Sticky Thread for MilAir II

[CitationJet]

Re: Blackjack 1+2

Hi Tin,

Good catch on the squad. freq.! Nice!

These guys were also up on 228.900 with HUNTRESS just before 1400Z this morning with op. discussion.

Tony

1003: BLACKJACK 1 and 2 have been up working with HUNTRESS on 139.7 for practice intercepts since I turned the radios on this morning. I just caught them on what appears to be a squadron freq talking about landing and parking in hangar 7. It's 257.6. I heard them there the last time they were up but couldn't stop the scanner in time to catch the freq. I had this freq programmed for Wheeler Sack up at Fort Drum which is how I found it.

 

[TinEar]

Hi Tin,

Good catch on the squad. freq.! Nice!

These guys were also up on 228.900 with HUNTRESS just before 1400Z this morning with op. discussion.

Tony

Yeah...sometimes you just get lucky.

Tony, do you have any idea who that TITUS guy is that works with Andrews?

1446: Just heard a WARPIG 3 (A-10) reporting 20 minutes out, Code 1 to Willow Grove on 343.0

At 1514 I'm hearing our Northrup Grumman test flight pilot (normally in N161NG but could be in any of the NG birds) working at Pax on 291.15. His voice is distinctive and easy to pick out.

And from the U.K....Royal Air Force 5144 (C-130, tail XV221) in the area. (The RAF C-130 from yesterday was tail XV299.)

1532: AXEMAN (A-10 MD-ANG MTN) active on interflight 142.3 and report airborne at 1531 to Raven Ops on 347.2
1534: WILD 1 (F-16 DC-ANG ADW) airborne...w/TRACON 348.725 and report airborne at 1534 to SOF on 139.9...interflight 143.6...it's a flight of three
1536: WILD at 5000...heading for 11,000 feet...direct PALEO...348.725
1537: WILD over to TRACON and check in at 11000 feet...cleared to 14,000 feet...317.425
1538: WILD flight handed to ZDC-Swann and check in...cleared to 15000...360.7
1539: WILD flight leader tells wingman to go to the common freq and tell DEVIL they've slipped by 30 minutes (indicating a common mission with the NJ-ANG is upcoming)
1541: WILD flight cleared to FL 210...360.7
1541: WILD flight handed off to ZDC-Coyle...check in passing 18500 for FL 210...254.3
1544: DEVIL 11 (F-16 NJ-ANG) with Giant Killer...277.6
1548: WILD flight handed off to Giant Killer...check in at FL 210...guess they're heading into W-107...255.0
1548: WILD to SOF to say they're 70 miles away...139.9
1548: WILD flight switching to 138.2 which should be common with DEVIL flight.
1549: DEVIL flight leader says to change to 138.2....277.6 (this appears to be a four ship)
1550: WILD tells controller they're still 65 miles out and 15 minutes late...starting the bull on the hour....138.2
1553-56: REACH 793T to Quantico Base Ops with arrival message...355.3
WILD and DEVIL flights must be at low altitude...they've disappeared from coverage.

1600: Here they are...WILD now working on 277.6 (I'm also listening for 288.4 which they used, along with 277.6, the last time they had a joint mission with the NJ-ANG F-16s.)
1600: WILD 4 is alone trying to reach the mission area...he was a late takeoff...143.6
1605: WILD 4 says he's 69 miles out (from Andrews I believe)...143.6
1607: WILD 4 reports 100 DME (to mission area)...143.6
1615: I can occasionally hear some weak transmissions from DEVIL/WILD on 277.6 but not strong enough to understand what they're yakking about.
1617: Raven Ops talking to aircraft on the ground so we should expect some A-10s in the air shortly...sounds like someone is having a problem entering steer points....controller tells him to type in Swann and see if it works...the controller is speaking in almost total acronym-speak...difficult to follow...I managed to hear something about the targeting pod...I can only hear the ground controller, not the aircraft..even the controller is having trouble hearing the aircraft at times...347.2
1638: WILD 3 calling SENATE SOF...139.9
1643: WILD 3 to SENATE SOF in the blind...46 miles out at 12,000 feet...139.9
1645: WILD 2 to SENATE in the blind...10 minutes out, Code 1
1646: WILD 1 to SENATE in the blind...6-9 minutes out, 1 is Code 1...2 is Code 1...139.9
1647: BASH 61 (F-16 VA-ANG) to Giant Killer to enter W-386 A-F at FL 230 for the next 20 minutes...238.1
1649: WILDs with TRACON 270.275 and then over to ADW Tower 349.0 for runway 19...they all seem to be flying alone

