Sticky Thread for MilAir

[TinEar]

A couple of months ago, the Martin State A-10s were regularly using their FM radios too and then it just suddenly stopped. I'd hear them as they took off and by the time they were just a few miles out I'd lose them on those freqs.

Dave, I just saw the note you tacked on your last posting about the 307.325 freq. When you get a freq in traffic like that that ends in either a 2 or 7 after the decimal point, you can automatically add the 5 after it. They always shorten the freq to two digits for some reason. Maybe some aircraft don't have the 25 kHz split in their radios and by going to .32 rather than .325 they are still heard on the correct frequency. I've never heard a Center ground controller give the freq in three decimal places even though we know they should be.

Alan

 

[dparana]

Mark & TinEar,

Two flights of Willow Grove A-10s were up in the Duke this afternoon Between about 1:40PM and 2:20PM Local) Ugly 1 & 2 were dogfighting with Flyer 1 & 2 at the Duke MOA in Western PA. Both flights contacted Cleveland Center on 353.85 when entering and leaving the Duke MOA. One of the two flights were talking to each other during the dogfight one 301.6 and the other two were on 143.80. They also used 301.6 to talk to each other to knock it off and set up each fight.

I was looking at some projects over in the Coudersport area, which is pretty much located in the middle of the Duke. That's why I could get the VHF on 143.80. Strange though it was in AM mode. I was using my Radio Shack PRO-60 and rubber ducky antenna. Anyway, I never heard A-10s fight it out with each other. Fox 2 (Sidewinder) was the only missile shot I heard mentioned since the A-10s don't have air to air radar. It was weird picturing A-10s dogfighting in my mind....

And...starting at about 6PM.
Flyer and Ugly are back. They are targeting buildings on 301.60 and talking to each other on 143.25 air to air. Cleveland Center was again contacted on 353.85. One plane is "Sparkling" (laser?) the target. Mentioned that the long rectangular building is a weapons storage facility and I am going to need you to go in and destroy the target. They are going to Drop Mk 82s on that building. Neat Stuff.

I mounted my antenna in the attic at work and it seems to make a world of difference, these guys are load and clear on both the UHF and VHF freqs.

And at 6:59PM they are on their way back to Willow Grove and should be there in about 30 minutes.

Dave

 

[TinEar]

Dave, would you confirm they were using 143.8 and not 142.8? Why was it strange they were using AM? Nice stuff you heard. I can't say I've ever heard A-10s doing "dogfighting" or air-to-air combat. I wonder if that 301.6 freq is the controller for the Duke MOA? It seems you catch that freq each time aircraft go to Duke which makes it look like that's its function since A-10s don't normally use UHF for tac freqs. You've filled in a nice bunch of freqs for me in that area. Thanks.

1923: BATON 55 again (EC-130 PA-ANG Harrisburg) to GIANT KILLER on «255.0» Says he's heading for the W-107 area and should be there in about 15 minutes.
1926: BATON 55 calls back to confirm they've been cleared in. «255.0» He then reports 0507 (which is probably his squawk).
1931: BATON 55 tells GK he was cleared by the Center into W-107. «255.0» He also tells GK he has no "players" tonight...he's going to be in the area by himself.
1935: BATON 55 reports he's now in the block and will be operating from 6,000 to 50,000 and will monitor GK on 'two-fifty-five-nothing" «255.0»
1944: BATON 55 tells GK that before he finishes his time in the area and heads back to Harrisburg that he'd like to fire some flares. He agrees he'll notify GK before doing it. «255.0»

 

[dparana]

Tin Ear,

It definately was 143.80, I just checked my scanner. I guess strange might not have been the right word but on my scanner it automatically puts the VHF Freqs in as FM, I had to manually switch it to AM Mode. I picked up a Radio Shack PRO-2052 for about $150 and it does not let me adjust the Mode. Thankfully I had my trusty PRO-60 sitting on my desk. I can't believe that I recently posted that all I heard at the Duke was refuelling and today they proved me totally wrong!! BTW, I did not know that 143.25 Freq until I read your post above, Thanks! I thought the A-10 air to air was quite bizarre but if they can carry Sidewinders they might as well practice using them...

Oh, I forgot to mention that before they started tonight, I heard them say that they made the right decision coming up here because the cloud level at Pax River was at 8,000 feet. So it looks like I stole some of your guys' action, sorry about that...

Dave

 

[TinEar]

Okay, thanks Dave. Well, that makes both Willow Grove and Martin State using 143.8. The reason I asked was that I just heard them using 142.8 a couple of days ago which was new for Willow Grove on my list. I'll have to be careful when that's active to make sure of the ID. Yeah, that's a problem with the PRO-2052. I've got one of those and a couple of PRO-2032s that are worthless for listening to MilAir. One of these days I'll put them on the For Sale thread. I like my PRO-2042 though which isn't a bad MilAir scanner although it has nowhere near the sensitivity of my flock of Uniden 785s.

