Sticky Thread for MilAir II

[Gemini]

1431: TP 16 (Tango Papa) back to Approach freq...mentions back to runway 32 (Pax)...335.5
TP 16 should be a TESTER (USN Test Pilot School) aircraft from Patuxent NAS
1434: TP 16 handed off to Pax Approach and checks in there at 3000 feet for runway 32...281.8
TP 16 pilot has a bit of an accent (English speaking country) I can't quite place, perhaps South African.
1437: TP 16 cleared from 3000 to 4000 feet and he requests 15000...he's cleared to only 7000 for now...281.8

These guys did not appear to be TPS birds. They did mulitple GCAs here at PAX then I have PAX APPROACH clearing them for DOVER

 

[Mark]

The Pax TP guys were heard doing practice appches yesterday at Dover.
They do that from time to time before they rtb Pax.
I heard TP 18 as callsign and almost always on UHF appch.

Mark

 

[Gemini]

The Pax TP guys were heard doing practice appches yesterday at Dover.
They do that from time to time before they rtb Pax.

Mark

:roll: They kind of threw me because I am not used to hearing them use the TP C/S down here. Maybe when they put in for their clearance to go away from PAX they switch to TP and stick with it for the duration of the filght.

 

[Gemini]

GLOBAL HAWK gearing up to take off from PAX. WB 509 should be the controlling aircraft.

 

[TinEar]

:roll: They kind of threw me because I am not used to hearing them use the TP C/S down here. Maybe when they put in for their clearance to go away from PAX they switch to TP and stick with it for the duration of the filght.

Yup...that's exactly what they do most of the time they leave Pax and get into the ATC system. Only once have I heard them use TESTER in ATC - during a flight to New England. It was a two ship flight. One of them used TESTER and the other used the TP-xx call. The TP types almost always mention they're from Pax at some point in the flight.

That Global Hawk activity sure sounds interesting.

No logging today. Radio and PC housekeeping duties will use up the entire day.

 

[Gemini]

1019: - 123.35 - I am sitting here checking out some recorded audio and caught something I wanted to follow up on. On 123.35 I had audio of WB 774 Calling "LAKEHURST AIRSHIP OPS". Can any of you folks closer to Lakehurst confirm this freq? WB774 made contact & reported 10 minutes out.

 

[TinEar]

1019: - 123.35 - I am sitting here checking out some recorded audio and caught something I wanted to follow up on. On 123.35 I had audio of WB 774 Calling "LAKEHURST AIRSHIP OPS". Can any of you folks closer to Lakejurst confirm this freq? WB774 made contact & reported 10 minutes out.

I can't find that freq searching through Airnav Jeff. But you know how they are...hit and miss some of the time.

(Had an off topic paragraph here. It didn't belong here so tossed it.)

While doing some maintenance here, I have one radio going. Lots of activity in W-386 with Langley aircraft working with Giant Killer. Last few minutes have heard CAVE 91, ARCO 71, YODA 61 flights and more coming...LIMEY flight on the way. Primary freq is 249.8 with GK.

 

[Gemini]

I can't find that freq searching through Airnav Jeff. But you know how they are...hit and miss some of the time.

While doing some maintenance here, I have one radio going. Lots of activity in W-386 with Langley aircraft working with Giant Killer. Last few minutes have heard CAVE 91, ARCO 71, YODA 61 flights and more coming. Primary freq is 249.8 with GK.

Thanks for looking Tin, I figured you guys up North might know it off the top of your head. My scanners are hopping here. Already picked up 2 new freqs for PAX today. Just when I was starting to think I was getting close having all their freqs up on the WIKI here come 2 more. I guess thats why I like to do what I do.

 

[freqhopping]

MONKEY-1 is up right now. Should be calling INDIAN HOLE again in 5 minutes, that would be 1845. 267.35 FM

1845 And there he is. He wants INDIAN HOLE to go encrypted now. And they are.

We've got some airborne mysteries to figure out. What are the ATC callsigns for BIG BIRD and MONKEY-1?

