Sticky Thread for MilAir II

[freqhopping]

Some guy in an experimental on guard 121.5 telling ATC he has an F-15 off his wing. :lol: He doesn't know where he is.

1103 and 1106- Someone else is being warned by the USAF on guard to turn around. He's now over Frederick airport.
1107- Now 5mi NE of the airport, still not answering.

 

[jmhayes]

BOBBY 21 and BOBBY 31 Tankers arrive McGuire at about 2050z

I had these guys go feet dry from the Pacific around 1615Z, they were dragging at least 6x F-16. Some speculation is that they are headed from South Korea to Aviano.

 

[Mateo]

Yes, all fine and dandy Tin, but young Mateo should know the difference between a USN C-9 and a USMC C-9 BuNo by now...;-))

Haha... not even close. I still have much to learn!
-Sauterelle

 

[TinEar]

I had these guys go feet dry from the Pacific around 1615Z, they were dragging at least 6x F-16. Some speculation is that they are headed from South Korea to Aviano.

And more speculation had them going into Burlington last night. Yes, they were the 555th Fighter Squadron. That's a long, long time to be in the seat of an F-16.

And with info coming to me from Europe this morning, I'm preparing for a flight of F-16s coming this way sometime this afternoon. They report some F-16s using the new Coronet East callsign TABOR being led by a KC-10A or two.

By the way Jordan, have you heard the new Coronet West callsigns yet? I haven't heard anyone reporting them. That flight of F-16s from Korea should have used it.

 

[Mark]

And more speculation had them going into Burlington last night. Yes, they were the 555th Fighter Squadron. That's a long, long time to be in the seat of an F-16.

Thanks Jordan and Tin..
Guess they will crew rest a day or two before strapping back in.
Surprised they didn't go Westbound out of Korea rather than do the Pacific and
Atlantic pond trips.
BOBBY Tankers didn't req customs so they must have stopped off at Elmendorf most likely.
BOBBY 31 was alpha 3 with bunch of writeups..

Guess it had been 4 month deployment...

http://www.usafe.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123057829

Mark

 

[jmhayes]

Surprised they didn't go Westbound out of Korea rather than do the Pacific and Atlantic pond trips.

I think there's no easy route that doesn't overfly China and FSU. If you want to fly no more than about 5k miles per day, that doesn't give you much wiggle room. Interestingly, the great-circle distance to Italy from Seoul is like 5500 miles ... KAL flies it daily with a B744.

BOBBY Tankers didn't req customs so they must have stopped off at Elmendorf most likely.

I'd guess Hickam, since they came in on the B track. BOBBY 41 [86-0036] and another [64-14833] just went by...

BOBBY 31 was alpha 3 with bunch of writeups..

Yeah, he said something about his boom on a PP via Travis. Sounded like a bent bird.

 

[BM82557]

Guard Dog cap toi's 10072007

I've heard more toi's since the Emmitsburg tfr went into effect this morning then all of the 2006/2007 caps added together. Quite a change of pace for HUNTRESS and the Eagle drivers with something other than racetrack patterns and hourly refueling! BTW HUNTRESS on 260.9 is coming in scratchy but readable at my location this morning, usually he booms in.

 

[TinEar]

Looks like I'm not going to be able to monitor the radios this afternoon. I'd appreciate it if someone could hear and log the TABOR 41 and TABOR 51 flights of F-16s due through the area. Look for them on ZNY and ZDC UHF freqs and one or two interflight freqs in the 138-144 range. Last two flights used 138.5 and 140.5 for interflight when they came through the area a week or two ago. These guys should be heading to Shaw AFB. Their accompanying tankers should go into McGuire. Many thanks.

 

[freqhopping]

Looks like I'm not going to be able to monitor the radios this afternoon. I'd appreciate it if someone could hear and log the TABOR 41 and TABOR 51 flights of F-16s due through the area. Look for them on ZNY and ZDC UHF freqs and one or two interflight freqs in the 138-144 range. Last two flights used 138.5 and 140.5 for interflight when they came through the area a week or two ago. These guys should be heading to Shaw AFB. Their accompanying tankers should go into McGuire. Many thanks.

I should be around for that.
Just heard TRACON tell NIGHTHAWK-8 to switch to DCA tower. 126.1

HUNTRESS has been pretty weak for me also. However, the USAF nearly blows out my speakers when they call on guard. Must be that Leesburg transmitter.


