0526: Hearing the HARASS F-15s on the way from Langley to the CAP. They are HARASS 33 and 34 and are working interflight 360.15
0531: HARASS 33/34 check in with HUNTRESS, give nose cold/weapons safe report and ask status of TANKER 07...260.9
Can't hear HUNTRESS when they work this freq (only when they work 228.9 do I hear him loud and clear) so don't know what he replied to tanker question. I'm not showing anything yet.
I'm currently showing only two other mil aircraft -- REACH 0177, C-17A, 00-0177, 62nd AW McChord (arriving at Dover) and NAVY 300, C-37B, 166378, VR-1 Andrews (just off ADW at 0525)
And there's the KC-135R, 62-3510, 74th ARS Grissom that arrived yesterday at ADW as REACH 2510. He's just departing ADW at 0530 as REACH 929. Should mean he's heading overseas. Heading to the northeast.
0533: HARASS 33/34 check in with Potomac TRACON...350.25
0535: HARASS 33 reports established in the CAP and that he and 34 are holding hands for now...260.9
0540: HARASS 33 and 34 again check in with HUNTRESS and give bullseye reports to target (Thurmont) and report now in the net (datalink net)...260.9
0545: TANKER 07 to HUNTRESS to report 15 minutes out as fragged...260.9 (Not close enough yet for me to get an ID on him)
0545: World Airways...WOA 8129, MD-11, N273WA overhead at FL 380 heading for Atlanta Hartsfield (KATL) from Leipzig Halle (EDDP)
0553: HARASS 33/34 switch to interflight 360.15 and 33 asks 34 if he has "Active 18"...34 replies that he programmed it while on the ground and so they switch to that freq. Can't find it scanning all the known Langley freqs.
0556: TANKER 07 to Potomac to report he'll be in the area shortly and that he's at FL 250...repeats that he's cleared in at FL 250...135.525
TANKER 07 = KC-135R, 57-2597, 153rd ARS MS-ANG Meridian (1513 is his Mode 3 squawk)
Kind of strange that on the third day of the CAP they've not used a tanker from Bangor, Pease or Pittsburgh yet. Meridian, Seymour Johnson, Tinker and McGuire are the only bases tapped so far.
0601: TANKER 07 cleared down to FL 240 to enter Guard Dog by Potomac TRACON...135.525
0601: TANKER 07 repeats that to HUNTRESS...260.9
0605: HARASS 33 reports heading to the tanker...TANKER 07 clears him to join...260.9
0606: World Airways...flight WOA 9611 Heavy, DC-10, N136WA) on the ground at BWI preparing for takeoff...121.9 (Off the ground at 0607 on 119.4) He's heading for Lawson AAF at Fort Benning. (Still displaying REACH 724 from his transponder which was his arrival callsign - probably bringing troops home from overseas)
0612: HARASS 33 at the tanker for a topoff...boomer asks if his tail is 82-0019 and 33 confirms that's it (confirming 71st FS Langley)...260.9
0615: HARASS 33 off the boom after taking 10K...then tells HUNTRESS he's back on station...260.9
0616: HARASS 34 reports off station to the tanker...260.9
0622: HARASS 34 reports to tanker he's 3 miles in trail, nose cold, weapons safe....TANKER 07 clears him to rejoin...260.9
0624: Boomer does a radio check with HARASS 34, asks for his tail and is told 82-0037 (confirming 71st FS)...tanker repeats it as "07" and clears him in for contact...tells 34 his receptacle lights are out (same earlier for 33)....260.9
0630: HARASS 34 off the boom after also taking 10K...260.9
0634: Omni Air International aircraft...flight OAE 826, DC-10, N531AX descending for approach to BWI. He's arriving from Cherry Point.
Okay...recovered all the tail numbers for this crew.
HARASS 33 = F-15C, 82-0019, 71st FS Langley
HARASS 34 = F-15C, 82-0037, 71st FS Langley
TANKER 07 = KC-135R, 57-2597, MS-ANG Meridian
They should be good for the next 3 1/2 hours or so. End of log for now unless I hear something interesting.
0641: HARASS 33/34 again switch to "Active 18" from 260.9. I found parts of the transmissions on 375.925. It's part of a Have Quick system. That's the only freq from the system I was able to find during the few seconds they used it.
0647: REACH 412T (C-17A, 07-7170, 3rd AS/436th AW Dover) off the deck at Dover with Departure...132.425 (switches to Potomac TRACON 128.7)
And then I had a power outage after a transformer blew up while frying a squirrel in front of my house. I called and BGE was here in 30 minutes to start work. Total of one hour downtime which was not bad. Couldn't talk the BGE guy into taking the squirrel with him though. He didn't think much of my suggestion to mount it in his den.
0857: TANKER 08 on the way to the CAP. It's the same KC-10A (87-0124) from McGuire that performed TANKER 03 duties yesterday.