 

[CitationJet]

First C-40C for the 932nd AW AFRC Scott AFB

Serial 05-0730

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123042655

 

[HM1529]

PAT 973 is working Philly Approach right now (8:55 PM). I don't know the exact freq because I'm monitoring via an online feed to hear the controllers. Handed off to 123.8 @ 21:09

BATON 74 working Philly Approach at 21:07, passing through.... contacted his Ops on 395.1 at 21:20. The message was broken and hard to copy. Pretty sure it was 74...was giving a fuel report and some other misc info. Handed to Harrisburg Approach 124.1. I have 124.1 as Harrisburg's west approach freq, but BATON flights coming in from the east always go to this freq from ZNY or Philly App. Air Nav lists 124.1(180-309). That would be south and west.

 

[Mark]

Serial 05-0730

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123042655

Nice catch Tony.. I think that's the plane House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to use!

All kidding aside I'm sure won't be long before this new C-40 makes its way to Andrews and points beyond.

Mark

 

[Mateo]

Serial 05-0730

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123042655

Very nice - I'll be on the lookout :>

Speaking of, just a couple of comms from the 1700 hour at Gravelly Point today. I'm probably answering my own question, but has anyone else noticed a distinct paucity of JOSA flights since half of the C-21s were sent to AMARC in the last month, or so? I was out Tuesday/Thursday/Friday last week, but didn't really log enough that making a post would be worthwhile.

1700: -119.85- REACH 776T (C-17A seen) arrived from the west, vectors for the ILS 1L. Handoff to 128.35 (not the usual 119.3) and 118.4. The band was light - either a Charleston or an Altus. I also caught the CP on 378.1 talking to 776T after she landed.
1710ish: -124.7- PAT 33 vectors for DAA.
1720: -119.85- PAT 907 (C-12 seen) wants the visual 1L at Andrews. He dispensed with the final controller and was cleared for the approach directly from 119.95.
1731: -119.85- SAM 1193 (C-40 01-0041 seen) wants quick vectors for 1L. ID from ACARS.
1739: -118.95- JOSA 818 (C-21A seen) departs ADW and climbs out to the west.

As long as you're reading, a quick highlight from **SATURDAY**
1612: -134.62 (ZDC)- REACH 6160 (C-17A 06-6160 Travis seen) routing down J75 and given direct to destination [a bit inland for Charleston, maybe to one of the big bases in Georgia?]

 

[Gemini]

1810: 143.25 Being used as Interplane. No C/S heard as yet.
1819: AXEMAN 1 (Female) up with PAX controllers. Likey user of 143.25 but unconfirmed as yet. I just don;t hear anyone else up at the moment to associate it with

 

[trainman111]

Here's a bit from Central Virginia today...

0819: REACH 503 calling Palmetto Ops. Didn't sound like he got a reply. <134.1>
0820: ?MALL? 51 passing 17,000 for FL 230 direct Snow Hill. <256.8>
0827: REACH 775T calling Andrews CP x2. Requests crew transport and parking. <378.1>
0914: PAT 636 descending 4,000 direct Stafford (127.050).
1011: VA ANG Up. No c/s heard. <141.875>
1017: FORCE 31 up with unknown player for refueling in AR-636. Stated his tail # was 840186 which shows up as a KC-10A from McGuire. *Why would two different refueing jobs happen close within each other?*
1026: U/I up with STEEL 61 for refueling in AR-636 frequency change requested. <118.125>
1058: RAPTOR 41 going to 354.1. <290.425>
1059: RAPTOR 41 checking in FL230 mentions being a 2 ship flight. <354.1>
1526: JAWS 21 checking in FL200. <281.4>
1542: THE VA ANG players are on their approach to RIC. <141.875>
I had RIC locked out today since my primary focus was Langley, Oceana, and GK.

Along with this, I had RAVEN's up at PAX periodically throughout the day. GK was very active along with Langley and Oceana interflight frequencies. I also had a good amount of traffic on ZDC freqs. It was definately a somewhat busy day today.

 

[DPD1]

GLOBAL HAWK gearing up to take off from PAX. WB 509 should be the controlling aircraft.

What's their audio sound like back there? The ED ones out here sound like a guy in a trash can talking through a baby monitor. There's usually a distinct echo, which I assume is probably due to monitor speakers in the control room. The predators sound the same, though the ones flown by General Atomics themselves sound excellent.

