Sticky Thread for MilAir II

[TinEar]

Maybe they'll come out with RCAG maps to help us hobbyists??


HAH!!!!


Merry Xmas & Happy Holidays ...... I won't be online again until mid-week.

Actually John, the Centers print out their own maps that include all the Sectors and RCAGs. I've got about two dozen of the things for Washington Center but they are huge. I think the largest one I've got is about 5 x 8 feet (not inches) and it includes only part of ZDC. So, unfortunately, I can't just scan them and then share them with the world. I've also seen published FAA documents that give the lat/longs for the RCAGs but each has about 50 points or more you'd have to plot. And you still wouldn't be down to the Sector level.

Reminds me...I have some new freqs for Cleveland Center (ZOB) which I've got to get posted somewhere - either here or on the general Military/Aircraft Threads on the main page. Thought I would get to that last night but ran out of time. Will try again tonight.

Merry Christmas to you too.

P.S. Looks like it's time to start another thread soon. This is the start of Page 100 of this one. Well, for me it is since I have things set for 40 messages per page. Your mileage may vary.

 

[freqhopping]

I just tuned into ZDC-Montebello VHF as TANKER-06 was departing and also heard KALITTA-73 climbing. Not sure where he's coming from.

I think 35/36 may have been using 228.45 for interflight. I heard that used very briefly about the time they got airborne.

 

[TinEar]

And TANKER 07 has the duty. They're bringing them in from all over the place for this CAP. I guess everyone is going to get a turn because of the length of this CAP and the Christmas holiday so no one unit is overburdened.

TANKER 01 = KC-135R, 59-1498, 132nd ARS ME-ANG Bangor, Mode 3=3477
TANKER 02 = KC-135R, 60-0315, 126th ARS WI-ANG Milwaukee, Mode 3=5662
TANKER 03 = KC-135R, 63-8018, 173rd ARS NE-ANG Lincoln, Mode 3 = 5653
TANKER 04 = KC-135R, ---------, 133rd ARS NH-ANG Pease, Mode 3 = 3515
TANKER 05 = KC-135R, 59-1467, 171st ARW PA-ANG Pittsburgh, Mode 3 = 4142
TANKER 06 = KC-135R, 57-2597, 153rd ARS MS-ANG Meridian, Mode 3 = 1520
TANKER 07 = KC-135R, 58-0051, 465th ARS AFRC Tinker, Mode 3 = 2340

1445: SONIC 35/36 heading to the CAP...with ZDC-Franklin 290.425, then ZDC-Calvert 281.4 and now at 1446 to Potomac 350.25 (27 Prime) and check in with HUNTRESS and SONIC 33 on 260.9.
1447: SONIC 33 advises 35 that they're using primary 260.9 for a boom freq after 35 asked HUNTRESS which freq to use. I think he was ready to go to the set AR freq for this CAP which is 277.35.
1448: SONIC 35 heading for the tanker and tells TANKER 07 he's at 15 miles off his "dead six"...260.9
1451: SONIC 33 to Potomac to tell him his flight is about 15 minutes from RTB...flight route will be Nottingham (OTT), ???, V-33, Harcum (HCM) at FL 210 squawking 4654...350.25
SONIC 35 tail is FF 04-4062
SONIC 36 tail is FF 03-4059
1459: SONIC 33 checks to make sure 35 and 36 are okay on the boom, then advises HUNTRESS of that fact and asks permission to RTB...granted...260.9
1459: SONIC 33 to Potomac to pick up clearance back to Langley for himself and 34...350.25

1500: SONIC 33 tells 34 to come up on 21 AUX and they establish contact on interflight freq...233.525
1502: Potomac has SONIC 33/34 spinning and turning as they await clearance out of Guard Dog...(this is becoming a habit when they leave)...350.25
1503: SONIC 33 tells HUNTRESS he's holding hands with 34 and they're at FL 210 in the south part of the CAP until they receive clearance to leave...260.9
1507: SONIC 33/34 cleared out of Guard Dog and are handed to ZDC-Calvert and check in there at FL 210...281.4
1516: SONIC 33 handed off to Norfolk TRACON (West) and check in at 10,000 feet, non-standard (formation)...360.6

 

[CitationJet]

12.22.2007

Just had ????? 21 up with McGuire CP on 319.400 @ 2046Z w/arrival time 2115Z A1 3 Space A's, 0 cargo. Anyone get a callsign on this one please?

