Sticky Thread for MilAir

[TinEar]

Not much happening at all this morning other than some transports coming and going. Finally, at 1044, am hearing some activity at the Bollen Range in the Kiowa MOA on «237.2»

Also had a VENUS 26 landing at Andrews at 1036. He flew in the pattern for quite a period of time - almost an hour. I'm not sure whether he had a real problem or if it was a training problem but he was reporting that his nose gear light was red which indicated it wasn't lowering. He was doing a flyby of the tower to get word on whether it was or wasn't lowered. He landed on runway 1R at the end of all this.

 

[dparana]

TinEar,

You should be catching Ugly 1 and Flyer 1 & 2 heading back to Willow Grove very soon if they aren't already there. They were up in the Duke earlier this morning.

Dave

 

[TinEar]

Thanks Dave. I suspect that's who I was hearing at Bollen. They probably stopped there for a quick run or two on their way back.

 

[TinEar]

1227: SALTY DOG 534 (Strike Aircraft Test Squadron, Pax River NAS) with ZDC-Calvert on «281.4» FL240
1228: SALTY DOG 534 with ZDC-Brooke on «327.0» confirming FL240 to final.
1229: SALTY DOG 122 with BayWatch on «354.8» confirming he has the flight levels up to 400.
1232: SALTY DOG 534 to ZDC-Montebello on «284.7» at 240, heading down to 200....then cleared to FL170....direct Gordonsville.
1233: SALTY DOG 534 to ZDC-Azalea on «263.1» heading for FL170
1235" "SALTY DOG 534 to Center, cancel. Thank you." «263.1» (Don't know what that related to.)
1239: SALTY DOG 534 still with Azalea but too weak to copy «263.1»

1300: VENUS 44 with SAM Command on «378.1» arriving Andrews at 15 past the hour, is A-1, needs parking and crew bus for 4.....also has the Ops Commander on board.
1305: BOXER 48 (C-38 Andrews) reports airborne on the hour «314.25»
1309: U/I fighter activity on «142.25» I believe we've had the Willow Grove A-10s on this freq in the recent past.
1313: Same guys grom 142.25 are now at Bollen Range using «237.2»
1319: SALTY DOG 534 with ZDC-Irons on «360.85» mentions 5 miles from Flat Rock.
1322: SALTY DOG 534 to ZDC-Calvert on «281.4» reports VFR at 15,500
1326: SALTY DOG 534 out of 15,500 for ??? «281.4» pushing 281.8
1328: SALTY DOG 534 with BayWatch on «281.8» field in sight.
1335: Pair of A-10s at Bollen Range...still sounds like Willow Grove A-10s...did a couple of dry runs upon getting to the range and are now in "hot" «237.2»

1401: Have the pair of A-10s on tac freq «142.25» again. This is the first I've heard from them since the item at 1335.
1421: JOSA 997 to SAM Command on «378.1» home station C-21, tail #40076, arriving Andrews in 25 minutes, is A-1, dropping of an A-4 plus 2 Duty Pax. Mission complete upon landing, needs crew bus for 2 and wants a call to notify maintenance of their arrival.
1427: JEDI 31 (C-17, McGuire AFB NJ) calling McGuire Command Post on «319.4» reports 30 minutes out (and then fades)
1445: REACH 633T to McGuire Command Post on «319.4» arriving at McGuire and expects to be in the blocks at 2020Z, no cargo, is A-1, needs crew bus and parking spot. Two minutes later he is given parking spot L-1.
1448: There is a fighter aircraft doing flight testing with Pax River on «337.9» No callsign heard but it sounds similar to the TESTER aircraft that normally work Pax.
However, later heard suffix 85 talking to 89 which makes it look more like SALTY DOG than TESTER aircraft. I only hear one end of the conversation.
1509: REACH 110 calling McGuire Command Post on «319.4» called a couple of times with no reply...when he made contact, his message was blocked by noise.
1516: VENUS 44 doing pattern work at Andrews...working Approach on «119.3» and Tower on «118.4»
1532-35: A signal that sounds like digital encryption on «244.75» Changing signal strength indicates it's moving - airborne or mobile.
1541: REACH 1277 to Andrews Command Post on «378.1» arriving Andrews in 25 minutes, has 7 SOB (Souls On Board) - 4 crew members and 3 crew chiefs. The crew chiefs will stay aboard for uploading cargo, the pilots will go to Base Ops. He's eventually given parking on 11 row.
1556: REACH 1277 confirms he has no cargo to offload. «378.1»
END OF REPORT

Reply to msg 1265: Nope, sure haven't chuck. He must have used the long runways rather than the 15L/33R which I've had 130s use in the past. When using the short runway, they come right over the house and I didn't hear that very recognizable scream.
Funny, at 1307, I'm hearing an aircraft using callsign "Piaggio 131" landing at Martin State....speak of screaming engines! I haven't heard him recently going/coming from BWI and this might explain why - he's now using MTN instead of BWI.
I looked for the Piaggio flight on FlightAware and it shows a Piaggio 180 landing at Martin State Airport at 1307 with tail number N131SL. He came from Nashville and departed there at 1138. Only 89 minutes Nashville to MTN - fast. I've been told the landing/parking fees at MTN are much cheaper than at BWI - so is gas - which might explain his use of that airport now.
I also checked FlightAware for the C-130 at BWI but nothing shows up on the list - either landing at that time or taking off later. Would they omit military flights from their tracking at civilian airports?