 

[freqhopping]

257.6 is a tower and ground freq for DCA.

Someone else is currently up on 296.9. One of them mentioned Wallops tower.

1903- NAVY-604 an SH-60B requesting flight following from Linden to Richmond at 3000ft. 343.775
Potomac adivised to change to 323.125 for better coverage.
1907- On the 259 radial 13 DME. 323.125 Can't hear that controller, was told to switch again, back on 343.775. The controller was thinking he was SW of Linden. He will stay on 343.775.
1918- Descending for 2500ft, now a female talking.
1932- Fading and handed off to 307.2. A SCARY flight had gone airborne too. 348.725
1934- TRANS-01 inbound to ADW, has an A1 + 2 duty pax, needs 3k lbs gas, can release 6 seats outbound 378.100
This week I've heard PACER-01, REACH-01 (Monday) and now this one.
Heard an AEROCAT (or something like that) on a VHF ATC freq, not coming back as commercial. ???

 

[TinEar]

257.6 is a tower and ground freq for DCA.

Thanks Travis. But that takes all the fun out of finding a new freq...or what I thought was a new freq. :roll:

HUSKY 58 reports airborne at 1658 and HUSKY 53 at 1715 on 343.0. Both are C-130Hs from the 142nd AS DE-ANG New Castle County Airport.
A RHINO 90 (C-5A, 68-0219, 337th AS Westover MA) reported arrival time at Dover AFB should be at 1740 on 349.4

I've had someone keying a mic - or holding it open (or transmitting a tone) on 136.725/124.2/348.6 between 1725 and 1740. Not sure if they're trying to transmit or playing with something.
1745: And it's back on 136.725 now...just sounds like an open mic but with a slight whine in the background - perhaps that's just engine noise. It lasted about a minute and then shut off.

1750: Not sure where it's located...have two helos talking on 123.025 about a hazmat incident...Hazmat units on the way...six houses evacuated and more coming. They aren't giving me enough to pinpoint the location.

1750-52: Someone with a very heavy accent calling Andrews I guess since he's on 378.1...callsign he's using is HAF 678 (thankfully he read it out phonetically or I never would have understood him).
I had a Brazilian KC-137 (tail 2404) in this area again today about an hour ago but this guy doesn't sound like he's got a Portugese accent...it sounds Slavic or maybe even Greek.
Got him figured out...HAF is for Hellenic Air Force...from Greece...his registration is HAF 678 and he's using it for a callsign....should be a Gulfstream V (G550). I guess he's going into Andrews.
1807: HAF 678 calling Andrews again...378.1 (No reply and he's booming...guess they can't understand him and don't want to try.)
1810: HAF 678 is getting ready to land...descending and now down to 6500 feet...landing runway 19R so it's definitely Andrews...now with TRACON on 119.85

Single A-10 landing at MTN...297.2 (This is the one A-10 that managed to get off the ground earlier when I posted about the ground controller talking with the aircraft on the ground that had problems. He eventually shut it down and just one of the flight got in the air.)

1808: AR-636 primary freq 238.9...U/I talking to OPEC 38 (KC-10A McGuire) about getting to the IP at Norfolk at 2228Z...can't hear the OPEC 38 - only the guy talking to him.