2053Z 260.900 PT HUNTRESS - SONIC 35 - gives PIREP and HUNTRESS reqs if 35 is receiving tfc in the GD CAP via datalink. 35 confirms yes then HUNTRESS gives a TOI to 35 @ 17000' tracking SW. HUNTRESS loud and clear here.
35 returns unable to find the given track as only seeing tracks inside the CAP primarily.
2057Z 260.900 PT HUNTRESS - SONIC 36 - requests HUNTRESS detail aircraft type on TOI off to his left.

2101Z 260.900 PT HUNTRESS - SONIC 35 - given JTN track and is clean with bullseye, ID is unknown.

 

[TinEar]

Just had ????? 21 up with McGuire CP on 319.400 @ 2046Z w/arrival time 2115Z A1 3 Space A's, 0 cargo. Anyone get a callsign on this one please?

PETRO 21 (KC-10A, 86-0027, 305th AMW McGuire)

And just a bit before PETRO 21, there were a couple of unusual visitors - a pair of C-130H types from the 105th AS TN-ANG. Callsigns were MUSIC 85 (89-1185) and MUSIC 88 (89-1188). I believe they also went into McGuire.

And then there was TANKER 08 that took the duty starting about 1620. Let's add him to the list...
TANKER 01 = KC-135R, 59-1498, 132nd ARS ME-ANG Bangor, Mode 3=3477
TANKER 02 = KC-135R, 60-0315, 126th ARS WI-ANG Milwaukee, Mode 3=5662
TANKER 03 = KC-135R, 63-8018, 173rd ARS NE-ANG Lincoln, Mode 3 = 5653
TANKER 04 = KC-135R, ---------, 133rd ARS NH-ANG Pease, Mode 3 = 3515
TANKER 05 = KC-135R, 59-1467, 171st ARW PA-ANG Pittsburgh, Mode 3 = 4142
TANKER 06 = KC-135R, 57-2597, 153rd ARS MS-ANG Meridian, Mode 3 = 1520
TANKER 07 = KC-135R, 58-0051, 465th ARS AFRC Tinker, Mode 3 = 2340
TANKER 08 = KC-135R, 62-3509, 77th ARS AFRC Seymour Johnson, Mode 3 = 5352
SKATER 07 = KC=135E, 58-0032, 108th ARW NJ-ANG McGuire, Mode 3 = 7177

 

[Mark]

Just had ????? 21 up with McGuire CP on 319.400 @ 2046Z w/arrival time 2115Z A1 3 Space A's, 0 cargo. Anyone get a callsign on this one please?

I caught tail end of that on tape and sounds like PITCHER 21 to me.
Never heard that one before..
OK TIN has it as PETRO 21.That makes more sense but he sure pronounced it funny.
Reviewing tape it is PETRO 21 but he sure mangles it..Sounds like PITRA

I got these right though.. LOL
Earlier at McGuire 1510 local had C-130 MUSIC 20 arriving Mcguire to pick up
Army pax.Mentioned Sister ship MUSIC 85 also arriving and they would split pax 20 each.
MUSIC = 105 AS/118 AW Nashville

Mark

PS: Good article today in Wash post on F-15 troubles.. Scary story from pilot who had one fail.
Notice the 5th paragraph... Not always true like today.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/21/AR2007122102545.html

 

[CitationJet]

Re: PETRO 21

Tin, Mark, thanks!

Heard some more comms on 260.900 earlier including TANKR 07 receiving his RTB clnc via LDN flight plan route FL240, but the rest was just HUNTRESS cranking out TOIs to SONIC 35...

Tony

PETRO 21 (KC-10A, 86-0027, 305th AMW McGuire)

And just a bit before PETRO 21, there were a couple of unusual visitors - a pair of C-130H types from the 105th AS TN-ANG. Callsigns were MUSIC 85 (89-1185) and MUSIC 88 (89-1188). I believe they also went into McGuire.

 

[kmacka]

I keep hearing Sonic pilots referencing to their "nose is cold" while setting up for refueling. What does this mean?

 

[CitationJet]

Re: nose is cold

Their radar has been turned off...

I keep hearing Sonic pilots referencing to their "nose is cold" while setting up for refueling. What does this mean?

 

[Mark]

Their radar has been turned off...

Rgr that.. Fighters have strong radar and Boom Operator doesn't want
to get microwaved like a baked potato...

Mark

 

[TinEar]

Rgr that.. Fighters have strong radar and Boom Operator doesn't want
to get microwaved like a baked potato...

Mark

Love it! :lol: And that addresses future reproduction too.

"Nose is cold, switches safe." The second part of that references their weapons systems turned to a "safe" mode so they can't fire. That could also totally screw up the boomer's day.

SONIC 01/02 on station...SONIC 35/36 on the way home as of 1904.

