Sticky Thread for MilAir

[TinEar]

I guess they could have a Joint STARS mission going on in the middle of the VACapes area Dave. I've dedicated a radio to that freq but have not heard anything more from them. During the conversations I heard, BARNYARD was the senior figure - for whatever that's worth. <g>

 

[DPD1]

Hmm... Maybe barnyard is the backend call for some other type of controlling unit. Nightstar is the backend call for 12th EACCS, but if you hear Razor 2x on ATC at the same time, you know you've got it because that's the frontend call. They don't always use Razor for atc, but usually.

Dave
-DPD Productions - Featuring the MilTenna LP Gain Scanner Antenna-
http://eje.railfan.net/dpdp/

 

[TinEar]

RAZOR, the E-8s out of Robbins? Okay...thanks. I don't usually monitor the ATC freqs during the daytime - simply because we've got so many military air units flying in this area that it becomes impossible (at least for my two ears) to keep up with all the military control and tac freqs in use. If the ATC controllers would only be heard on UHF when talking to military flights it would be okay but you hear all their conversations - at least the ground to air side of them - that it just becomes a huge jumble of yapping voices. My solution is to shut them off and concentrate strictly on the MilAir side of it.

 

[TinEar]

1549: DC-ANG F-16s active. «127.275»
1550: PAT 157 to Navy Ops at Andrews announcing arrival. «139.4»
Note: This freq is also listed for Davison AAF which I quoted earlier when Marine Corps 74 called on the freq. Looks like primary is for Navy Ops at Andrews which I'll change in my alpha tags.
1553: PAT 157 also calling Andrews Dispatch «372.2» Requests Customs to meet plane.
1554: DC-ANG, callsign BULLY, to BayWatch area on «354.8» BULLY is a flight of two F-16s and are continuing their operations on the tac freq «127.275»
END OF REPORT

 

[DPD1]

RAZOR, the E-8s out of Robbins? Okay...thanks. I don't usually monitor the ATC freqs during the daytime - simply because we've got so many military air units flying in this area that it becomes impossible (at least for my two ears) to keep up with all the military control and tac freqs in use. If the ATC controllers would only be heard on UHF when talking to military flights it would be okay but you hear all their conversations - at least the ground to air side of them - that it just becomes a huge jumble of yapping voices. My solution is to shut them off and concentrate strictly on the MilAir side of it.

I hear ya on that... I have LAX, VNY, Burbank and the routes for a couple dozen others here. If I listen to VHF, I would go insane. I can have most of the UHF center stuff on and don't get the VHF side. I could probably get Edwards better if I went higher, but then I would get a lot more of the VHF side of ATC. So I just leave it the way it is.

Dave
-DPD Productions - Featuring the NEW MilTenna LP Gain Scanner Antenna-
http://eje.railfan.net/dpdp/

 

[Mark]

1549: DC-ANG F-16s active. «127.275»
1550: PAT 157 to Navy Ops at Andrews announcing arrival. «139.4»
Note: This freq is also listed for Davison AAF which I quoted earlier when Marine Corps 74 called on the freq. Looks like primary is for Navy Ops at Andrews which I'll change in my alpha tags.
1553: PAT 157 also calling Andrews Dispatch «372.2» Requests Customs to meet plane.
1554: DC-ANG, callsign BULLY, to BayWatch area on «354.8» BULLY is a flight of two F-16s and are continuing their operations on the tac freq «127.275»
END OF REPORT

Rgr Tin earlier this evening had a JM-101 Navy aircraft on dispatch 372.200 trying to get Navy side of Andrews Ops on 139.300 but was no joy on that freq.Asked for relay that he was 15 minutes out and req customs and 12k fuel.. strange background noise.Not sure what type aircraft it was.I had 139.300 as Navy Ops side but may have changed like you say to 139.400.Will check out.

Also SENTRY 60 E-3 arrive Dover 2000z,req some vehicles for crew.349.400.

Mark

 

[TinEar]

2005: DC-ANG in the air, callsign ANGRY, flight of two F-16s. «127.275»
2011: ANGRY flight clears into Pax River BayWatch area at 23,000 feet. «354.8»
2019: "Fight's on" and a mythical DARKSTAR is directing them toward an airborne target. «127.275»
2024: Starting a repeat of the above...they screwed up the first intercept and broke it off.
2030: "Fight's on" for the third time. Still on «127.275»
2036: Two tankers chatting on tanker interplane channel. «139.875»
Meanwhile, transports coming and going from McGuire, Dover and Andrews on their Command Post freqs. «319.4/349.4/378.1»
2039: Our ANGRY flight switches to ground attack mode doing a buddy laser maneuver on a fuel tank...then a silo...then a car in a parking lot. «127.275»
2044: Tankers working refueling freq «238.9»
2101: ANGRY flight still in the Pax River area blowing up stuff (theoretically)...getting low on fuel and will no doubt head for home soon. «127.275»
2104: Trooper 4 clearing through Pax River area. «127.95»
2113: ANGRY changes to V-1 SOF Watergate for mission report. «139.9»
2114: Back to V-5 and clearing out of BayWatch area. «127.275/354.8»
2118: ANGRY flight leader gives command to "de-goggle"...report field in sight. «127.275»
2123: Switch to U-4, report gear down, full stop landing 19 left. «349.0»