0906: TANKER 08 checks in with HUNTRESS to report he's at FL 240 and 10 minutes from Guard Dog...TANKER 07 reminds him that he's at FL 240 also and suggests he come in high or stay outside the area for now...260.9
0908: HARASS 35/36 coming in on interflight...360.15
0909: HARASS 35 to HUNTRESS to report arriving as fragged, nose cold and heading for the tanker...260.9
0911: HARASS 35 checks in with Potomac at FL 210...350.25
0913: TANKER 08 reports he's been cleared to enter Guard Dog at FL 250...07 says he'll maintain 240...260.9
0914: HARASS 35 and 36 perform bullseye checks to the target (Thurmont)...260.9
0915: TANKER 08 to Potomac to get clearance to enter Guard Dog at FL 250...135.525
0915: HARASS 35/36 will get fuel from TANKER 07 upon arrival...260.9
0916: HARASS 33 to Potomac to notify them that he and 34 will be RTB to Langley in 5-10 minutes...350.25
0918: HARASS 35 to the boom and 36 cleared to left wing of tanker...they give tail numbers....260.9
HARASS 35 = F-15C, 84-0024, 71st FS Langley
HARASS 36 = F-15C, 82-0016, 71st FS Langley
TANKER 08 = KC-10A, 87-0124, 514th AMW AFRC McGuire
0919: TANKER 08 tells HUNTRESS he has a total of 45K of fuel to give during his mission...260.9
0920: HARASS 35 off the boom after taking 4K and is cleared to the right wing....36 cleared to the boom of TANKER 07...260.9
0921: TANKER 07 to Potomac to notify of impending RTB...135.525
0922: HARASS 35 reports on station to HUNTRESS....HUNTRESS releases 33/34 to RTB...260.9
0923: HARASS 36 off the boom after also taking 4K...260.9
0923: TANKER 07 cleared to RTB...260.9
0923: HARASS 33 to Potomac reports a two ship ready to RTB...cleared to Nottingham, Langley direct at FL 210...350.25
0925: TANKER 07 picks up clearance back to Meridian from Potomac, heads out on heading 170...135.525
0926: TANKER 07 gets cleared MEI, GVE, Montebello, direct....handed off to ZDC-Brooke 126.875...135.525 (He's gone)
0926: HARASS 33/34 handed off to ZDC-Calvert...281.4 (Color them gone also)
0957: REACH 847 (B-744, N118UA, United Airlines) overhead the area at FL 380. Currently in central PA on a 197 degree heading and zipping along at a speed of 520 knots. By 1018, it had crossed into western MD, over Martinsburg WV and down into VA still heading south-southwest.
Early 1000 hour VENUS 22 (C-20B, 86-0202, 99th AS Andrews) working the pattern around Andrews...118.4
Mid-1000 hour there's traffic on 303.125 - refueling track freq for AR18V near Cherry Point. The activity isn't quite strong enough for me to pick out callsigns but activity is steady at the moment.
1033: MARINE 200 (C-20D, 163691, VR-1 Andrews) descending into the area - apparently for landing at Andrews.
1040: KING 21 (HC-130H, 88-2101, 102nd RQS NY-ANG Gabreski Airport) flying over the area at FL 180, squawking 2367 on Mode 3.
1049: MARINE 200 to Andrews Tower reports 8 miles to the south for runway 1R...cleared to land runway 1R, gear down and locked...118.4
Late 1000 hour HARASS 36 and then 35 refuel with TANKER 08 taking 8K and 11K respectively...260.9
Others flying in the area late 1000 hour are REACH 412T (ID above) returning to area - or I thought he was. He's now climbing again...CARMEN 3 (C-130H, 84-0208, 142nd AS DE-ANG Wilmington)...BATON 91 (EC-130J, 98-1932, 193rd SOW PA-ANG Harrisburg)
1105: VENUS 22 to Andrews to report he was airborne at 1405Z and will be in the blocks at 22 after the hour (1122 local)...378.1
1109: VENUS 22 to Andrews Tower reporting in a turn for runway 1R...says it'll be a full stop...118.4
1109: BLUE 61 (KC-10A, 82-0193, 60th AMW Travis) overhead the area at FL 260. Coming from the northeast.
1112: REACH 6020 (C-5B, 86-0020, 436th AW Dover) climbing out of Dover...132.425
1117: REACH 426T (C-17A, 01-0186, 62nd AW McChord) climbing out of Andrews....TRACON
1128: SPAR 55 (C-40B, 01-0015, 65th AS Hickam) into the area.
1130: PACER 50 (C-21A, 84-0094, 457th AS Andrews) up from Andrews.
1134: PACER 50 reports airborne time as 1528Z to Andrews...378.1
1135: REACH 421T (C-17A, 99-0060, 62nd AW McChord) climbing out (fm ADW?)
1135: World Airways...WOA 8500, DC-10, N136WA...overhead the area at FL 350 on his way to Bangor from Fort Benning (and still showing REACH 724 in his transponder - the callsign he used arriving at BWI yesterday to return troops from overseas. Had him above in 0600 hour this morning departing BWI as WOA 9611.)
1144: ROMAN 51 (F-18, VFA-106, NAS Oceana) with ZDC-Hagerstown requesting FL 360...227.125
1149: NASA 426 (P-3B, N426NA) in the area at 15,000 feet...not sure yet where he's going....actually, he's climbing out from somewhere - at FL 240 a few minutes later.
1151: ROMAN 51 handed off to ZDC-Tech and checks in there...377.2
Last minute of 1100 hour...MUSIC 83 (C-130H, 89-1183, 105th AS TN-ANG)... and CARMEN 88 (C-130H, 84-0213, 142nd AS DE-ANG) both in the area. He made a trip to Florida so that might just be his out-of-area callsign. They usually only use a single digit with CARMEN.
And that's enough from me for now. Chore time before NASCAR and football.
I forgot to mention yesterday that a couple of the HARASS F-15 pilots were chatting on the way home to Langley that they much preferred AR with the KC-135 rather than the KC-10 that had the duty. They didn't explain why but I wish they had since they were both in agreement. Perhaps the wake turbulence of the larger plane causes buffeting problems and makes it a little more difficult to control the fighter while refueling. At least that's all I can come up with for a reason. Anyone have anything else?
Ref Below. Makes sense I guess Mark. Thanks. Hadn't thought of that one.