There's another of those gigantic Russian AN-124s flying overhead at 1905 at FL 320. It's flight VDA 4397, tail RA-82046, on his way from EDDP (Leipzig Halle) to KCHS (Charleston Intl/AFB) - a 4581 mile trip taking almost 11 hours.

And those two MUSIC C-130s departed McGuire around 1730. By 1900, they're over eastern Kentucky.

1920: CRAB 51 and 52 (97-1351 and 97-1352) C-130J, 135th AS MD-ANG have been out on the west coast. They are on the way home and should be to this area fairly soon.

1924: Just heard TANKER 08 mention that TANKER 09 was cancelled but that a replacement will be here in about 30 minutes...260.9
That replacement is going to be SKATER 07 (the alert tanker). He's going to be a KC-135E, tail 58-0032, from the 108th ARW NJ-ANG at McGuire....at least I think so. Mode 3 will be 7177.

1936: CRAB 51 trying to call CRAB Ops...x2, no joy...143.8 (Using the 104th FS Ops freq instead of his own on 384.1)
1938: TANKER 09 (using that instead of SKATER 07) says he's on his way in...260.9 (But he's SKATER 07 no matter what he called himself)
1938: TANKER 08 asks if he can RTB...approved by HUNTRESS...260.9
1938: TANKER 08 to Potomac asking for clearance back to Seymour Johnson...ready to go..135.525
1939: CRAB 51 now calling CRAB Ops on his normal freq...384.1
1940: CRAB 51 talking to CRAB 52 who is still out of range...saying they're not hearing him call Ops...384.1 (Then he goes back to 143.8 and tries that one again...same result)
1942: CRAB 51 makes contact w/CRAB Ops...says he should land with about 12,000 pounds of fuel...384.1
1942: TANKER 08 receives his clearance and starts for home....135.525
1943: Did I mention REACH 7029 (C-5B, 87-0029, 436th AW Dover) departed Dover and is climbing out? No? Well, he is...ZDC-VHF (Departed about 1930)
1945: SKATER 07 to Potomac to check into Guard Dog...he's climbing to altitude....135.525
And I can now confirm the tail, unit, type, and even the Mode 3 I posted above for SKATER 07.
1949: TANKER 08 calling Seymour Johnson Ground and says he's about 20 minutes from home, A-1...138.1 (Listed freq for KGSB Ground Control paired w/275.8)
I have no idea why he used that freq. I was expecting him to use the usual 311.0. Perhaps this is a holiday thing.
1950: SONIC 01 and 02 reporting timber sweet but only displaying "unknowns"...no "friendlies" showing anywhere in the area...260.9
This refers to what they're seeing displayed on their Fully Integrated Data Link (FIDL)
1957: CRAB 51 and CRAB 52 both descending toward Martin State for recovery...51 at 2500 feet and 52 at 4500 feet at this time...384.1

2004: CRAB 51 to Martin State Tower heading for the ILS for runway 33 at MTN...says, "Yes, I'm landing."...121.3
2008: REACH 9949 (KC-10A, 79-1949, 305th AMW McGuire) to McGuire CP....30 minutes out, no pax or cargo...A-2 for numerous writeups...319.4
2008: CRAB 52 to MTN Twr for landing.....121.3

2301: And the CAP is breaking down for the night. SKATER 07 is heading back to McGuire and SONIC 01 and 02 back to Langley.

 

[Mark]

1945: SKATER 07 to Potomac to check into Guard Dog...he's climbing to altitude....135.525
2008: REACH 9949 (KC-10A, 79-1949, 305th AMW McGuire) to McGuire CP....30 minutes

Just got home and is getting foggy.
Both SKATER 07 and REACH 9949 were calling other wx metro's like Dover
on 342.000 and mentioned McGuire has 200 foot ceiling.
Not sure where they ended up.

Mark

 

[BM82557]

Activity 12/23/2007

0550 - TANKER 10 asking HUNTRESS if there is any info on the fighters - 260.9
0551 - HUNTRESS back with "the fighters were unable to launch due to weather, no estimate as to when they will be airborne and on station" - 260.9
0645- TANKER 10 telling POTOMAC that TANKER 11 has a showtime in the cap of 1450Z - 350.250
0700 - HUNTRESS to TANKER 10 that the first set of fighters will be on station at 1400Z - 260.9
0834 - HUNTRESS asking TANKER 10 for pirep, tanker reports light icing - 260.9
0834 - HUNTRESS telling TANKER 10 that they are cleared to work RTB through center at this time - 260.9
0835 - TANKER 10 telling POTOMAC they have been released from the cap and is looking to pick up clearance bank to Bangor at FL290 - 350.250

0500 - 0800 was recorded, 0800 onwards live. I double checked the transmission at 0700 about the fighters and HUNTRESS did say 1400 zulu. Maybe that's been rolled back to 1500Z to coordinate with TANKER 11's reported showtime?

