Sticky Thread for MilAir II

[Gemini]

P.S. Thanks Jeff for the HX-21 interplane/interflight 274.2 freq. I didn't have that one.

I did not either until my Search scanners found it this week. Just loaded into a recording scanner yesterday.

I have a HX-21 Freq Card sitting here I pulled out of my stuff and per the card:

"BLACKJACK FREQUENCY CARD"

PRESET BUTTON:
20

UHF:
274.2

STATION:
Blackjack Project Frequency

Interesting to note that at the bottom of the card it says "PRESET BUTTONS 25-30 ARE UNASSIGNED"

When I first heard them they were very weak and I thought I was getting an image on something down in VHF. After doing the math, that was not the case at all. Then by the time I fiddled with it for a few minutes they got closer and were BOOMING in on several radios. One of which was a HH w/ rubber duckie.

 

[md_p97]

However, I'm fairly sure HARRIER is positioned somewhere very near (or at) Camp David which should put him within listening distance of the HUNTRESS transmitter site(s) used in that area. We've heard him communicating with HUNTRESS right after takeoff and at very low altitudes which tends to prove that point. I'd settle for just knowing where he's positioned while awaiting any scramble order. And that's more a matter of curiosity rather than any need we have while monitoring.

Al,

Me thinks perhaps it might be easier....after he makes his intercept, to wait till he is at KFDK or KHGR.....then follow him back.

Paul

 

[freqhopping]

HUNTRESS calling BLACKJACK-1 on 139.7. Lots of echoing of HUNTRESS's voice, followed by static. Told BLACKJACK-1 to come up on 260.9. He did and announced being airborne. Couldn't hear HUNTRESS anymore though.

 

[TinEar]

Al,

Me thinks perhaps it might be easier....after he makes his intercept, to wait till he is at KFDK or KHGR.....then follow him back.

Paul

Yeah, I agree Paul. Now all we need is another intercept. And you know how those things go when you're waiting for a specific event to happen.

Milcom seems to be gone. No more qth.net - at least for now.
"mailman.qth.net cannot be found. Please check the name and try again."

 

[HM1529]

Yeah, I agree Paul. Now all we need is another intercept. And you know how those things go when you're waiting for a specific event to happen.

Milcom seems to be gone. No more qth.net - at least for now.
"mailman.qth.net cannot be found. Please check the name and try again."

Could HARRIER be a USSS asset? Just curious....

 

[Mark]

The last 2 days Milcom was in and out and now the entire QTH net site is gone.
Must be server problems I hope.
They were doing their annual radio giveaway fundraiser yesterday.

UHF coms sure have been weak last few days.VHF is decent sometimes but longer
range UHF coms are bad like you posted.
You would think clear cold weather would help but it doesn't.

Mark

 

[TinEar]

Could HARRIER be a USSS asset? Just curious....

I wondered that very thing Ben the first time I heard it but something tells me they just aren't in the attack helo flying business. Never can tell though. One of these days we'll get a handle on it. I hope.

1926: BLACKJACK 1 and 2 (Coast Guard HH65, DCA [temp]) active on Marine Channel 81A...157.075 (logged them once before in practice intercept activity on this freq.) Nothing happening yet other than 2 calling 1.

 

[Mateo]

I wondered that very thing Ben the first time I heard it but something tells me they just aren't in the attack helo flying business. Never can tell though. One of these days we'll get a handle on it. I hope.

For what it's worth, air support for Presidential motorcades in the District is provided by the Park Police.

Also, Cap Flight 9908 is Gippsland GA-8 Airvan N608CP, which I've seen over on the military side at MTN a couple of times in the last month.

 

[TinEar]

For what it's worth, air support for Presidential motorcades in the District is provided by the Park Police.

Yes, sort of. The U.S. Park Police Eagle helo is in a protective role but mostly for keeping "things" away from the motorcade and providing overhead eyes. Should an intruding aircraft show up, there would be other assets standing by to take care of them which the Eagle is not equipped to do. But that's a good point about the Eagle's participation.

carbineone up in New Jersey pointed out to me that he logged the HARRIER while the CAP was being run last September overhead the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York City. (9/19/06 - message 241 this thread) Thanks Curt for reminding us that it's not just a Camp David asset.

