ka3jjz said:
I see we have another Falcon Virgo coming up Tuesday through Thursday of this week, weather permitting. The notice showed up on Scan-DC and is also reprinted on the MT milcom blog. You can search this thread for 'Falcon Virgo' and find the freqs that have been used in the past - only just a couple, not the whole list Larry has in his blog, by any means (not to say some new ones might show up, mind you...) 73s Mike
The news release mentions the same cast of characters usually heard for those missions - F-16s (probably BRAVEs from Andrews) working 139.7 w/HUNTRESS, the Coast Guard HH-65s (BLACKJACK from DCA) working the same freq, and a C-38 (BOXER from Andrews) who will be with their Ops controller on 314.25. The Civil Air Patrol Cessna 182s acting as targets generally don't say much, if anything, during their flight but when they do talk it's on 148.15 and/or 149.5375.
Ground controller on Andrews CP 141.55 is loud and clear at noon. Doesn't happen very often. It sounds like she's got some punch to her signal and a series of short beeps when she keys her mic. Sounds like they're trying something different.
And now I'm hearing aircraft on the ground at Andrews also. It almost sounds like they're feeding the traffic through a repeater. Everything on the freq is at the same signal strength which would seem to confirm that. The female controller (Griffin) is talking with REACH 478 at the moment about missing flight meals. He tells the controller he was shorted five meals. She warns him not to start his engines before the meals arrive or they won't deliver them.
1220: Griffin calling "Any Radio" for a radio check....REACH 478 tells her she's loud and clear...141.55
I had a REACH 478 go into Andrews last evening at 1925. It was a C-17A, tail 00-0175 from the 62nd AW at McChord AFB WA. He'll apparently be departing ADW soon.
The signals coming off 141.55 have a slight echo to them which again indicates to me that the signal is being repeated somehow.
1233:REACH 478 calling Griffin Command....Griffin replies and is a male controller this time....REACH 478 still carrying on about his missing five meals....141.55
They seem to be having occasional troubles where the signal is not hitting the repeater. I think that's why Griffin did the radio check earlier with Any Radio.
1237: Griffin now doing a test count...they obviously realize there's a problem somewhere in this new system. I hear them keying the mic but if that series of beeps doesn't come first, it seems the voice doesn't come through the repeater (or whatever they're using.)
1241: Very interesting...VENUS 44 calling Andrews on 378.1 and his slightly delayed signal is feeding through 141.55. Can hear the controller replying to him also on 141.55 even though the transmissions are actually on 378.1. This is going to be superb for listening to Andrews if they keep this system in place. The signal from 378.1 is delayed about a half second coming through 141.55. It will be impossible to listen to both since it makes it very confusing with that echo effect.
1248: REACH 490 trying to establish comms with Griffin Command on 141.55 but is having difficulty. REACH 490 (C-17A, 06-6165, 436th AW Dover) was just climbing off the runway when calling. It went over to TRACON and is also trying to call on 378.1 a few minutes later at 1251. It appears the Griffin Command controller is also being a bit confused by the delay in hearing the signal on 141.55 while, at the same time, hearing the original signal coming from 378.1. I sure hope they keep this system in place. It's fantastic!!!
1258: REACH 478 (got his meals, is happy) takes off from ADW (C-17A, 00-0175, 62nd AW McChord)...climbing out....TRACON.
Just to get an idea of how far this 141.55 signal is carrying, who else is hearing it besides Jack up north of Towson? This may be the solution to all those unheard calls by the controllers at Andrews on the Command Post freqs. Love it!
All of that testing of the repeater seemed to come to a halt in the 1300 hour. Traffic on 378.1 has been confined to that freq and no further repeater transmissions have been heard on 141.55. Late in the 1300 hour, there was a Navy JV-372 (C-40A, 165834, VR-58) having trouble communicating with Andrews on 378.1 and very badly wanted to convey to them he had a two-star admiral on board. I thought for sure they'd turn the repeater on but they didn't. Hope it comes back up soon.