 

[CitationJet]

Re: AEROCAT

Hi Travis,

You probably heard AEROCAB which is the callsign for SATSAIR, Inc. (SYK) who offer air taxi services using Cirrus SR22s (i.e. "spam").

See:

http://www.satsair.com/index.html

Tony

Heard an AEROCAT (or something like that) on a VHF ATC freq, not coming back as commercial. ???

 

[CitationJet]

Re: RAF C130s/TITUS

Hi Tin,

Re: TITUS:

It's a C-12 and I have my suspicions as to which one it is, but no solid proof...yet!

And from the U.K....Royal Air Force 5144 (C-130, tail XV221) in the area. (The RAF C-130 from yesterday was tail XV299.)

Both of these were IAD arrivals: XV299 departed to I believe Redstone Arsenal, and XV221 was noted at IAD earlier this afternoon. Also of interest yesterday was USCG Hu-25 2127 Mobile which landed as (of course) COAST GUARD 2127.

Best regards,

Tony

 

[TinEar]

Hi Tin,

Re: TITUS:

It's a C-12 and I have my suspicions as to which one it is, but no solid proof...yet!



Both of these were IAD arrivals: XV299 departed to I believe Redstone Arsenal, and XV221 was noted at IAD earlier this afternoon. Also of interest yesterday was USCG Hu-25 2127 Mobile which landed as (of course) COAST GUARD 2127.

Best regards,

Tony

Appreciate the info Tony. If you ever get that TITUS pinned down, let me know please.

We've sure had a spate of foreign Air Force aircraft in the area the past few days. That Hellenic Air Force 678 today was sure difficult to pull out with his accent. Anyway, he's at Andrews for whatever reason. I'm still not sure what that Brazilian AF KC-137 is up to. He's been flying around the area for two days now but I can't pin him down to anything specific. We've got those two RAF C-130s, the VC-10, the Sentry 02 for the UK, a couple of German Air Force aircraft, a Belgian, an Irish Air Corps and who knows what else.

2132: RAVEN A-10 three ship reporting 10 minutes out, all Code 1 to Raven Ops...347.2...working interflight 142.3...and over to MTN Tower 297.2 at 2138....engines off at 2146 on 347.2
2150: HAWK 01 giving arrival message to Andrews...C-2, tail 40092, A-1, 20 minutes out, dropping off an A-3 plus 4, need crew bus for 2...378.1
2152: BATON 20 (EC-130J, 193rd SOW PA-ANG Harrisburg) giving arrival msg to Baton Ops...15 minutes out, A-2, 19K on the gas...395.1
2154: OPEC 38 (KC-10A 305th ARW McGuire)...arrival msg to McGuire...25 minutes out...will do pattern work for about 20 minutes - touch and goes...319.4

1934- TRANS-01 inbound to ADW, has an A1 + 2 duty pax, needs 3k lbs gas, can release 6 seats outbound 378.100
This week I've heard PACER-01, REACH-01 (Monday) and now this one.

And add SPACE 01 and HAWK 01.

 

[Mark]

1750-52: Someone with a very heavy accent calling Andrews I guess since he's on 378.1...callsign he's using is HAF 678 (thankfully he read it out phonetically or I never would have understood him).
1807: HAF 678 calling Andrews again...378.1 (No reply and he's booming...guess they can't understand him and don't want to try.)
1810: HAF 678 is getting ready to land...descending and now down to 6500 feet...landing runway 19R so it's definitely Andrews...now with TRACON on 119.85

Yes TIN used to get that HAF 678 into Dover once in a while.
Saw a couple times parked and it was a junkie looking C-130 they made them park down at end of runway but maybe they have something better now.Always a tough time with their terrible Greek English.

RHINO 91 is now a Wright Pat C-5.Westover dumped some of their C-5A's to Wright Pat and elsewhere in exchange for a few Dover C-5B's.Said were parking at the wash rack and staying overnite.

