Sticky Thread for MilAir III

[Mark]

I also looked up Maryland Natural Resource Police choppers.
Never have logged any of them myself though.

N16717 =Bell 206B=A10E4A
N6021V = Bell OH-58A=A7D13C

Mark

 

[freqhopping]

I've programmed RB alerts for a bunch of helos. So far the only ones I've received are Aircare and Medstar helos. As far as I can tell Fairfax Co doesn't have mode-S or else I'm sure I would've had a hit by now.

A45A08 N38MD TROOPER-? Aerospatiale SA365N-1 Dauphin c/n 6335
A74D27 N57MD TROOPER-? 1988 Aerospatiale SA365N-1 Dauphin c/n 6252
A7ED7C N61MD TROOPER-? 1993 Eurocopter AS 365 N2 Dauphin c/n 6462
A88B78 N65MD TROOPER-? 1993 Eurocopter AS 365 N2 Dauphin c/n 6464
AAB6C3 N79MD TROOPER-? 1990 Aerospatiale SA365N-1 Dauphin c/n 6352
AB2F99 N82MD TROOPER-? 1998 Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin c/n 6550
ACBCE8 N92MD TROOPER-2 Aerospatiale SA365N-1 Dauphin 6311 CRASHED 9/2008
ACE467 N93MD TROOPER-? 1989 Aerospatiale SA365N-1 Dauphin 6316
AD0BE6 N94MD TROOPER-? 1989 Aerospatiale SA365N-1 Dauphin 6317
AD3365 N95MD TROOPER-? 1989 Aerospatiale SA365N-1 Dauphin 6320
AD5AE4 N96MD TROOPER-? 1989 Aerospatiale SA365N-1 Dauphin 6321
AD8263 N97MD TROOPER-? 1989 Aerospatiale SA365N-1 Dauphin 6330


A1DFFB N22PP EAGLE-1 US Park Police 1998 Bell 412EP
A4DCE1 N412PP EAGLE-2 US Park Police 1990 Bell 412SP c/n 33207
A394C9 N33PP EAGLE-3 US Park Police 1983 Bell 206L-3 (Long Ranger III) c/n 51051

A4CAD9 N408FC Fairfax Co PD Bell 407 c/n 53450
A4C722 N407FC Fairfax Co PD Bell 407 c/n 53050

A08EDF N135MH MEDSTAR-1 WHC EC135T1 cn: 0131 Wash Hosp Center
A09DBB N139MH MEDSTAR-2 Indian Head EC135T2 cn: 0330 Wilmington Trust Co
A09A04 N138MH MEDSTAR-3 Easton EC135T2 cn 0417 Avn Air LLC
A0964D N137MH MEDSTAR-4 Frederick EC135P1 cn: 0179 Wilmington Trust Co
A09296 N136MH MEDSTAR backup EC135T1 cn: 0161 Key Equipment Finance


A37E79 N324PH Aircare-3 currently, Eurocopter EC-136P-2 cn 0571 Based in Leesburg
A3280D N302PH Aircare Eurocopter Deutschland Gmbh EC 135 P2
A38230 N325PH Aircare-2 Eurocopter Deutschland Gmbh EC 135 P2
A3971C N330PH Aircare-4 Eurocopter Deutschland Gmbh EC 135 P2
A47F87 N3893N Formerly used as Aircare-3 Bell 412

Virginia State Police aircraft
A2F4FD N29VA Cessna 182J sn: 182-57439
A31ED5 N30VA Bell 407 sn: 53453
A34654 N31VA Bell 407 sn: 53465
A36DD3 N32VA Cessna 192P SN: 182-63322
A39552 N33VA Cessna 182Q SN: 182-66839
A3BCD1 N34VA Bell 407 sn: 53454
A3E450 N35VA Cessna 182R SN: 18268129
A40BCF N36VA Bell 407 SN: 53472
A4334E N37VA American Eurocopter MBB-BK 117 C-1 r/w/b sn: 7537
A45ACD N38VA Eurocopter BO 105LS A-3 SN: 2040
A4824C N39VA Eurocopter BO 105LS A-3 SN: 2041

 

[mdmonitor]

Tacamo

1641 EST Bluie/Louie 54 getting ready to land at PAX (123.7).

 

[TinEar]

Rgr that,by the way what is mode s on that N138MH ?