 

[freqhopping]

Airborne network testing on 345.1

1958-Finally caught some callsigns: Dominion and Waterbug
2027-They mentioned something about going to 250.1 and then about not hearing tones from the aircraft. I programmed that and now a minute later I'm hearing a noise I've heard in the past on the same freq.
http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?p=398042&highlight=250.1#post398042
So it's clearly related to the testing.

 

[HM1529]

Bicep

NJANG F-16's are up with A-A on 138.425.

I believe they are in Giant Killer territory. I saw a Giant Killer tagged frequency come up with traffic, but I was busy washing dishes and couldn't hit the hold button.

18:30

 

[bigred10]

NJANG F-16's are up with A-A on 138.425.

I believe they are in Giant Killer territory. I saw a Giant Killer tagged frequency come up with traffic, but I was busy washing dishes and couldn't hit the hold button.

18:30

I was listening around 1900 and caught BICEP (flight of 3 or 4) out in W107. They were on 255.000 and 312.300; also a few brief comms on 138.125 in addition to 138.425

I think they did some refueling with 2 TEAM KC-10s; had them on 132.150 ZNY, 139.875 A-A, & 288.000 AR777 secondary.

 

[freqhopping]

Just picked up something out of the ordinary while searching. 267.35 FM
I can hear one guy talking about towers, antennas and freqs, and moving things to different towers. Reference to 'yellow door thing' and TM255A radio. HAM guys?

 

[ka3jjz]

Might be a mixing product or overload. A TM255A is a Kenwood 2m radio (I think), so it's entirely possible. 73s Mike

 

[gcgrotz]

Good Morning everybody!

I have fallen behind in my reading duties on this board, so forgive me if this has been covered.

Yesterday while following a departing gulfstream (CHO) I listened as he moved from Pot. approach 132.850 to Washington Ctr 135.400 as usual. Center then moved him to a freq I haven't heard before, or could find listed, of 132.950. It seems to be a high sector for arriving flights into Dulles on the COATT FOUR arrival as the controller was sending everybody to FALKO at 10000 and 250, the standard for that approach. It is quite busy with commercial traffic but I can't hear ground here in Charlottesville.

So there ya go, sorry if it is old news.

 

[TinEar]

Yesterday while following a departing gulfstream (CHO) I listened as he moved from Pot. approach 132.850 to Washington Ctr 135.400 as usual. Center then moved him to a freq I haven't heard before, or could find listed, of 132.950. It seems to be a high sector for arriving flights into Dulles on the COATT FOUR arrival as the controller was sending everybody to FALKO at 10000 and 250, the standard for that approach. It is quite busy with commercial traffic but I can't hear ground here in Charlottesville.

George, I looked through my various lists and can't find the 132.95 freq anywhere. Hopefully, Tony may be able to help since he provides careful coverage of the Dulles area.