There has been a Civil Air Patrol CAP flight 1871 flying around the area for the past hour or so. He has just recently reported hearing an emergency beacon on guard freq 121.5. He is now talking with Free State 10 who appears to be on the ground but loud and clear who just reported back to 1871 that they have three airborne reports of that signal on 121.5. CAP 1871 said he heard it when near Lee Airport in Annapolis. At first he thought it might be coming from Patuxent but later had it around Annapolis. I've been monitoring the guard freqs but hear nothing. Free State 10 and CAP 1871 were using CAP channel 4 «149.5375»

2034: BATON 55 clearing out of W-107 with GK on «255.0» and is requesting clearance back to Harrisburg.
2040: BATON 55 clearing out of GK's area at FL200 and will change to NY Center on 133.12(5). «255.0»

2102: OMAHA 1 (Customs aircraft) to THOR on «282.425 on Blue 1
2103: OMAHA 1 to CRAB SHACK on «282.425» reports 10-8 at 5 till the hour.
2103: REACH 3115 to Dover Command Post on «349.4» arriving Dover at 35 past the hour, is A-1, has 3 pax to offload and 1 though pax, needs parking spot and will be ready to upload upon hitting the blocks.
2104: OMAHA 01 calls HUNTRESS a couple of times on «364.2» without reply.
2113-15: OMAHA 01 calling HUNTRESS again on «364.2» Still no joy.
2116: OMAHA 1 to CRAB SHACK on «282.425» where he tells his tale of woe about not being able to reach HUNTRESS on 364.2.

 

[dparana]

TinEar,

Would you happen to know which Current Uniden model would perform as well as the 785's? Also, if I may ask, what type of Antenna are you using? I am considering an FM Notch filter to help get rid of the interference from the radio station down the block and maybe a Stridsberg multicoupler so I can use my 2052 for UHF Freqs and my PRO-60 for VHF Freqs off the same antenna. I apologize in advance if this is considered off topic.

The 785s are difficult to come by these days. Seems like everyone who owns one doesn't want to part with it, lucky dogs!! I've heard nothing but great things about the Stridsberg Multicouplers and I'll have to look into the Diamond Discone antenna. Thanks A Million!

Dave

 

[TinEar]

It's for MilAir so it can't be off topic. :lol: I guess the Uniden 796 would have at least the same sensitivity as the 785 but the 796s I've seen for sale tend to sell for about $100-150 more than the 785s. Rebanding of trunked systems is an issue for the 785 in the future, but if it's for MilAir, rebanding won't make any difference. I'm using a Diamond Discone for an antenna feeding into a Stridsberg 8-port active multicoupler at the moment. Those multicouplers are expensive but it sure beats installing a half dozen antennas. Personally, I'm waiting for the new Uniden 996T which will be out in the spring. That will be my next radio once I hear the initial reports to make sure there are no bugs.

2157: OMAHA 1 calling THOR on Blue 1 «282.425» THOR responds and OMAHA 1 tells him he'll be on the deck in about 10 minutes.

 

[TinEar]

I don't have time to do the MilAir log this morning but have done a quick scan of the spectrum and find lots of transports coming and going at the three area AF bases - KADW, KDOV, KWRI. (Side note-Why is McGuire WRI instead of something like MCG? Because it's located in WRIghtstown NJ.) There are a ton of tankers (TEAM/DC among them) flying around the area which normally indicates fighters should follow. Other than a flight of F-16s from Atlantic City, I'm hearing no fighters at the moment. Oops...there are fighters working the Warren Grove Range using «283.1» and A-10s from Martin State on «142.3». This is all in the mid-1000 hour.

 

[TinEar]

Sounds like we have a scramble....

1056: BRAVE 65 (F-16 DC-ANG Andrews) with Reagan TRACON on «348.725»
1057: BRAVEs to ZDC-Swann on «360.7» Sent to 288.35
1058: BRAVE flight to GUARD DOG on «288.35»