I have some MSP Chopper mode S's but not much use yet unless they start broadcasting.

Mark

I didn't realize how many aircraft I stuck that "AIR AMBO" logo on until I just checked my database. I'll give you the list. Some are helos, some not, but all are used for patient moves: (Notice the ME and AT letters on the registrations. I wonder if they mean anything?)

N138MH - A09A04
N135MH - A08EDF
N984ME - ADBB18
N698ME - A94986
N554ME - A70F5F
N527ME - A6A407
N308ME - A33E22
N307ME - A33A6B
N304ME - A32F46
N744AT - AA0178
N639AT - A85F3D
N633AT - A848F3
N236AT - A21EDC
N238KA - A2DA02
N811AM - AB0D1F
N442GJ - A552AA
N7RX - A95169

The list I have just marked with the "HELO" logo is very long and I won't try to type it out here. I'm sure some on that list are also really "AIR AMBO" types but I just haven't identified that function for them yet.

Mark, getting the Mode-S hex code for the choppers, such as the MD State Police, will be easy enough if they start broadcasting. The FAA database lists the octal code for all of them which can be easily converted to hex for our purposes.

And to all the readers of the thread, I apologize for all the non-military chat from me today but this just seemed like the place to do it since we hear these types on some of the monitored channels for military flights - like the helo control freqs for Baltimore and Washington areas that contain military, law enforcement and medevac traffic. We might as well know what we're listening to, right?
**********************************

Ron, that BLUIE/LOUIE 54 should be an E-6B, 164407, VQ-4 that's on approach.
1653: If it's him, "407" just called SHADOW Mainenance on 310.15 to say they are 15 minutes from landing but for fuel they are going to go up to 105 (whatever that means - perhaps the fuel load they're going to put aboard - 105,000 pounds).
**********************************

I don't know if we've talked about the following:
(which I grabbed from the af.mil website 4-5 days ago and condensed)

As directed by the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure commission, the 107th
Fighter Squadron 'Red Devils', 127th Wing (Michigan Air National Guard),
will prepare its conversion from F-16C/D Block 30 (small mouth) Fighting
Falcons to the A-10C Thunderbolt II.

A-10 aircraft will begin to arrive at Selfridge in the
coming weeks, with personnel training away at Air Force technical schools
and other A-10 locations throughout the United States. The 127th Wing plans
to have the ramps at Selfridge filled with A-10s by early next summer.

According to other sources and some personal contacts, Selfridge is sending
its Vipers to the 163rd Fighter Squadron 'Blacksnakes', 122nd Fighter Wing
(Indiana Air National Guard) at Fort Wayne IAP, which will retire its
F-16C/D block 25. The 107th Fighter Squadron will get A-10Cs from the 172nd
Fighter Squadron, 110th Fighter Wing (Michigan ANG), at Battle Creek ANGB,
along with many of their pilots.

And, if you'd like to watch some video from Hawgsmoke 2008 in Kansas a couple of months ago, check this out:
http://www.442fw.afrc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-081210-057.wmv
And I love the custom of the shot of bourbon and flinging the glass into the fireplace.
Winner of the competition was the 190th FS of the ID-ANG.
**********************************

I've programmed RB alerts for a bunch of helos. So far the only ones I've received are Aircare and Medstar helos. As far as I can tell Fairfax Co doesn't have mode-S or else I'm sure I would've had a hit by now.

Travis, many thanks for your helo listing too. It'll help. I notice you had the N324PH that I was puzzled by in one of my messages above.

 

[mdmonitor]

CG Helos

Guys,

1730--currently have Blackjack 1 & 2 (CG HH-65Cs) on 157.05 doing practices airborne intercepts.

 

[mdmonitor]

Med Evac helos

Guys,

Attached is an article by Alan Henny that has alot of info on freqs, tail nrs etc. It's a little dated but should be a good base of info as I would suspect alot of it is still accurate.