1525- TABOR-51 push ZDC-Norfolk to ZDC-Tar River

 

[Mark]

1403 local TANKER 05 with Steel ops 311.000 inbound and req score of Steelers game.
1417 Flt of 6 fighters count off and checking in A/A on 143.0500 mention Langley direct Shaw
1452 BLUE 02 with Boston Ctr 125.525 decending sw to ZNY 128.300 down to 16k direct McGuire.
1500 TABORS flt of at least 4 A/A 138.500 sw to 140.500,direct Shaw tanks feeding.
1512 TABOR mentions Pax River on 140.500
1520 EVAC 66163 C-17 arriving Andrews
1620 REACH 8006 arriving Andrews,10 pax and will get gas tommorow.
1629 BOBBY 41 calling McGuire CP.

Mark

 

[jmhayes]

have you heard the new Coronet West callsigns yet? I haven't heard anyone reporting them.

Walt just said BOBBY 41 did JEST 91-96 ...

 

[BM82557]

Looks like I'm not going to be able to monitor the radios this afternoon. I'd appreciate it if someone could hear and log the TABOR 41 and TABOR 51 flights of F-16s due through the area. Look for them on ZNY and ZDC UHF freqs and one or two interflight freqs in the 138-144 range. Last two flights used 138.5 and 140.5 for interflight when they came through the area a week or two ago. These guys should be heading to Shaw AFB. Their accompanying tankers should go into McGuire. Many thanks.

1512 local -- someone's active on 140.5, pretty faint from my location -- 140.5
1516 - tanks feeding etc, 140.5

 

[BM82557]

1629 - BOBBY 41 calling Dover cp x2 - 349.4
1633 - BOBBY 41 calling Dover cp - 349.4

1629 BOBBY 41 calling McGuire CP.

Mark

OK, now I get it, He was calling McGuire CP on the Dover CP freq. He should have been on 319.4 but was on 349.4.

 

[TinEar]

Thanks very much Mark, Travis, Brian for filling in the pieces of the TABOR/BLUE flights.
To recap...TABOR 41-46 (six F-16s from the 23rd FS Spangdahlem AB) through the area in the early part of the 1400 hour using interflight freq 143.05.
TABOR 51-54 (four F-16s, same unit) through the area in the early part of the 1500 hour using interflight freqs 138.5 and 140.5.
Fighters went to Shaw AFB.
Only tanker heard was BLUE 02 and based on timeline should have been with TABOR 51-54.
***************************************************************

Walt just said BOBBY 41 did JEST 91-96 ...

Appreciate that info Jordan. Thanks. So...JEST for Coronet West. TABOR and HURON for Coronet East. CAFE is tanker callsign for Coronet East.
***************************************************************
Guard Dog CAP as of 1852: TANKER 06 (KC-135R, 60-0349, 77th ARS Seymour Johnson AFB) was replaced around 1840 by TANKER 07 (KC-135R, 63-8038, 133rd ARS NH-ANG) who also was TANKER 03 last night.
Afternoon fighter pair was HARASS 53/54 (F-15s, 71st FS Langley AFB)

1906: HARASS 55/56 on the way to take the night shift in the CAP. They are reporting 55 miles south of the area....260.9
1911: HARASS 55/56 check into Guard Dog CAP at FL 210...they'll head right for TANKER 07 and make contact with the female boomer aboard the tanker...260.9
HARASS 55 (81-0041, 71st FS/1st FW Langley)
HARASS 56 (84-0024, 71st FS/1st FW Langley)

 

[Mark]

Thanks very much Mark, Travis, Brian for filling in the pieces of the TABOR/BLUE flights.
To recap...TABOR 41-46 (six F-16s from the 23rd FS Spangdahlem AB) through the area in the early part of the 1400 hour using interflight freq 143.05.
TABOR 51-54 (four F-16s, same unit) through the area in the early part of the 1500 hour using interflight freqs 138.5 and 140.5.
Fighters went to Shaw AFB.
Only tanker heard was BLUE 02 and based on timeline should have been with TABOR 51-54.

I was freq searching all during this event various VHF and UHF ATC and never heard
fighters with anybody headed South except their A/A.
Caught BLUE 02 and seeing he never called McGuire CP I assume he was
KC-135.
That worries me.How are fighters moving thru the area without ARTCC voice contact?
I had several scanners searching VHF and I may have just missed them but hard to believe.
Seems I heard everyone else from DC to Boston..LOL
I guess it is possible due to nice weather they got VFR clearence up at Nantucket and zipped down coast
over the water.