 

[n3bxv]

Hey Alan, Have you heard a C-130 Flying around? I saw him landing at BWI around 1150 as I drove along Rt 100 and recognized the distinct C-130 sound fly over again a few minutes ago.. (Sad when you can recognize an airplane by the sound) I've had the radios on since I got home, but nothing..
Might be a Northrup Grumman bird....

{edit} That Piaggio is a very cool looking aircraft...

 

[TinEar]

1044: WILD flight of four F-16s DC-ANG Andrews up and just finishing their flight. I have them on «127.275» for tac, «335.5» for GCA and «349.0» with tower for landing.
1051: BRAVE 61 and 62 (F-16s DC-ANG) in a scramble with HUNTRESS. With TRACON on «348.725» as they took off and then to «139.7» for ops. (I'm playing catch up here and this actually took place about 4-5 minutes earlier.
1053: OMAHA 1 and OMAHA 3 (Customs) on «282.425» also up for the scramble and intercept. The OMAHA flight/s apparently landed at the airport with the intruder.
1055: The violating aircraft was forced to land (I don't know at which airport) and the F-16s have IDed it as a "Green decathalon...taildragger." They say it's parked at the north end of the airfield and HUNTRESS can pass that to OMAHA. «139.7»
BRAVE 62 was amazed that 61 could identify that aircraft. 61 says he flew one and that's how he knew what it was.
1059: HUNTRESS thanks BRAVE pilots for the good work and says he's done. The BRAVEs are around Nottingham and working with TRACON again.
I turned on the scanners. and came in right in the middle of all this activity and it was difficult to quickly piece together what was happening and determine it was a real scramble, not practice. It was just a tad confusing since I had the WILD F-16s flying at the same time I was hearing the scrambled F-16s.

1100: The BRAVE flight is still up burning off gas and still using tac freq «139.7» before coming home.
1105: HUNTRESS jumps back on the «139.7» freq and tells the BRAVE 61 flight to check something out before they land. He gives them another target to check out. BRAVE 61 tells GCA on «335.5» to hold up on all that getting ready to land stuff.
1108: BRAVE 62 is taking directions from HUNTRESS on «139.7» while 61 is back with GCA trying to get the mission changes implemented with the airways
1109: HUNTRESS tells the BRAVE flight this latest target is a PA31 and going into Dulles. BRAVE 61 identifies the aircraft as a Navaho Chieftan.
1109: HUNTRESS gives the BRAVE flight the tail number of this TOI as N41162 and he wants the BRAVEs to follow him into Dulles. «139.7»
1110: BRAVE 61 tells GCA that he has a target on his nose at 8,000 feet and that he's going to be trailing it. «335.5».
1111: BRAVE 61 tells GCA that they're done with the target and need to head back to Nottingham again. «335.5»
NOTE: I call this 335.5 freq GCA but it's also a Potomac Approach freq for Andrews. I should also mention that HUNTRESS is loud and clear again for this mission. I'm not sure of his location but he sounds even louder than anything that's at Andrews from my location. I'd almost suspect his transmitter site is at BWI.
1114: BRAVE 61 flight switches to Reagan TRACON on «322.3» for approach to Nottingham. Wants altitude block 2-3,000 feet.
1115: BRAVE 61 points out to 62 his nieghborhood as they fly over it. 62 responds, "What a dump!" «139.7»
The flight is headed for home to Andrews now that all the excitement is over with. I'm not sure what that second intercept was all about since HUNTRESS had an ID on the flight and even knew its tail number.
1120: BRAVE 61/62 flight switches back to GCA on «335.5» and calls several times trying to get a response. He states he wants a separate squawk for 62 to land on runway 19L.
1122: BRAVE 62 has the field in sight...so does 61. «139.7»
1125: BRAVE 62 flight with Andrews Tower for landing on «349.0» 61 burning off more gas.
Now that I know the BRAVE flight is done, I had time to lookup the info on the second plane, the P31, that they followed into Dulles. The tail number in the Landings Database returns the following:
N-number : N41162
Aircraft Serial Number : 31-8452002
Aircraft Manufacturer : PIPER
Model : PA-31-350
Engine Manufacturer : LYCOMING
Model : TI0-540 SER
Aircraft Year : 1983
Owner Name : RADIATION ONCOLOGY MANAGEMENT LLC
Owner Address : 210 NEW HOPE RD
PRINCETON, WV, 24740-2136
Type of Owner : Corporation
Registration Date : 19-Aug-2002
Airworthiness Certificate Type : Standard
Approved Operations : Normal