 

[mdmonitor]

HF Logs, 26 Dec

((Times UTC, Freqs KHz))

07527.0 Z13 (USCG Sector Key West, FL: 0400 USB/ALE calling WHD (USCGC KODIAK ISLAND, 110 Foot Island Class Patrol Boat WPB 1341, St. Petersburg, FL)
09025.0 Off (Offut AFB NE): 1455 USB/ALE calling J04 (USCG HH-60J #6004 CGAS Cape Cod).
08912.0 CRB (US Customs Caribbean Regional Communications Node): 1517 USB/ALE calling D45 (US Customs P-3 AEW&C #N145CS/BuNo 155299, Jacksonville AMB, FL). Also sounding on 15867.0 USB.
10242.0 LNT (Camslant Chespeake): 1612 USB/ALE calling F40 (USCG HU-25 # 2140 CGAS Cape Cod
08983.0 Camslant: 1742 USB calling CG 1707 (USCG HC-130H #1707, CGAS Clearwater FL) w/no response.
11494.0 502 (502 USCG HC-130H #1502, CGAS Clearwater FL): 1822 USB/ALE sounding. Also sounding on 07527.0 USB

Ron (mdmonitor1@verizon.net)
Baltimore MD (390747N 763711W)
VHF/UHF: BC-895XLT/RS Pro-2045
Diamond D-130J discone
HF: Icom R75 & Sangean ATS 909
45-ft EF-SWL & 70-ft random wire

 

[TinEar]

Although this news story about Mode-S/ADS-B is a month old, I just ran across it and it's our future:
Hmmm...buy another digital scanner or a Mode-S receiver? Not much of a decision really.

FAA begins to roll out air traffic control system

By Gautham Nagesh gnagesh@govexec.com November 24, 2008
After years of development and testing, the Federal Aviation Administration announced on Monday that it plans to begin deploying a nationwide air traffic control system that tracks aircraft by satellite rather than radar.
Urged by an executive order issued by President Bush last week, the switch from testing to roll out of the new technology marks the first step in the agency's ambitious program to overhaul the nation's air traffic control system. FAA claims the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system reduces the risk of mid-air collisions and weather-related accidents by giving pilots in the sky access to the same satellite and weather information that air traffic controllers view from their seats in towers.
"The next generation of air travel has arrived," said FAA acting Administrator Robert Sturgell in a release sent out on Monday. "ADS-B is the backbone of future air traffic control."

"Today's decision is the green light for nationwide deployment of ADS-B," said FAA spokesman Paul Takemoto. "This is the first step in making NextGen a reality."

FAA plans to deploy all ground stations by 2013. By then, the agency will provide satellite coverage in all areas where radar exists -- and in some places where no coverage is available, including the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska, Takemoto said.

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1108/112408n1.htm

 

[Mark]

REACH 649 C-5 #85-0006 439th AW Westover depart Dover at 1905 eastbound now on ZDC 127.700
REACH 3285 C-5B #83-1285 depart Dover 1856.
REACH 5001 C-5B inbound Dover on 132.425 at 1917,just departed earlier.RTB due to #4 elect Gen inop.


Mark

 

[Mark]

FAA plans to deploy all ground stations by 2013. By then, the agency will provide satellite coverage in all areas where radar exists -- and in some places where no coverage is available, including the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska, Takemoto said.

I can see need for ground stations but other than uncovered areas is that what the Satellites are for? Satellites also for for backups locally?
One reader makes valid point though. If Large airports are still jammed during rush hours
then ADS-B is not the only solution.May not solve the real problems in those Airports.

Mark

 

[freqhopping]

Excellent list Hop.
Just to add a note N97MD was Trooper 2 that crashed earlier this year.
Sad scene..

No it was N92MD as I have it in my list.
NTSB Report

I just got down scouring DC FAA registrations to get the MPD birds.
They are N911AS and N911DC. In the process I pulled out a whole bunch of FBI, DHS, Customs and Dept of State planes and helos. Some of the military ones are probably on display. It seems like half of the registrations are for Smithsonian exhibits.

 

[Mark]

No it was N92MD as I have it in my list.

Sorry,I goofed.Did some further checking also.
They change callsigns and tails a lot on those MSP Choppers.
I amended my post.

One question I have is that MSP reports they can follow their Choppers via their own ADS-B.
How is it they can see them yet we can't?
They have a secure scrambled system? different mode?