Earlier had JINX 43 C-17 with McGuire CP looking for tanker DONUT 91.
I don't have that callsign listed.Do you?

Mark

 

[TinEar]

Yes TIN used to get that HAF 678 into Dover once in a while.
Saw a couple times parked and it was a junkie looking C-130 they made them park down at end of runway but maybe they have something better now.Always a tough time with their terrible Greek English.

RHINO 91 is now a Wright Pat C-5.Westover dumped some of their C-5A's to Wright Pat and elsewhere in exchange for a few Dover C-5B's.Said were parking at the wash rack and staying overnite.

Earlier had JINX 43 C-17 with McGuire CP looking for tanker DONUT 91.
I don't have that callsign listed.Do you?

Mark

The HAF 678 was a Gulfstream V - the G1159D variant - a sleek passenger jet. Apparently, they did away with the junky C-130 (or aren't showing it in public.)

Never have heard the DONUT callsign Mark. I didn't catch that one. Do you remember which freq they used?

Thanks for the info on the RHINO aircraft. The one I copied was RHINO 90 with tail 68-0219. Do you know if that one also went along with RHINO 91?
Edit: Come to think of it, it had to be the same aircraft because I also heard him say he was going to the wash rack and was RONing.

NOTE: Just heard from an aircraft on TRACON that Andrews Tower is back on 125.35 tonight. I haven't heard anything there yet - or on 118.4 for that matter - but it's a quiet time of night. I'm set up on both freqs waiting for something to be said. There was no NOTAM published by Andrews about a change.

2311-23: Have a HAZARD 96 calling McGuire CP...319.4 (thought I heard HEATHER the first time but he's loud and clear now...it's HAZARD)
2324: HAZARD makes contact with McGuire..15 minutes out, 11 pax, 3 pallets, loose cargo and some hazardous material to offload...needs 20K fuel...adds that they're A-1...319.4
I'm guessing he's a KC-135R from the MS-ANG in Meridian.
2325: That open mic sounding thing is back up on 136.725 that I mentioned this afternoon

Confirm Andrews Tower is using 125.35 again. Have AirCare 2 in comms with Tower. I'm not sure how they're putting out the word on this since they aren't publishing a NOTAM. Perhaps they're just passing the word from TRACON since any aircraft must be on Approach before contacting Tower.
And I have TROOPER 2 calling ADW Twr on 125.35 and TROOPER 1 calling ADW Twr on 118.4 but 1 isn't getting a reply. Someone always fails to get the word. TROOPER 1 goes to DCA Helo control and asks if Andrews is using another freq tonight...he gets the word and comes up on 125.35.

 

[Mark]

Sorry that was RHINO 90 and not 91,typo.was tail 68-0219.
HAZARD 96 calling McGuire CP now after failed attempt with Langley metro.
Most likely a Dyess AFB C-130 with that small fuel request and got noisier background.

As for DONUT freq not sure as was on tape but could be 319.400 or 303.000.
Most likely 319.400

REACH 7041 was up on AR-20 freq 341.750 crossing Nantuckett C-17 #97-0041.
Prob crossing the pond tonite.

Mark

 

[Waltz41]

Yesterday afternoon, about 1530, an E-2 Hawkeye did 3 approaches to Willow Grove, runway 15. He did one, then called a Phil. appr. to get back to Navy Tampa. App. told him he had to wait, so he said he would do another practice approach in the mean time. Ended up he did the 3 total and then was vectored off home I guess.

I could of swore I heard the call sign Warhawk or Warhog, but at the time there was a lot of traffic going in and out of WG, and I also thought I heard NavyXXX at one point too, but that is used for the WG Navy C-12s and C-9's sometimes, so, overall... i'm not too sure. I was also trying to see if I could get a decent picture / video of it as it went over the house.

Anyone catch this at all?