Let's do some logging....
Here it is 1400, and I'm just getting to turn on a radio or two. First things I'm hearing are A-10s from MD-ANG Martin State on interflight 142.3 and F-16s from NJ-ANG, callsign BANGER from Atlantic City on interflight 138.875. BANGER is doing simulated DARKSTAR AWACS type target intercept (TI) activity.
1402: SALTY DOG 422 (VX-23 Patuxent NAS) to BayWatch to announce RTB...354.8
1403: Have an A-10 flight just entering Warren Grove Range setting up their mission with RANGER, the range controller...callsign KILLER (A-10, CT-ANG Bradley)...139.625
1404: BANGER flight just finishing their activity...turns out it was just that intercept...they start another...138.875 (There may be a DEVIL flight working with them)
1405: DEVIL flight of F-16s from the NJ-ANG on interflight...138.425
1407: Tanker interflight freq active...no callsigns yet...143.825
1408: KILLER flight of A-10s working interflight freq...138.825
NJ-ANG F-16 callsigns are DEVIL 11 & 12 and BANGER 21 & 22
1413: DC 22 (KC-135, 756th ARS Andrews) to LIBERATOR with arrival message...20 minutes out, A-1, will land with 40,000 pounds of fuel...378.1
1415: Sounds like another A-10 flight is about to enter Warren Grove Range...139.625....they are also arriving witth ZNY-Dixie on 307.8...no callsigns heard yet.
1416: U/I fighters on interflight freq...142.6
1418: KILLER flight is with ZNY-Dixie...307.8 (Mentions to the controller he'll see him on the way out so he may have just been setting up his clearance home once done at the range.)
1421:RAVEN flight (the guys from 142.3 interflight) with Dover Approach mention going to Atlantic City...257.875
1422: VA-ANG F-16s active on interflight freq...141.875 (Believe the 142.6 freq was also VA-ANG and thought I heard callsign BASH on that freq)
1424: BANGER/DEVIL talking on interflight about finishing up, thank each other for the work and say they'll see each other at home...138.875
1426: ASCOT 6746 [the usual British accent] to Dover Command Post with arrival message...15 minutes out/landing at 40 past the hour, 1 pax and loose baggage to drop off...needs 35,000 pounds of fuel...349.4
1427: SCARY/WILD flights of F-16s from Andrews...143.6 interflight for one of them.
1428-30: NAVY SD 324 calling Washington Center (ZDC-Calvert) several times with no reply...281.4
1430: DEVIL flight on the way home with ZDC-Cape Charles...256.8
1431: REACH 180 calling Andrews several times...no reply...378.1
1432: Both SCARY and WILD flights, both two ship F-16 DC-ANG flights, calling SENATE SOF in the blind to report 6-9 minutes out, both Code 1...139.9
1434: BATON 20 [female] (EC-130J 193rd Special Ops Wing, PA-ANG Harrisburg) to Baton Ops giving arrival message...arriving 2015Z, has 21,000 pounds of fuel, front end is A-2, back end is A-2 for Y band and trailing wire...395.1
1438: SCARY to SOF to say the ATIS is calling for "6000 feet, broken" but says it looks worse than that from where they are...want confirmation of ceiling...139.9
1439: SCARY flight on interflight freq...143.6
1441: BATON 20 [male this time] giving additional back end problem to Baton Ops...ICS box is inop and says they can't hook up to another box (This has something to do with the trailing wire)...395.1
1441: BANGER flight on the way home with ZDC-Cape Charles...256.8
1443: BANGER to Ops to report they are both Code 1...261.0
(At some point a few minutes ago I heard the DEVIL flight with Atlantic City Approach 327.125 going home and forgot to log it.)
1443: BANGER flight to ZDC-Casino..report beginning their descent now....285.4
1444: BANGER 21 to Atlantic City Approach heading for the runway...327.125
1444: SCARY/WILD flights with Andrews Tower...349.0
1446: SCARY flight both report "base, gear, stop, left" as they land...349.0
1447: WILD approaching the runway...report gear down on the left...349.0
1447: REACH 208 to Dover Command Post giving arrival message...349.4
1452: Hearing the fighters on interflight 142.6 again...callsign TBOLT making them F-16s from the VA-ANG Richmond. They are performing ACM activity.
1456: Giant Killer's tactical freq active...312.3
1457: DRAGNET (E-3 AWACS from Tinker AFB OK) with Giant Killer announcing his work with TBOLT is complete and TBOLT will be contacting GK shortly...238.1 (He also mentioned another flight he's working with but was too weak to copy)
1458: TBOLT to Giant Killer announces RTB Richmond...249.8
1458: TESTER 18 (USN Test Pilot School, Patuxent NAS) working with BayWatch...354.8 (A few minutes later he reports he reached mach 1.1 at 31,000 feet)

NOTE: The DRAGNET AWACS heard above was backend callsign DRAGNET WHISKEY (966th Airborne Air Control Training Squadron of the 552nd Air Control Wing, Tinker AFB OK.) His front end callsign should be SENTRY 6x. He was heard later calling on the AICC freq 364.2.

1500: And that's an hour's worth of area traffic. Welcome to the visitors to the thread that have just found us. Hope to see reports of what you're hearing. Back later...fingers need a rest.

Around 1515, there are F-22A flights from Langley entering Giant Killer's offshore areas on 238.1. DEEJAY 11 is one of the callsigns. Should be interflight and GK's tactical freqs active soon.

 

[freqhopping]

AF-1 must be up. Had some comms on 136.725 a few minutes ago. In to the clouds passing TRIXY. Had the noise on 300.4 too. I think I just heard AF-1 on 133.65 ZDC_Blue Ridge.