1100: BRAVE flight to «139.7» with HUNTRESS. Flight of two...BRAVE 65 and 66 become BRAVE 1 and 2 for interplane comms.
1101: Langley tac freq «233.525» flight of three just became active.
1103: BRAVE 66 with GUARD DOG gets altitude block 21-23,000 «288.35»
1103: Bollen Range active on «237.2» Warren Grove Range on «283.1» the fighters at Warren Grove are WARDOG and RAVEN A-10s from the MD-ANG at Martin State.
1111: BRAVE 65 to GUARD DOG on «288.35» says he wants to leave UHF and monitor guard for the next 25 minutes and that he'll maintain comms with HUNTRESS on VHF (which is the 139.7 freq). He also says they're going to be doing some training so this is not a scramble.
1114: BRAVE 65 then tells HUNTRESS he'll be leaving this freq for the next 20 minutes for training. «139.7» He then tells 66 to change to something that I didn't understand and says he has to load it manually.
1115: Primary refueling freq «238.9» is active
1115: Langley fighters into GIANT KILLER area using «238.1» Was concentrating on the BRAVEs and wasn't really listening for callsigns here. At least two flights of Langley fighters into GK's area.
1117: RAVEN 21 calling ZDC-Bay on «379.3» Several calls with no apparent reply.
1118: BRAVE flight leader says they're switching while on «139.7» Apparently, they're going to another operational freq somewhere that I'm searching for but haven't found yet.
Over the next 15 minutes I hear the BRAVEs come back to «139.7» for a couple of fuel flow mentions and that's about it. I can't find them anywhere in spite of having several radios in search mode looking for them. By the way, the HUNTRESS ground station can be heard on «139.7» which probably puts him at Andrews.
1137: A couple of Code 1 RAVENs coming home and contacting Raven Ops on «347.2»
1142: BRAVE 65 and 66 back with HUNTRESS on «139.7» where they both report Code 1 status.
1142: Langley tac freq «238.825» active.
1142: WARDOG 1 reports 10 minutes out, Code 3 to Raven Ops on «347.2»
1146: BRAVEs sign off with HUNTRESS on «139.7» and say they'll switch to 288.35
1146: BRAVE 65 to GUARD DOG on «288.35» and says they'll be up there another 15 minutes and will split the flight. Report at FL210.
1148: BRAVE flight says goodbye to each other back on «139.7» 1 is at FL210 and 2 is at FL220. "See you on the ground."
1152: HUNTRESS calls BRAVE 65 on «139.7» and wants him to confirm he's going to RTB at Andrews. 65 says he is and is on Potomac Approach and BRAVE 66 is still in the CAP but will be in in 10 minutes.
1153: BRAVE 65 with Andrews Tower on «349.0» going into runway 1R (as usual). 65 wants Tower to try another radio. He does and gets bad results there too and so decides it's his radio rather than Tower's radio that has a problem...which he already knew from a conversation with 66 earlier about not being able to hear the ground station while on 288.35.
1155: BRAVE 65 reports gear down, full stop «349.0»
I have no idea where that BRAVE flight was or what they were doing or even how they were communicating during the time they left 139.7. I just couldn't find them.
1157: Have AXEMAN, flight of two A-10s, coming home to Martin State on tower «297.2» Maybe these were the guys at Bollen Range while RAVEN and WARDOG were at Warren Grove.
1202: BRAVE 66 to HUNTRESS on «139.7» to say he's RTB.
1204: BRAVE 66 with Andrews TRACON on «269.0» stays here while descending from 21,000 down to 2,000 and then switches to tower.
1205: SALTY DOG 322 with ZDC-Calvert on «281.4» reports FL180...wants to go direct Gordonsville
1205: BATON 51 with GIANT KILLER on «135.725»
1207: BRAVE 66 with Andrews Tower on «349.0» for initial
That's all I have time for now...be back later in the day.

 

[Mark]

Got many of today's cargos Tin off tape....

REACH 0454 C-5 #70-0454 arrive Dover 1630z,req c/ag.
RULER 21 C-17 MS ANG #03-3119 arrive McGuire.
STEEL 72 KC-135 Pittsburgh ARS #59-1467 arrive McGuire.
REACH 5001 C-5 #85-0001 arrive Dover 1810z,req c/ag.
REACH 0451 C-5 #70-0451 arrive Dover req qt to Kelly afb eta there 2250z.
used to be a Travis C-5A but probably Kelly's 433AW now.
REACH 2347 C-130 Little Rock #93-1038 arrive Dover.offloads.

 

[TinEar]

Good job Mark. How sure are you of that RULER 21 callsign? I heard him as BREWER 21. One other time when it sounded just like the guy this morning, he spelled it out as BREWER and identified himself as a C-17. That time was with suffix 13 though. I made a note of it on my callsign list. This could very well be RULER and being 100 miles closer to McGuire than I am, I'm sure you hear them louder and clearer than I do. Sometimes these callsign just beat me up trying to figure them out. Just wondering if you feel confident in it.

 

[dparana]

OK Gents, Duke going active again tonight at 6PM. Have anything coming up my way?

 

[Mark]

RULER 21 I'm positive about,also matches up on my callsign list as old C-141 callsign for MS ANG and also that pilot had a real Southern accent...LOL
Callsigns and tail numbers do get crazy ,even pilots mess them up..
Just a few minutes ago had MARINE 895 King Air into Andrews 141.550 gave tail as 161206 then calls back and says 161026.