(Review of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B), global navigation system used by the Maryland State Police
for tracking and flight following revealed the medical evacuation mission request was received on September 27, 2008, at 2304:57, by the Maryland State Police System)

REACH 7178 C-17 #07-7178 reports departing Dover at 2150 local.
Logged here at 2159 on RB.

Mark

 

[CitationJet]

Re: MEDSTAR

Hi guys,

The info I have (both from the Website below and elsewhere - and remember I'm not a helo guy so this info might be wrong) lists MEDSTAR 1 as N135MH, MEDSTAR-2 as N139MH and MEDSTAR 3 as N138MH.

Another good site:

http://www.alecbuck.com/

Tony

??????? ??????? MEDSTAR-1 BK117 red as of 2005
A08EDF N135MH MEDSTAR-3 EC135T1 SN: 0131 Wash Hosp Center
A09DBB N139MH MEDSTAR-? EC135T2 SN: 0330 Wilmington Trust Co
A09296 N136MH MEDSTAR-2 EC135T1 SN: 0161 Key Equipment Finance

 

[CitationJet]

Re: AIR AMBO

Tin,

G450 N7RX is just the corporate ride for IMS Health.

Tony

N7RX - A95169

 

[TinEar]

Tin,

G450 N7RX is just the corporate ride for IMS Health.

Tony

Thanks Tony. I'm pretty sure I gave that one the "AIR AMBO" tag because it landed at BWI carrying a patient for one of the Baltimore hospitals. Perhaps an occasional patient transfer aboard the aircraft justifies the expense to the governing board of IMS Health. Now, what it does the other 99% of the time.....

Speaking of BWI, a couple of nights ago around midnight I was testing some aircraft freqs on my GRE PSR-400 (a piece of junk, by the way**) and heard the BWI Tower controller holding up an aircraft from landing because his ground radar was showing a "blob" of some kind at the end of the runway. He dispatched a vehicle to go out there and see what it was and to move it if necessary. Turned out it was just some kind of radar clutter but it was a funny bunch of exchanges between the Tower controller and the the guy sent to find the object. They were of the type, "You're standing right next to it. Don't you see it?" It continued until the controller was sure it was just interference of some sort. Well, it was funny at the time.

** The GRE PSR 400 is very prone to intermod all across the aircraft band and yet is not very sensitive at all. I bought one just to see if a relatively inexpensive radio could be incorporated into my aircraft listening console to eventually start replacing the Uniden 785/796 types I have in there now. Not a chance. I still have never found an aircraft (or LE) receiver better than those Unidens except for perhaps things like my Icom R8500 and that isn't practical to get nine of them.
I should also add that the UHF simulcasts from the TRACON controllers at BWI were very weak. They just boom in on the Unidens - as they should. I'm only a couple or three miles from the Tower at BWI. The GRE radio would be worthless for UHF milair.

I also started testing the new Radio Shack PRO-197 I picked up in that Christmas week sale (200 bucks off the usual price). I was testing only for law enforcement freqs and, so far, have only listened to the pre-programmed V-folder that contains all the local trunked systems - 20 systems in V-folder #1. I used both the supplied whip antenna and a couple of co-phased pairs of Yagis I have on the roof for 800 mHz reception. I could hear Anne Arundel, Harford, Howard, Baltimore County and Baltimore City systems very well but only occasional transmissions from Montgomery County and nothing at all from the two D.C. systems or any of the northern Virginia systems or the other nearby Baltimore area counties. This is not a good thing. Even my beaten and battered old Uniden 785 can hear the D.C. systems with just the whip antenna - although not real great. The Maryland Eastern Shore and Delaware systems are in a different V-folder that I haven't gotten to yet but I don't hold out any hope of being able to hear them.
Antenna differences: The supplied whip provided excellent reception on four of the five systems. Howard - the farthest from me - had a bit of the slurring, digital sounds with the whip but were clear as a bell with the rooftop antenna. That was really the only difference I noted. Baltimore City had a little of that digital sound with the whip, none with the Yagis, but was perfectly acceptable with the whip. Montgomery County was not heard at all with the whip and the occasional transmissions were only with the Yagis.
Tonight I'm going to run a Uniden side-by-side with the PRO-197 and use my primary outside discone on both (through a multicoupler so there will be no differences) because I sensed a possible reception problem with the 197 - like not catching traffic that was there on a system and would scan right past it even though it was excellent reception when it would stop on a transmission. It would often go 30-45 seconds between stopping on traffic and that didn't seem reasonable for the five systems I mentioned above at midnight on a Friday night. Yet, if I stopped the scan and ran through the talkgroups manually, there was a ton of traffic. I'll know better after my next test tonight.

