345-1415Z...344.6
0836: KEVLAR flight leader tells flight to "Push 5"...249.8
0839: Seems REACH 2569 has lost contact with Andrews Metro (or they're ignorning him now) so the aircraft is making multiple calls to reestablish contact but no joy...344.6
0840: REACH 2569 now calling SAM Command and Andrews Command Post....they say they can hear Metro fine but they're not hearing him...he wants CP to tell Metro to give him the weather...378.1
There is honestly no excuse for all the comm problems at Andrews. They seem to have the same problem on all freqs hearing aircraft. C'mon guys, get it together. You radio maintenance people need to get busy and fix this. It's kick butts and take names time. Or don't you do that anymore in today's more gentle military climate?
0842: VENUS 26 (C-20B, 86-0206, 99th AS Andrews) reports to Griffin Command they were airborne at 30 past the hour....378.1
0843: So...ADW Metro gives the wx report for KWRB to REACH 2569. When done, the aircraft says they got everything but the temp and ask for that. Of course, Metro doesn't hear them so ignores them again....344.6.....REACH 2569 goes back to CP freq 378.1 to report they got it all except temp and ask for that. (What a circle jerk at Andrews!)
0845: VENUS 43 (C-20C, 86-0403, 99th AS Andrews) climbing out of Andrews....TRACON...118.95
0854: MARINE 374 (UC-35D, 166374, MAW-4) to ACY Approach descending to 8000 direct Coyle....down to 5000 at 0857...124.6 (He might have identified as MARINE 743 rather than 374)
0858: VENUS 26 with ACY Approach announcing his work at the runway at ACY...124.6
0859: NACHO 11 (F-22A Langley) flight into W-386 with Giant Killer...flight changing to 39 Prime....249.8

0900: Time for errands and some yard work. Back later.

 

[md_p97]

At about 7:30 this morning, just as I was arriving to work in DC, an alert was sounded at IAD (Dulles) for an MD-80 declaring an emergency. Reported nose gear problems, vibration when attempting to lower and no "lock" indicator. made repeated attempts with same results.

All fire and ops units were scrambled to the runway, last transmission i heard was 12 miles out, will overfly the field. Two hours fuel and 30 souls on board.

I went and checked flightaware, but they did not have any MD-80's listed (or at least not as such), and I did not see any aircraft that appear to be holding in the pattern.

I have no more information past this point.

Paul