 

[n3bxv]

Addendum To Alan's most excellent log
- Angry 1 outbound to Baywatch area with ATC on <281.4>, before switch to <354.8>
Inbound to Andrews with Potomac on <270.275> before switch to Tower.

How are you making the cool double "<<"?, I'm a bit keyboard challenged this evening.

{edit} those two freqs don't seem to have much yapping other than Mil users, the ground side is far enough away that's it's not heard. I usually run a scan on the others, but its turned down pretty low until I suspect that theirs an actual actual mil user. I can hear the ground side very clearly on the BWI based ones...(fixed the super run on sentence!)

Some pilot with a very heavy accent landing at Andrews <118.4> ? Romania -04?

I can't get the «««s and »»»s to work, my ALT key isn't cooperating (those were cut and pasted)

 

[TinEar]

Thanks Chuck. I just can't turn on those ATC freqs. Too much yipping and yapping with non-mil traffic. So I always welcome your input for those to provide the log of freqs used during the mission.

[Edit] I press the « and » keys.
Nahhh...just pulling your chain. ALT 174 and ALT 175 makes them.

2148: Ramp freeze in effect at Andrews. Perhaps President coming home.

Chuck, are you practicing your «««s and »»»s?

2227: Activity on Langley SOF «383.2»

 

[TinEar]

0900 hour:
Have VA-ANG active, callsigns BASH and FURY. «141.625/141.825»
They enter GIANT KILLER's area and the thing that is so great about this is that the ground station is loud and clear in a continuation of the fantastic radio conditions from last night. Unbelievable how easy it is to follow the action in the area when the ground station can be heard giving positions of everyone in the zone and using callsigns which the aircraft seldom do other than entering the area. «249.8» Ops on «391.2»
Also hearing the Dover AFB Tower controller on «126.35»
And Patuxent approach/departure controller on «121.00»
Not sure where the Blue Angels are today but their FM ground net is active. «406.35/412.05» Hmmm...after listening a bit, I'm not sure this is part of their net even though the freqs are correct. I'm hearing range traffic. Okay...the 406.35 freq is part of the Aberdeen Proving Ground SmartZone net - not sure what it is on 412.05.

1000: A-10 flight from Martin State reporting off the deck at 0957. «142.3/347.2»
1002: Callsign RAVEN for the A-10s. One says he's taking the long way to the range - going just south of Dover. The other tells him callsign WARMONGER will contact them. And he does.«142.3» Considering radio conditions this morning, I'm not sure yet if WARMONGER is airborne or a ground station. They then "Push 14" and disappear. Searching the entire MilAir freq spectrum but unable to find them.
1016: The A-10s come back to «347.2» and «142.3» talking about getting on the range early if no one is currently using it.....and then report someone is currently there using it.
1022: Heard someone talking on the Bollen Range freq but it's not our RAVENs. «283.1»
I wish conditions were like this all the time. I'm hearing ground stations from the VA Capes all the way up to McGuire.
1040: TESTER 21 into the BayWatch area. «354.8»
1047: Activity on the other Bollen Range freq «237.2»
1058: Boeing test freq active with aircraft BH3. Took off from "Southern" enroute Wilmington with 4 SOB. «321.7»
1103: Boeing aircraft on final for runway 32 Wilmington. «321.7»
1105: TESTER 25 to TESTER 88: wants him to come have a look at his aircraft. He's over Point Lookout at 10,000 feet with a warning light. «270.8»
1109: TESTER 88 meets up with 25, looks over and under the aircraft and says everything is where it's supposed to be. 25 thanks him and announces RTB. «270.8»

END OF REPORT...Continued below if warranted.

 

[JackTV]

Hey Tin,
Where do you have the A-10's at ? Hard to tell if they are at the range yet. I am still picking them up on 142.3 but i am not sure where they are at.

Jack

 

[JackTV]

I have another flight of A-10's on 41.95 A/A up around Baltimore.