 

[TinEar]

The weather is still nasty over the Guard Dog area so no telling when/if we'll get a launch of the players again. The TANKER 10 you noted Brian was...
TANKER 10 = KC-135R, 59-1498, 132nd ARS ME-ANG Bangor (Same aircraft was TANKER 01 on 12/21)
I'm sure they were delighted to be at the briefing at 0300, climb aboard their positions on the aircraft, fly to this area...and be told to go home. But that's life in the Air Force and you do what you're told to do. *****ing about it the entire time is authorized.
TANKER 11 should be coming from the 126th ARS at Milwaukee if he launches.

1020: An E-6B just departed Patuxent - 164410 from VQ-4 - is climbing and heading south at the moment...310.15
1025: VADER 07 (C-130H, 90-9107, 757th As Youngstown) overhead the area at FL 250...ZDC VHF
1029: EVAC 80807 (C-130H, 78-0807, 185th AS OK-ANG Oklahoma City) reports takeoff time from ADW was on the hour and he'll be back in a couple of hours...378.1 (I think he was wrong on that takeoff time - or I heard it wrong - since he was just lifting off at 25 past w/TRACON)

And now we've gone past noon and still no CAP players have arrived. Radar shows more rain heading toward the Guard Dog CAP area.

 

[trainman111]

1020: An E-6B just departed Patuxent - 164410 from VQ-4 - is climbing and heading south at the moment...310.15

I didn't hear him. I've got only the VHF ZDC & Potomac frequencies in and I didn't catch him. I'll keep listening.

 

[TinEar]

I didn't hear him. I've got only the VHF ZDC & Potomac frequencies in and I didn't catch him. I'll keep listening.

Nick, I was just looking at the Sector map for ZDC. Upon takeoff from Patuxent to the south, the aircraft is actually in the Calvert Sector, however, since he's in a climb I'd assume he's still with Pax Departure. I'm not sure if they go to a Potomac Tracon freq or not - that's one thing I'm trying to learn. Once they make that turn to the west they are in the Irons Sector and then the Azalea Sector after that. Both Sectors have a base altitude of 10,000 feet which the E-6 meets by the time he gets to either. The Gordonsville Sector is for higher altitudes and overlies Azalea. I've heard them with Gordonsville even though they weren't at minimum altitude for that sector. Perhaps it was the time of day when sectors were combined as they usually do at night. The other difficulty is what I mentioned previously about them not using the callsign until they get to ATC. So, even when I hear them departing Pax, they are using three digit callsigns and so I'm not sure what to listen for when I monitor ZDC freqs. However, I'm going to concentrate on Irons/Azalea/Gordonsville VHF Sector freqs. I've only heard them using UHF a couple of times and that makes it almost too easy to recover them since there's no competing traffic on UHF.

1332: Yet another Russian AN-124 heading for KCHS (Charleston)...this one is flight VDA 4517 (tail RA-82043)...also arriving from EDDP (Leipzig Halle) and overflying us at FL 320.
This same aircraft just flew Friday from Gander (CYQX) to Liege (EBLG) - a huge cargo airport in Belgium as flight VDA 4516.
1340: Another Russian -- this time an IL-76 (tail RA-76951) that appears to be departing this area - confirmed out of Dulles and heading for Keflavik (BIKF) as flight VDA 6326. At 1349, he's just east of BWI and heading across the Bay.

 

[SquelchKnob]

Nick, I was just looking at the Sector map for ZDC. Upon takeoff from Patuxent to the south, the aircraft is actually in the Calvert Sector, however, since he's in a climb I'd assume he's still with Pax Departure. I'm not sure if they go to a Potomac Tracon freq or not - that's one thing I'm trying to learn. Once they make that turn to the west they are in the Irons Sector and then the Azalea Sector after that. Both Sectors have a base altitude of 10,000 feet which the E-6 meets by the time he gets to either. The Gordonsville Sector is for higher altitudes and overlies Azalea. I've heard them with Gordonsville even though they weren't at minimum altitude for that sector. Perhaps it was the time of day when sectors were combined as they usually do at night. The other difficulty is what I mentioned previously about them not using the callsign until they get to ATC. So, even when I hear them departing Pax, they are using three digit callsigns and so I'm not sure what to listen for when I monitor ZDC freqs. However, I'm going to concentrate on Irons/Azalea/Gordonsville VHF Sector freqs. I've only heard them using UHF a couple of times and that makes it almost too easy to recover them since there's no competing traffic on UHF.