NAVY-368 is on 133.65 currently as well.
SPAR-29 inbound. 119.85
AF-1 on 119.85 inbound from Illinois I imagine.
WAMO-51 on 119.85 direct Nottingham.

 

[TinEar]

AF-1 must be up. Had some comms on 136.725 a few minutes ago. In to the clouds passing TRIXY. Had the noise on 300.4 too. I think I just heard AF-1 on 133.65 ZDC_Blue Ridge.

Andrews:
AIR TERMINAL RAMP FREEZE 30 JAN 20:15 UNTIL 30 JAN 20:45 (1515-1545 local)
Confirms your AF 1 arrival Travis...not like you needed confirmation though...

 

[BM82557]

Cap of 1/21/2007

Finally located my log of 1/21 activity. The main thing out of the ordinary was that the 0600 - 1000 tanker had a callsign of SKATR 07 instead of the usual TANKER xx. PITMAN's had trouble with his callsign so he spelled it out. There was a phonepatch between SKATR 07 & McGuire via HUNTRESS around 09:15 where McGuire instructed SKATR to stay as long as possible. HUNTRESS then asked PITMAN 51 for figures on how much gas he and 52 would need at their last ar before they rtb and also how much gas 53 and 54 would take after arriving in the airspace. 51 came up with a figure of 21,000lbs. HUNTRESS then contacted SKATR 07 and asked how long he could stay on station after offloading 21,000. He came back with an estimate of 3 to 3 and 1/2hrs. HUNTRESS said that all of this was the result of the replacement tanker being delayed by wx. HUNTRESS shortly came back with a report that TANKER 06 was 875 miles out.

I've only been monitoring caps since last fall but I haven't heard a callsign for a cap tanker being anything other than TANKER before.

EDIT - fixed typo

 

[TinEar]

Finally located my log of 1/21 activity. The main thing out of the ordinary was that the 0600 - 1000 tanker had a callsign of SKATR 07 instead of the usual TANKER xx. PITMAN's had trouble with his callsign so he spelled it out. There was a phonepatch between SKATR 07 & McGuire via HUNTRESS around 09:15 where McGuire instructed SKATR to stay as long as possible. HUNTRESS then asked PITMAN 51 for figures on how much gas he and 52 would need at their last ar before they rtb and also how much gas 53 and 54 would take after arriving in the airspace. 51 came up with a figure of 21,000lbs. HUNTRESS then contacted SKATR 07 and asked how long he could stay on station after offloading 21,000. He came back with an estimate of 3 to 3 and 1/2hrs. HUNTRESS said that all of this was the result of the replacement tanker being delayed by wx. HUNTRESS shortly came back with a report that TANKER 06 was 875 miles out.

I've only been monitoring caps since last fall but I hanen't heard a callsign for a cap tanker being anything other than TANKER before.

Brian, from my monitoring of the Combat Air Patrols over a period of time, I've determinded the role of SKATER 07. First, the radio callsign is SKATER but for purposes of the flight plan which only allows seven characters (five letters, two numbers), he must become SKATR07 in the system. That's the way it shows on the thermal flight strips used within ATC as the flight is handed off from one station to the next. [TANKER 07 would be TANKR07] Second, that aircraft is a KC-135 and appears to be stationed at McGuire AFB for strictly the purpose you outlined above - as a replacement when circumstances warrant - such as a scheduled tanker not being able to carry out its mission as fragged. For purposes of CAPs in the D.C./Camp David/NYC area, it becomes convenient and prudent to have a standby tanker on the ground and ready to fly at McGuire, not just for Combat Air Patrols, but for any scramble of fighter aircraft when needed over northeastern U.S. skies. The one thing I'm not sure about is whether this tanker is from the 108th ARW at McGuire or if it's just a rotation from any of the North East Tanker Task Force bases (NETTF) on standby at McGuire.

P.S. I have in my hand the thermal strip from the very first operational flight of the F-22A from Langley when they flew as last minute replacements for weather delayed F-15s from Eglin AFB in a January 06 CAP. [January 21, 2006 - message #1419 on first MilAir thread] The strip shows the flight labeled as RAPTR07 (radio callsigns RAPTOR 07 and 08) flying the block between 21,000 and 25,000 feet and their flight route as Langley to the CAP and then HARCUM, Langley for the return flight. It also shows the flight as two F-22s (2/F22.)

Alan