Mark

 

[TinEar]

I was freq searching all during this event various VHF and UHF ATC and never heard
fighters with anybody headed South except their A/A.
Caught BLUE 02 and seeing he never called McGuire CP I assume he was
KC-135.
That worries me.How are fighters moving thru the area without ARTCC voice contact?
I had several scanners searching VHF and I may have just missed them but hard to believe.
Seems I heard everyone else from DC to Boston..LOL

Mark

Travis reported hearing them with Norfolk and Tar River (327.8 and 354.1 I presume) but that was it. It's enough though to show they used them. I usually first hear them with ZDC-Sea Isle and it's the one I concentrate on because that's where they would split from the McGuire tanker and be on their own to work through the ARTCC freqs. Prior to that checkpoint, I always assume they'll be in tow with the tanker who will be doing ATC reporting for the entire flight on VHF. I'm not exactly sure where the tanker leaves them but I assume it's somewhere around the RIFLE checkpoint south of Long Island. The tanker would head for McGuire and the fighters for their next checkpoint at Snow Hill.

 

[jmhayes]

How are fighters moving thru the area without ARTCC voice contact?

Were they still MARSA with the tanker? I often hear tankers get a handoff from ZOA for the fighters along with a frequency for them to contact at the other end of the sector (i.e., where I can no longer hear them).

 

[Mark]

Travis reported hearing them with Norfolk and Tar River (327.8 and 354.1 I presume) but that was it. It's enough though to show they used them.

Rgr I had hits on 357.700 and 327.800 also but was HARASS 51 flight headed
South about same time as second group.
I thought I had hit on ZDC Sea Isle 285.400 but was short.
Guess with nice weather no need for much talk..

Ref above: Jordan no tankers heard South of McGuire excep CAP tanker.
Like Tin says they usually cut fighters loose at Long Island area when they head for
Langley,Shaw or SJ. Tankers usually rtb Pease or Bangor or McGuire.
Fighters even reported switching from Center tank to Wing tanks for final leg on their A/A freqs.

(By the way while searching during event a funny commercial pilot up on ZDC High joked "how about we break up those fighters")
Assume he was talking about CAP flight..
Guess com pilot sees the fighters on his TCAS radar and is probably ex-fighter jock though I don't think his
passengers would like that...LOL

Mark

 

[Mateo]

TOIs and "skip it"s heard intermittently through the afternoon from today's listening post located atop a parking garage at Dulles.
Of note, had a visual on TANKER 6 refuelling HARASS 53 tracking southbound a couple of miles E of IAD at 1609. Saw TANKER 6 again at 1807, and heard it receive RTB clearance back to Seymour on 135.52 at 1840. Just prior, he was informed on the HUNTRESS freq that the replacement was 250mi out.

Also saw REACH 388T (McChord C-17) at 1724 working in to ADW on 118.67/119.85.
A couple minutes later, REACH 6008 (McChord C-17 seen) called 378.1 to report his 10 pax, 6 crew, and 100k fuel required. [I heard 6008 a few times, and it only matches a C-17. 8006 would be 58-0006, which is an IL ANG KC-135 UPDATE: Sorry, Mark - didn't read the times carefully. 6008 was an hour after 8006]
NAVY JU 383 (C-9 seen) was right behind the C-17s.

Then, around 1845, I heard what sounded like PICANTE 10 and TACO 12 heading towards ADW on 119.85 and 119.3.

 

[TinEar]

(CBS) The Secret Service tells CBS News that there were eleven violations of temporary flight restrictions around Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, on Sunday.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/07/national/main3340134.shtml

There's one glaring error in this short story that you'll spot immediately.

Turns out there are lots of stories about all the airspace violators. Latest count seems to be a dozen (violators, not stories.) Each and every story reports that F-16s were the planes doing the escorting of the violators and some quote NORAD as giving them that information. We know better. Most of the stories also carry these paragraphs:

The Federal Aviation Administration says a dozen planes violated a temporary airspace restriction Sunday between 9 a.m. and noon while President Bush was speaking at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg. The North American Aerospace Defense Command says four planes were escorted out of the area by F-16 fighter jets and landed at nearby airports. The Secret Service says its agents then followed up with the pilots.