 

[freqhopping]

I did some more looking around I think this should be accurate. There are quite a few photos showing N137MH at FDK. Several site's including Buck's with 138 as #3. I think their callsign #s may be more determined by where they are based rather than the aircraft and occasionally they may get moved around or something.


A08EDF N135MH MEDSTAR-1 WHC EC135T1 cn: 0131 Wash Hosp Center
A09DBB N139MH MEDSTAR-2 Indian Head EC135T2 cn: 0330 Wilmington Trust Co
A09A04 N138MH MEDSTAR-3 Easton EC135T2 cn 0417 Avn Air LLC
A0964D N137MH MEDSTAR-4 Frederick EC135P1 cn: 0179 Wilmington Trust Co
A09296 N136MH MEDSTAR backup EC135T1 cn: 0161 Key Equipment Finance


1811- I've logged N136MH a few times today. And first on 12/7 which was when I first got my RB. Probably filling in at Frederick. The others would be too distant.

 

[Mark]

Slow Saturday Mil-wise.Not one tanker logged.
Last couple days Dover inbounds from overseas have been almost radio only as ATC has them dropping down to 5k off Atlantic City then west into Dover at 2k.Weather/traffic related I guess.
A few RB logs today..

AE146B RCH541T 07-7173 C17 436th AW Dover 2008/12/27 16:27z
AE050D REACH 7028 inbound McGuire 87-0028 C5B 60th AMW Travis 2008/12/28 01:40z
1540A0 POT2317 RA-82080 A124 Polet Flight 2008/12/28 01:45z enroute KCHS
AE0976 RY833 165833 C40C NAS FT WORTH TX 2008/12/28 02:47z level at 40k

Oddball log of the night. Aeroflot from Havana to Moscow going up the Jersey coast at 34k.
40017C AFL334 MUHA-UUEE VP-BWQ B763 Aeroflot - Russia... 2008/12/28 04:00z
At least it is a Boeing 767..


Mark

 

[freqhopping]

E-6B 164407 is in the area somewhere. Only showed up for a second. Last night 404 went up and stayed low so I lost track of it very quickly.
1123-There it is again briefly, over Accomack Co VA heading SSE.

One AN-124 has already passed through the area enroute to Mobile, AL- ADB102F. General Dynamics build the MRAPs down there.
One is due in to Philly in a few hours- ADB365F. Another will be coming through to Charleston -POT2321.

 

[Mark]

1430z REACH 7047 C-17 97-0047 (AE07F9) dropping down 31k to 27k.
1720z REACH 809J C-17 97-0047 (AE07F9) climbing up to 33k.

Same tail,2 different RB callsigns.

Mark

 

[TinEar]

E-6B 164407 is in the area somewhere. Only showed up for a second. Last night 404 went up and stayed low so I lost track of it very quickly.
1123-There it is again briefly, over Accomack Co VA heading SSE.

Logged 164407 here at 1045 and again at 1217 as he was about to land at Patuxent.
Meanwhile, 162783 was flying the west coast mission during the same time frame.

Have a Royal Air Force flight into the area at 1223. It's a C-130/C4 from Lyneham Transport Wing - ZH866 - at FL 200. Haven't heard his radio call yet. He hit the U.S. coast over ACK around 1120 so he's moving very slowly.

1430z REACH 7047 C-17 97-0047 (AE07F9) dropping down 31k to 27k.
1720z REACH 809J C-17 97-0047 (AE07F9) climbing up to 33k.

Same tail,2 different RB callsigns.

He arrived from the UK using the REACH 7047 callsign, and now has departed on a support mission - possibly for an ORI somewhere.
He was also logged on the 26th in Budapest, Hungary on the first part of his flight as REACH 578. That call lasted through Germany and until being logged in the Netherlands where it switched to the REACH 7047 call.