Jack

 

[TinEar]

As I said...I don't have them. Just on their normal old 347.2/142.3 freqs. Someone is at the Bollen Range but it's not our guys.

[Edit} I plugged in that 41.95 freq as soon as you posted it but haven't heard anything there.

 

[JackTV]

Yeah,
They were on 41.95 but i have no more on that freq.
Just now getting some scratchy comms on 41.95. I turned the antenna NE and now they are starting to come in.
Jack

 

[TinEar]

I'm suddenly hearing some crud on 41.95 but fine tuning it turns out to be 41.96 but it's not aircraft talking.

 

[TinEar]

1111: The A-10s are now at Bollen Range on «237.2» and chatting on squadron tac freq. «142.3» They are using callsign COLT at the range.
1115-1117: Have _____ Air Force 801 calling Dover Command Post with no reply. Finally, McGuire Command Post answers him and takes a message to pass to Dover. 801 will arrive there in 25 minutes, needs fuel, customs and wants to depart as quickly as possible. The blank above is a country name I believe but his heavy accent didn't register with my ears and I just couldn't get it. Unfortunately, McGuire area ground stations have now faded with the sun higher in the sky. «134.1»
1135: COLTs coming home, landing on runway 33, straight in approach "holding hands" - w/Martin State tower. «297.2»
1135: Two H60 helicopters off from Weide AAF, crossing Phillips AAF area. «126.15»
1139: That ____AF801 aircraft landing Dover. And I still don't know whose air force he belongs to. w/Tower «126.35»
1159: MedSTAR helo transitting Phillips on the way to Upper Chesapeake Hospital. «126.15»

1204: CRAB 56 (C-130J, MD-ANG, Martin State) calling CRAB Ops. «385.9»
1215: Aircraft just off the runway at Martin State w/RAVEN Ops. Callsign SPORT. This is the call they use when travelling. «347.2»
1227: Found COLT 1 on «319.15» No idea who belongs to this freq....sounds like he's preparing for a landing.
If this is the SPORT heard leaving Martin State, the flight was not very long so he couldn't go far.
1242: SKIER 93 (C-130, 139th AS, NY-ANG, Schenectedy) contacts Raven Ops...IDs as C-130, arriving 20 minutes. «347.2»

1300: We should be hearing the DRAGNET E3B aircraft working in GIANT KILLER's area soon. Remember he said yesterday that he'd be back today at the same time.
1304: And here he is with GK. He says he's off from Oceana. «249.8»
1314: Activity up from Langley on tac «358.85» Flight of two. They mention heading for Atlantic City. They also mention being able to see the hurricane "way back there."
1317: 161NG, the Northrup Gruman test flight aircraft with BayWatch on «369.9» Says he's 25 miles north of Pax, will be working for 60-90 minutes between 25-30,000 feet. Also wants a UHF freq for his ops - says VHF always has interference. He's assigned «270.8» He goes there and checks in.
1318: Andrews Command announces ramp freeze in effect. «141.55»
1323: TANKER 30 checks in with HUNTRESS on «260.9»
1327: Langley fighter wishes he brough his NY sectional with him. "Why," asks the other? "So I could identify that city off to the right," he says. «358.85» [It's Glen Burnie, it's Glen Burnie I shout while waving at them]
They think it's Sea Isle but arent' sure.
1332: They're passing Atlantic City «358.85» One of them wants to know what that orange line is he sees (on his scope?) "It's the other tanker track that we're not going to use today," says the other.
1335: They comment on the New York accent as they check in with NY Center.
1336: SLAM (VA-ANG F-16 Richmond) enters GK «249.8»
1336: The Langley fighter lead mentions they are about to contact HUNTRESS and need to keep the chatter down. Go back to 358.85 (which is where they are) for brief chats.
They are also about to hook up with the tanker. (probably the TANKER 30 reported earlier who was around JFK Airport in NY when he checked in).
1338: BASH (VA-ANG) and YODA (F-15 Langley) check in with GK «249.8»
1339: It's apparent our Langley pair of fighters is doing a Combat Air Patrol duty over NYC.
1345: Found 'em...HUNTRESS working with our Langley fighters on «271.0» That's a good freq for HUNTRESS in that area.
1347: They are using callsign HARASS 31 and 32 for the CAP. Refueling on this freq. 31 is tail # FF 8-30017 and 32 is FF 8-20019. Still on 271.0
1353: HARASS 31 finishes refueling with TANKER 30 and sends in 32 to refuel. Same freq.
1406: HARASS 32 finishes refueling..a little chasing around before he could hook up.
END OF REPORT...Continued below if warranted.