The FAA says the pilots could face penalties, including possible license suspension.

***************************************************************************

First shift in the CAP this morning shows HARASS 61/62 (F-15, 71st FS Langley) and TANKER 08 (KC-135E, 59-1446, 132nd ARS ME-ANG Bangor)
Primary freq with HUNTRESS and for refueling is still 260.9.
At 0930, HARASS 64 and TANKER 09 (KC-135R, 171st ARW PA-ANG Pittsburgh) both trying to contact HUNTRESS but aren't being heard.
0934: TANKER 08 released by HUNTRESS to RTB to Bangor....260.9
0935: TANKER 08 is contacting Potomac on 126.55 to pick up his clearance back to Bangor...126.55
0936: TANKER 09 makes contact w/HUNTRESS on 260.9 and is also told to use 126.55 for Potomac. (Rather than the usual 135.525)
0939: TANKER 09 checks in 10 minutes early with Potomac...126.55
0952: HARASS 63 and 64 into the area on interflight 360.15, with Potomac on 350.25 and then to HUNTRESS on 260.9 (HARASS 61/62 return to Langley, TANKER 08 to Bangor)
1250: TANKER 09 and HARASS 63/64 have had the CAP since shortly before 1000. It has been uneventful - unlike yesterday. CAP is scheduled to end at 1300 local.
1255: HUNTRESS tells HARASS 63/64 and TANKER 09 they'll be leaving in 5 minutes and to start working clearances...260.9
1256: HARASS 63 calls Potomac on 350.25 and TANKER 09 on 126.55 and both say they'll be leaving in 5 minutes to RTB...work up the clearances guys!
1300: HARASS 63/64 released by HUNTRESS....63 tells 64 to get in 2-mile-trail....TANKER 09 is also released...260.9
1301: TANKER 09 to Potomac to pick up clearance on route 518 to Indianhead...will depart the area at FL 250...126.55
1302: HARASS 63 checks in with Potomac...says fighters are holding hands and ready to RTB...350.25
1302: HARASS 63/64 set up on interflight for chat on the way home...360.15
1303: HARASS 63/64 cleared along a route to Andrews, Nottingham, Harcum, direct Langley at FL 210...350.25
1306: HARASS 63/64 handed off to ZDC-Calvert and check in at FL 210...281.4
1307: TANKER 09 Heavy handed off to ZDC-Hagerstown and checks in at FL 250....134.15
1310: TANKER 09 will expedite down to FL 210...134.15
1310: HARASS 63/64 cleared down to 10,000....281.4
1313: TANKER 09 Heavy handed off to Center freq 124.4....134.15 (And this is where I drop his ATC progress)
1315: HARASS 63/64 handed off to Norfolk TRACON (West) and check in at 10,000 feet direct Harcum and Langley...360.6
And I'm calling this CAP over and done with. Must admit, yesterday was the most interesting day in CAP history as far as I'm concerned. And I only got to hear the first half of the violator parade.
*************************************************************************************
From 1222-1230 there has been an aircraft calling on 139.15. He's not getting a reply to his calls. His transmissions have been:
"PANTHER, this is EASY 105 on 139.15" On the last call at 1230, he gave the callsigns and then added, "transmitting on 139.15 and 260.9" I never heard him on 260.9 and I was monitoring that freq because of the CAP.
At 1231, he's back to just the earlier call, "PANTHER, this is EASY 105 on 139.15."
1236: EASY 105 is telling Potomac TRACON on 119.85 that he's been calling JADOC and not getting a reply (PANTHER=JADOC at Bolling AFB I presume)
1236: TANKER 09 responds to someone I can't hear on 260.9 asking for a radio check.
1237: EASY 105 finally makes contact and tells PANTHER he could hear him on Uniform but not on 139.15 in earlier calls...he adds that apparently PANTHER wasn't hearing him on 260.9...139.15 (I don't believe his transmitter is working on 260.9 because he's loud and clear on 139.15 and I should have heard him on UHF if he transmitted there.)
EASY 105 had people talking simultaneously on both 119.85 and 139.15 so he's not a single seat aircraft.
1239: EASY 105 says he has contact with "green and red"....139.15 (So he's up there testing the "Sparkle" laser warning system)
1247: EASY 105 transmitting again on 139.15 but now getting out of range and difficult to hear.