Dave
http://www.dpdproductions.com
- Featuring the MilTenna Air Band Antennas -

 

[Gemini]

What's their audio sound like back there? The ED ones out here sound like a guy in a trash can talking through a baby monitor. There's usually a distinct echo, which I assume is probably due to monitor speakers in the control room. The predators sound the same, though the ones flown by General Atomics themselves sound excellent.

Dave
http://www.dpdproductions.com
- Featuring the MilTenna Air Band Antennas -

Audio is bad enough that I have chosen to put their freqs in three different scanners hooked up to 3 different antennas and keep trying modes other than AM. Even judging from their comms there is alot ot be desired. 3x3 is the best I think I have heard them state so far. The majority of the time it is 2x3 or 3x2 as stated by the test conductors. I can't say I have heard any echo efffect. Maybe if the comms were clearer the echo might stand out a little better. I have put an AMP on them but it does nothing more them increase the background noise.

Yesterdays comms were unique but boring. They had 2 personnel as LRE and/or MCE. One male and one female. They would come up stating "Female voice, left aspect line 1". Then they would read words like. "BLUE, ONE, WET, CAN" etc. on and on. Then the male would come up and read same line of text. I guess they are still trying to tweak the signal quality and were using the spoken words to discern what pecentage of verbal comms could actually be understood both from a male as well as female. For whatever reason the female was harder to understand. Maybe that is just because I have been married and my female listening device has not been used for quite some time. The comms were neat simply because you don't hear that stuff alot but it was boring as heck. When they go KU SATCOM or UHF SATCOM I lose them. When they go UHF SATCOM they bring up 381.9 but all I get is data sounding noise. They did the same on 262.95 the other day which they have been calling their Operational Control Freq and have been using for verbal comms as well. I caught a new freq yesterday of 355.8 which they referenced as GLOBAL HAWK CHASE. I was not manning the scanners at this time but I had them state this as a push on my recorded audio from one of the other freqs. As yet I have not heard them use it but I am sitting here reviewing my recorded audio from today now and have not gotten that far as yet to see what todays audio brings back.

I am about ready to shift focus off of these freqs as I have a decent grasp of their usage. Or at least a good enough grasp that I will be comfortable enough to put some sort of tags on the freqs and be confident I have done it reasonably accuratley.

142.775 FM - GLOBAL HAWK BASE OPS/LINE/MAINT/TRUCK
123.275 - GLOBAL HAWK VHF TEST FREQ
254.045 - GLOBAL HAWK UHF TEST FREQ
262..95 - GLOBAL HAWK OPERATIONAL CONTROL
355.8 - GLOBAL HAWK CHASE PLANE
381.9 - GLOBAL HAWK SATCOM UPLINK

And BTW, You know I must have been working the heck out of these freqs for the past few days as I just typed all the freqs above from memory :roll:

 

[Mark]

Great post Jeff.Seems all the services are testing or working with UAV's
Last week was monitoring Aberdeen Proving Grounds TRS and crew came up on (Phillips AAF tower ground control 13488 talk group) and mentioned they were working with UAV off runway 22 though they themselves were postioned near runway 17.
Probably one of those little ultralight Army surveillance type UAV's but who knows.
Like you say not much to listen to but interesting in this day and age.

Mark

 

[Gemini]

Great post Jeff.Seems all the services are testing or working with UAV's
Last week was monitoring Aberdeen Proving Grounds TRS and crew came up with (Phillips AAF tower ground control 13488 talk group) and mentioned they were working with UAV off runway 22 though they were postioned near runway 17.
Probably one of those little ultralight Army surveillance type UAV's but who knows.
Like you say not much to listen to but interesting in this day and age.

Mark

Yep, Interesting. But to be honest the next time the freq goes active and they are just reading lines of text like they were yesterday I am locking it out for the day and will hope the next time they go active they will be doing something different. I had to force myself to sit and listen to over 4 hours of recorded audio of them reading those lines of TEXT. I am glad I did though or would not have picked up that push for the Chase Plane.

 

[Mark]

Yes I would rather hear real pilots in training than those video types.
Just isn't the same but someday that is all we may mostly hear or won't hear.
Course back in the early 70's in school many said we would all be flying around in cars by now.
That prediction sure didn't pan out! LOL

Mark