 

[md_p97]

New Web Site

I stumbled across this web site this morning. Thought it might be of interest.
http://www.policeaviationnews.com/

It includes infor on Police, EMS, the Military and the Coast Guard.

Paul

Edit: This link takes you to a PDF that details Fairfax County's Mission Enhanced 407 Project. Has a few pics too.
http://www.policeaviationnews.com/Acrobat/PANewsHAIOrlando2007.pdf.
FFX is on the cover. Scroll down to reach the article.

 

[TinEar]

Yesterday afternoon, about 1530, an E-2 Hawkeye did 3 approaches to Willow Grove, runway 15. He did one, then called a Phil. appr. to get back to Navy Tampa. App. told him he had to wait, so he said he would do another practice approach in the mean time. Ended up he did the 3 total and then was vectored off home I guess.

I could of swore I heard the call sign Warhawk or Warhog, but at the time there was a lot of traffic going in and out of WG, and I also thought I heard NavyXXX at one point too, but that is used for the WG Navy C-12s and C-9's sometimes, so, overall... i'm not too sure. I was also trying to see if I could get a decent picture / video of it as it went over the house.

Anyone catch this at all?

Brian, ref the Warhawk or Warhog...I posted this yesterday afternoon that might explain it:

1446: Just heard a WARPIG 3 (A-10) reporting 20 minutes out, Code 1 to Willow Grove on 343.0
**********************************************************************
Andrews Tower still on 125.35 this morning in the 1000 hour.
Royal Air Force 5144 (C-130, tail XV221, Lyneham Training Wing) still flying around this area...TRACON freqs.

Re below: Thanks Paul...Brian also posted the TFR version a couple of days ago (msg 1728).

Ref below below: Tony, I heard that JENA (or JENNA 022) calling also. Any idea who/what it is?

 

[md_p97]

This Just In:

CAMP DAVID TFR TO EXPAND FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
Pilots flying in the Mid-Atlantic area are cautioned that the temporary
flight restriction (TFR) area centered on Prohibited Area P-40, the
presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, will grow larger this weekend.
The TFR will extend to a 10-nautical-mile radius below 18,000 feet beginning
at 3:50 p.m. local on Friday, March 23, and continuing through 1 p.m. local
on Sunday, March 25.

 

[CitationJet]

03.22.2007 am

Hi,

Well, the excitement here on the drive in to work...

Had someone ????? 85 up on McGuire Metro 239.800 requesting wx rpt for ?TZ I believe it was. Very weak and scratchy reception. Later JENA 022 was clg Andrews TWR on 118.400 and 125.350. Had the RAF C-130 up on 125.650 as well departing IAD (where he was still on the ramp around 1345Z.

Tony

 

[Mark]

1115 Flt of 5 heard on ZDC Salibury and now ZDC 327.800 active unreadable here.

Mark

 

[TinEar]

1115 Flt of 5 heard on ZDC Salibury and now ZDC 327.800 active unreadable here.

Mark

Guess I picked the wrong time to go outside and enjoy the weather. I'm going to take a WAG here and say that was a TREND flight from VMA-513. :lol:

Worth Mentioning Dept.:
1227: TAZZ 74 (KC-135R, 63-8013, 121st ARG OH-ANG Rickenbacker ANGB) with Giant Killer setting up his flight route...249.8 (Don't normally hear the OH-ANG KC-135s down this way)
1230: TAZZ 74 with ZDC-Sea Isle at FL 220...281.45
1240: REACH 5030 arriving Andrews is a KC-10A, 85-0030, 305th AMW McGuire AFB NJ...378.1/119.3/118.4
1250: TEAM 32 (KC-10A, 305th AMW McGuire AFB) calling Lakehurst Tower on 360.2...he wanted a message passed to McGuire about their arrival and transportation once there (I also had this freq for Cherry Point Tower and for NAS Oceana Tower)
1257: Now have a SPAR 20 calling Lakehurst Tower (I've never heard this freq active after having it programmed for the past couple of years until today.)