Note to Chuck: I remember you mentioned a Romanian aircraft landing at Andrews last night. Just saw a note on the news that the president of Romania, Traian Basescu, is here in the U.S. Here, then off to Detroit on Friday, then to NY for a UN meeting. Why Detroit? 40,000 Romanians live there.

 

[JackTV]

Picking up a little bit on 283.1

 

[TinEar]

Jack, did you ever hear anything again on that 41.95 freq? Just wondering if you were scanning low band when that SPORT flight took off from Martin State.

 

[TinEar]

1410: Flight of A-10s off from Martin State. 347.2
1411: AXEMAN (A-10, MD-ANG, Martin State) on Pax River BayWatch freq 291.15..not same flight that took off at 1410.
1412: Langley freq 364.125 active.
1414: Richmond VA-ANG freqs 141.825/141.875 active.
1418: The HARASS CAP flight over NYC can be heard with surprisingly good quality signals on both the 271.0 HUNTRESS (NORAD) freq and the 358.85 freq when they chat.
1422: Another SLAM flight (VA-ANG, F-16s) checks in with DRAGNET on GK freq 373.1. He's minus one aircraft - says SLAM 53 will be taking off late and joining them later. Flight of BASH fighters from Richmond join the fun.
1426: 161NG finishes in Pax River area and is heading back to Baltimore. 291.15
1430: Should mention that there have been aircraft all over the BayWatch Pax River area all day - lots of SALTY DOGs and TESTERs and various other flying critters. Almost all their ops freqs have been busy.
1440: RAVENs at Bollen Range with BALKY. 237.2 and on squadron freq 142.3
1459: Flight of A-10s coming home to Martin State, a Code 1 and a Code 2...347.2
Clear out of Pax River area on 270.8

1500: HARASS 31/32 still flying circles over NYC. Flying the CAP at 21,000 feet and refueling at 23,000 feet.
1504: Flight of two DEVIL callsign F-16s from NJ-ANG, Atlantic City active 138.3...switch to 138.05...then mention V-15 and come up on 138.25
1509: HARASS 32 going into the boom to refuel, 31 finished a couple of minutes ago. When they climb from 21 to 23K altitude to refuel, they suddenly get much louder..it does make a difference.
1509: Another pair of A-10s leave Pax 270.8, then with Raven Ops 347.2 for runway 15...then with tower on 297.2
1511: DEVILs back to 138.3...doing ground attack buddy lase missions.
1512: Bollen Range active since about 1500...237.2
1512: BASH flight to Richmond Command Post 289.3
1515: HARASS 32 disengages from boom and heads back to track.
1516: DRAGNET gives area W386 back to GIANT KILLER.
1517: Martin State A-10s a little puckered because tower did not let them know he was working another aircraft.
1518: Various SLAM and BASH aircraft heading home to Richmond doing their normal chatter after a mission...141.825/141.875
1521: ANGRY flight of four F-16s DC-ANG, Andrews up, up and away 127.275
1528: Second F-16 flight from Atlantic City up...138.25
(I'm running out of radios here...anyone lend me about half a dozen?)
1535: HARASS flight working with a Coast Guard aircraft on HUNTRESS freq as they chase down a target. Identifies as Coast Guard 6572. HUNTRESS having trouble hearing CG aircraft...HARASS 31 will relay comms.
1538: HARASS and CG aircraft have chased away an u/i aircraft...HARASS 31 reports being over Linden Airport.
1540: HARASS flight switches to tac chat freq 358.85. 31 says...that was fun wasn't it? The other says all the pilot will get is a slap on the hand anyway. So, it was a real interdiction mission is what this tells us.
Believe this HARASS flight from Langley has tac callsign of COACH. They slipped just once and used it while chatting. COACH confirmed F-15s from 94th FS Langley.
1545: HUNTRESS once again not hearing CG aircraft - being called D72 for short - HARASS 31 will relay. HARASS passes a telephone number from the CG aircraft to HUNTRESS to call - says it's air critical (??)
1547: HUNTRESS tells CG 6572 he can RTB.
1548: HARASS 31 heading for the tanker. Reports weapons safe.
1551: ANGRY flight is working Bollen Range 237.2...and their tac freq 127.275
1555: HARASS passes to CG aircraft that HUNTRESS has radar contact with him and he can RTB.
1556: HARASS 31 off tanker, back on station...32 going for gas.
1556: The CG aircraft referred to as "Dolphin 72" which explains the D
1559: HARASS 32 makes contact with the boom...gas flowing.
1600: Ding! Missions continue but this is the END OF REPORT

 

[Mark]

Tin on tape heard a COLT 1 push button 4 then heard another say go to 282.270.
Do you have anything for that freq as I don't have that one...

Mark