I was not able to do anything with this. Have my whole shack tore apart here reconfiguring. Trying to dedicate a scanner to PAX, one to Wash. CTR. & one to the Tracon. Then another to Misc Milair around the region. When all is said and done I should be better able to track anything that ventures into my listening range. If all goes well I should be recording on all of these as well. That will leave me several other rigs to use to focus on whatever I am researching or what is currently worth listening to at the moment. I may even dedicate a Scanner to GK as well. Not to sure about that one. Might have to stop and have some coffee and ponder that one.

 

[TinEar]

I was not able to do anything with this. Have my whole shack tore apart here reconfiguring. Trying to dedicate a scanner to PAX, one to Wash. CTR. & one to the Tracon. Then another to Misc Milair around the region. When all is said and done I should be better able to track anything that ventures into my listening range. If all goes well I should be recording on all of these as well. That will leave me several other rigs to use to focus on whatever I am researching or what is currently worth listening to at the moment. I may even dedicate a Scanner to GK as well. Not to sure about that one. Might have to stop and have some coffee and ponder that one.

Agree with you JR about the need to split scanners for certain listening priorities. For instance, I have a bank of 100 channels dedicated to Pax and Giant Killer which I thought was a good idea when I set them up. Didn't work like that. So, on one scanner, I lock out all the Giant Killer freqs and just listen to Pax. On another I do just the opposite. Then, on other scanners, that same bank is open to all of them for scanning/recovering purposes. I do much the same with ZDC VHF freqs. The bank will contain all of them but on one scanner I have all locked out except the few along the coast that contain the bulk of the military transports/tankers. Yet another scanner has a full bank with everything locked out except the HUNTRESS freqs. And on and on goes the game. The bottom line is that I always have at least one of my scanners that can be quickly dedicated to a certain function when I need it. Since all my scanners are the same type, I can do that very easily and quickly from the ARC program - and change priorities when necessary.

1415: REACH 298 (C-17A, 06-6162, 60th AMW Travis) departure report to Andrew CP...378.1 (He arrived about 1245 to ADW)
1423: REACH 298 calling McGuire Command Post...several calls, no joy...that's because he's using =>...349.4
1429: REACH 298 calls McGuire CP on the correct freq now, makes contact, gives ETA as 1955Z, has 1 Vipercom pallet and 2 pax to offload...wants approval for the offload and a parking spot for a quick turn...319.4
At the time he was giving that report, someone else aboard that craft was still calling McGuire on the 349.4 freq...and still getting no reply.

1430: And still no CAP participants active. Called off for the day? Weather is still bad with low ceiling.

 

[SquelchKnob]

Agree with you JR about the need to split scanners for certain listening priorities. For instance, I have a bank of 100 channels dedicated to Pax and Giant Killer which I thought was a good idea when I set them up. Didn't work like that. So, on one scanner, I lock out all the Giant Killer freqs and just listen to Pax. On another I do just the opposite. Then, on other scanners, that same bank is open to all of them for scanning/recovering purposes. I do much the same with ZDC VHF freqs. The bank will contain all of them but on one scanner I have all locked out except the few along the coast that contain the bulk of the military transports/tankers. Yet another scanner has a full bank with everything locked out except the HUNTRESS freqs. And on and on goes the game. The bottom line is that I always have at least one of my scanners that can be quickly dedicated to a certain function when I need it. Since all my scanners are the same type, I can do that very easily and quickly from the ARC program - and change priorities when necessary.

I am with ya.. The bad thing is it took me about a week to get myself where I "THOUGHT" I was happy. It did not take me long to figure out what I used to do was not going to work in this area. Way too many entities in such a small area. I am setting up all the Unidens to cover these dedicated groups. That way I should not have to sweat uploading and downloading to them and stuff. All of the IcomsS will be used for focus work & research as I can simply swap out scan files on the fly with the click of a mouse.

The theory is good. But of course I won't see the negative(s) from doing this till after it is all done, LMAO.

Oh and my COAX showed yesterday. As soon as the weather drys up I guess I have a roof trip to make.

 

[Mark]

1940z REACH 6036 KC-10 #86-0036 McGuire on HF 11175 with phone patch thru
Andrews to family."We are over Northern Canada,Nova Scotia and coming home early".
"Be home in a couple of hours"
Wife and kids,"Over and we love you".. Aww.
Sounds like happy Christmas homecoming coming to McGuire....
This particular KC-10 was in Europe this morning..

Mark