1239: MARS? 95, flight of four, with Potomac TRACON controller on 290.475 getting ready for a flyby of the Naval Academy...TOT is 1304. This flight went into Andrews yesterday. Brian logged an unknown flight at 1044 on ADW Approach freq 335.5. A couple of minutes later they went to Tower on 349.0 and landed but they were too weak for me to pull out the callsign. I thought I heard MARS then also but wasn't sure of it. If so, they would be Harriers.
1245: TRACON asks the flight if they'll be returning to Andrews after the flyby...they confirm they will...290.475
1248: TRACON warns a commercial aircraft about four Harriers in his vicinity...confirming type and MARS callsign....290.475
MARS = AV-8B VMAT-203 MCAS Cherry Point, NC
1253: TRACON explaining to another commercial aircraft about the four Harriers, the Navy football game and the fact they're working on UHF when asked on VHF why they couldn't hear them...290.475 (This freq is paired with 119.7)
1301: MARS 95 starts their flyby run...290.475
1302: TRACON tells MARS 95 not to go above 2000 feet...290.475
1305: MARS 95 completes flyby, says they're returning to Andrews....TRACON 290.475 hands them off to another TRACON controller on 270.275 where they check in as a flight of four for the overhead at Andrews
1308: MARS 95 reports field in sight...handed off by controller to Tower...270.275
1308: MARS 95 to ADW Tower and checks in as a flight of four 5 miles east of the field for the overhead...349.0
1311: MARS 95 flight touching down at ADW...349.0
1309: NJ-ANG F-16s up on interflight freq...138.875
1310: And another NJ-ANG F-16 flight using interflight freq...138.425
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The FAA posted new information for Martin State Airport on 18 October as follows:
MARYLAND, BALTIMORE
MARTIN STATE-ATCT
IDENT: MTN
FREQUENCIES
...FREQUENCY: 347.2....................................................................... DELETED
...FREQUENCY USE: COMD POST (175 FG) COLT CONTROL................. DELETED
...FREQUENCY: 385.9............................................................................. DELETED
...FREQUENCY USE: COMD POST (135 AG) (ALL AMC ACFT WITCH OPS)... DELETED
...FREQUENCY: 347.2.......................................................... ADDED
...FREQUENCY USE: 175 WG CMD POST - A10 (RAVEN OPS)... ADDED
...FREQUENCY: 384.1 ADDED
...FREQUENCY USE: C-130 (CRAB OPS) ADDED
RMK:...MILITARY VALIDATED
What this means for us...the 347.2 freq has simply had it's name changed from COLT Control to RAVEN Ops which is what I've been calling it all along. They also changed the unit designation from 175th Fighter Group to 175th Wing. However, the 135th Airlift Squadron (MD-ANG) CRAB Ops freq has changed from 385.9 to 384.1. They also finally got rid of the WITCH Ops name which was replaced by CRAB Ops a long time ago. I'm kind of surprised they would place a new freq in the middle of all the LMR freqs. However, we knew they were keeping some freqs in that range for MilAir use. This is obviously one of them.
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The FAA has also cancelled some Warning Areas around Puerto Rico (slightly out of our range except for those listening to HF radio).
Those controlled by Culebra, PR: W-368 A-D, W-369 A-F and W-429 A-C
Those controlled by Vieques Island, PR: W-370 A-B, W-428 (where the Navy used to have a bombing range until the locals got their skivvies in a knot)
Those controlled by Ponce, PR: W-372 A-G, W-373 A-B, W-377 A-B
Those controlled by San Juan, PR: W-374, W-375, W-376, W-377
freqhopping said:
GERMAN AIR FORCE-226 departed IAD a few minutes ago. 125.05 I heard the sound of the props, looked out the window and then tuned in.
That was a C-160D, tail 51+13. Had him at 1029 here climbing out.