1335: Have what sounds like CAPE 1 with ADW Tower 349.0 says he won't land until the fire team gets in place (not sure yet what's going on) Heard this CAPE 1 with ZDC-Yorktown 319.1 about a half hour ago.

1340-45: Have both 142.25 and 143.25 interflight freqs active...PA-ANG doing their thing apparently.
1346: UGLY flight with ZDC-Kenton...leaving 9 for 10,000 feet... 354.15
1346: Flight on 143.25 talking about how cool it is to fly right over Philly...they don't normally get to do it, he says.
1355: UGLY flight to Pax...check in at 10000 feet...will work up to 25000 feet for the next 45 minutes...281.8/305.2/270.8

1402: The other PA-ANG flight is FLYER and they're also checking into Pax...305.2

Ref Below:

I have this as Mussel Control, 1st Helo Squadron but haven't copied any vox transmissions to date. Periodically in the past I've picked either data or encryption and had more of the same this morning with a signal at my end of 3. I am correct that this freq is used for vox traffic?

Brian, the 292.2 freq is active all day long with MUSSEL helos. Your designation is correct. Perhaps you're just a bit too far away to hear much since they're generally low - being helicopters.

 

[Waltz41]

Brian, ref the Warhawk or Warhog...I posted this yesterday afternoon that might explain it:

1446: Just heard a WARPIG 3 (A-10) reporting 20 minutes out, Code 1 to Willow Grove on 343.0
**********************************************************************

No, I did hear the Warpig, and I swore it was warhog or warhawk. Also, there was definitley an E-2 because he did 3 passes over my house after his PARs.

I need to start paying more attention the scanner itself and the freqs. being used. It's just so hard because of the spot I'm in to take photos and video! Do you guys just sit there and write down what you see and hear or how do you keep track of it all??

 

[BM82557]

292.2 mhz AM mode

I have this as Mussel Control, 1st Helo Squadron but haven't copied any vox transmissions to date. Periodically in the past I've picked either data or encryption and had more of the same this morning with a signal at my end of 3. I am correct that this freq is used for vox traffic?


Brian

 

[TinEar]

It was another busy night for the area fighters. BICEP F-16 four ship from NJ-ANG worked out in W-107 and refueled with ROCCO 61, a KC-135E from the 108th ARW at McGuire. An AXEMAN flight of two A-10s from MTN were up. SCARY and WILD flights of F-16s from Andrews went out to W-386 for some ACM work. Both were two ships although WILD 2 arrived about 15 minutes after the party started. Everyone came home between 2030-2100. There are also several tankers up around the area. OPEC 49 is refueling with STEEL 61 and coordinated it on freq 251.25 for some reason. OPEC 48 was with ACY heading for McGuire. Also heard REACH 605 meeting up with a tanker on 349.7 which he called his secondary AR freq. C-130Js from MTN were also up - CRAB 55 and 56. CRAB 57 had a REACH mission this evening...he was REACH 284 landing at MTN. OPEC 46 is also up with McGuire CP around 2100.

2245: OPEC 49 (KC-10A, 84-0190, 305th AMW, McGuire AFB) is heading home at last. He's with McGuire CP giving his arrival message...due in at 0320Z, A-2...319.4
2303: REACH 0448 (C-5A, 70-0448, 89th Airlift Squadron, Wright Patterson AFB OH) reports off from Dover at 0247Z...349.4

There was also a Government of Rwanda aircraft - Bombardier Global Express, tail ZS-ESA, in town this evening about 1800. The picture below on the left specifically....

That Royal Air Force Vickers VC-10, tail XV108, was around this evening...and here he is in the center...

The Hellenic Air Force (Greece) Gulfstream V, HAF 678, from yesterday is pictured on the right.
The pictures are all the actual aircraft, not look alikes.