 

[ka3jjz]

Well, I had at least 1 flight heading to Bollen <<237.2>> Also <<127.275>> and <<139.15>> ANGRY 1/2 with targeting practice. Some flight checkins earlier on <<255.0>> and <<337.225>>, both GK.

73s Mike

 

[dparana]

Beginning at about 6PM local - Sluff 62 (121st ARW OH ANG Rickenbacker ANGB) working with Flyer 1 (81-0949), Ugly 1 (81-0981), and Ugly 2 (79-0170) (All PA ANG from Willow Grove)refuelling on 301.60. Flyer and Uglies will be going direct to Ravine and then going to R-5802 to do some work before heading home. Flyer headed out to R-5802 at about 6:20PM. Ugly is heading down to R-5802 now at 6:26PM. Sluff inquired as to the other aircraft, Ugly
said they were working at the R-5802 and then coming up to the Duke in about 20 to 25 minutes. All aircraft entered the Duke again using 353.85 to contact Cleveland Center.

6:30PM Second Flight begins with Mad Hog 1 (80-0184) (Willow Grove) contacting Cleveland Center on 353.85 and Sluff 61 on 301.60. Mad Hog 1 request 2,000 Lbs Fuel.

NOTE: THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE HEARD THE MAD HOG CALLSIGN

6:40PM Cade 1 (79-0193) and 2 (80-0152) checking in with Sluff 62 on 301.60.
6:41PM Mad Hog 1 finishes getting gas.
6:44PM Cade 1's turn to get gas, requests about 1,000 Lbs for each of them.
6:48PM Cade 1 had a little difficulty getting a good contact, had to reset system..."Pilot Error" he jokes.
6:49PM Cade 2's turn...
6:52PM Offload complete, Cade 2 wants to do one more quick connect.
7:00PM Sounds like Mad Hog 1 hung around a little while. He contacts Cleveland Center on 353.85 and request direct to ETX (East Texas VOR) and then heads home.
7:01PM Cade 2 goes in for contact.
7:04PM Cade 1 also wants to do another hook-up, this time dry.
7:06PM Cade 1 and 2 are bugging out and thank Sluff for the work.

That's all from the Duke they're coming back home direct Willow Grove VFR. Maybe you guys can get them on the flip side.

Dave

 

[TinEar]

Neat report there Dave. Now you've got me wondering if that 301.6 that I thought might be the range controller is really just a refueling freq for that area. I've been gone all afternoon and evening so heard none of it - nor anything down this way either.

Mark, thanks for that note on RULER. I know sometimes I hear an aircraft off at a distance and it sounds like one thing and then when it gets closer and clearer it sounds like something entirely different. I still show RULER with C-141s so I'll change that to C-17s on the list. If I only had one radio to listen to, I'd go back to using a headset which makes it much easier to hear those callsigns. Once upon a time I had a custom fitted earpiece "headset" but I can't find it anymore. Got lost in a move I guess.

Anyone know who BLUEGRASS Ops is? I know I've seen that name somewhere before but can't remember where it was. I just had (at 2024) an aircraft on 241.0 talking about getting a new antenna and trying to contact various stations. One of them he managed to talk to was that callsign. That's a Weide AAF Tower freq but it's also used several other places for the same purpose.

 

[dparana]

That 301.6 is used for everything in the Duke. Dogfights, air to ground, and refuelling. I think it is THE freq to use while in the Duke. When they switch off from 353.85 with Cleveland Center they say that they can be monitored on 301.60.

Dave

 

[Mark]

Yes even those outdated callsign lists come in handy as Units recieve new aircraft they will often transfer and keep old callsigns..Tradition i guess.
Course the Indiana ANG F-16's also use COLT as callsign and so does Maryland ANG A-10's once in a while.I think Maryland had that callsign first before Colts snuck out of town to Indianapolis.
Colts are doing real good out there as compared to the Ravens another MD ANG callsign.
BLUE GRASS OPS has to be Lexington Kentucky would be my guess.

 

[n3bxv]

There's an early post in this thread that says Bluegrass Tower on 241.0 is Mount Weather....

 

[TinEar]

Kentucky would be a good logical choice for BLUEGRASS anything. I'm not sure where our aircraft is but after I made that last post he said he was 100 miles out. From where? Didn't say. He was again bragging about his new antenna and testing it out. But to Kentucky from anywhere within listening distance of here is a heck of a shot if that's where it is.

2046: Have a DC 23 (KC-135 756th ARS Andrews) calling LIBERATOR on squadron freq «351.2» saying he's 30 minutes out, is A-1 and has about 30K on the fuel.

That's the one that was tickling my memory Chuck. Thanks. This aircraft doesn't sound like a helo but don't have a clue what he may be.