1130: BRAVE 61 still flying around the airfield and asking for winds at the field. «119.7» by mistake and then «335.5»
1134: AXEMAN flight (A-10 MD-ANG Martin State) up with Ops on «347.2»
1136: BRAVE 61 on «335.5» doing one last pattern across Nottingham and then to runway 19L at Andrews.
1138: BRAVE 61 with CAPITOL on «139.7» asking status of BRAVE 62. Can't hear the CAPITOL groundstation so no idea what that was about. 61 then goes back to «335.5» for his approach to Andrews.
1138: RAVEN (A-10 MD-ANG) flight on «297.2» 15 out from the field.
1140: BRAVE 61 has field in sight «335.5» and over to tower on «349.0» for landing.

Be back later with more.

 

[dparana]

TinEar,

Just as an FYI, Axeman flight was up the Duke getting some gas from Rocco 61 they finished up at about 1035 and were going to the Kiowa MOA (R-5802) afterwards. Also, at around 1430, Ugly and Cade flights were heading home to Willow Grove. Maybe you can catch their return. As a note: All work in the Duke was on 259.40 today. It sounded like the Uglies and Cades were doing some air to air before getting with the tanker. Much like the Uglies and Flyers were doing a few weeks ago. If anyone is keeping track of the Willow Grove A-10 presets, "Push 17" is New York Center 338.3 and "Push 18" is Cleveland Center 353.85....at least for now.

Dave

 

[DPD1]

1227: SALTY DOG 534 (Strike Aircraft Test Squadron, Pax River NAS) with ZDC-Calvert on «281.4» FL240
1228: SALTY DOG 534 with ZDC-Brooke on «327.0» confirming FL240 to final.
1229: SALTY DOG 122 with BayWatch on «354.8» confirming he has the flight

534 is EA-6 156481. It's a block 89A and the second oldest Prowler in the fleet. 122 is one of the latest Lot 28 18F's, and was actually recently used to test some of the new 18G components.

Dave
http://www.DPDProductions.com
- Custom Scanner, MURS, GMRS, & Ham Antennas -

 

[JLHDU]

534 is EA-6 156481. It's a block 89A and the second oldest Prowler in the fleet. 122 is one of the latest Lot 28 18F's, and was actually recently used to test some of the new 18G components.

Dave
http://www.DPDProductions.com
- Custom Scanner, MURS, GMRS, & Ham Antennas -

Are you at "Strike"? I was at Ops from 97-99.

-J

 

[DPD1]

No, just a fan of VX stuff. Did you get any good photos of Pax aircraft while you were there?

Dave
http://www.DPDProductions.com
- Custom Scanner, MURS, GMRS, & Ham Antennas -

 

[JLHDU]

No, just a fan of VX stuff. Did you get any good photos of Pax aircraft while you were there?

Dave
http://www.DPDProductions.com
- Custom Scanner, MURS, GMRS, & Ham Antennas -

It's just like anything...while your there..It doesn't mean anything to you, but as soon as you leave...you wish you had more memories. I had plenty of opportunities to take photos of different operations...like the first time a V-22 Osprey tried to land on this BIG BOX about 20' high and glider ops. In fact, down by the Tester (TPS) squadron (the orange and white aircraft) at the approach end of rwy 14 there is a sign that states "absolutely no photography" LOL... we always saw people on the golf course taking photos. In fact I found many golf balls on FOD walkdown days at the departure end of rwy 6. Pax was a great place...it's really grown with NAVAIR there. They were digging a big pit in the middle of the field North of Rwy 2-20 and south of the crossing point of 6/24-14/32 and dumping cement into it when I left. I think it was for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) they planned to test. Great place, great fishing and a great first facility for me as an air traffic controller.

-J

 

[TinEar]

Not much flying tonight in the MilAir spectrum. Have a DC tanker from the 756th at Andrews on squadron freq «351.2» flying around the area. Heard him about 2030 saying he'd land before 2130. He wanted to do some pattern work but said the tower didn't seem interested in having him there. Other than that, nothing happening.

 

[TinEar]

BWI wx at 1000 is 45 degrees and rainy.
1005: MAPLE 05 (F-16 VT-ANG Burlington) through the area with ZDC-Potomac on «381.5» reporting at flight level 280.
1014: MAPLE 05 switch to 351.9 «381.5»
1015: MAPLE 05 checking in at FL280 with ZDC-Gordonsville on «351.9» (He has called himself both 05 and simply 5.)
This flight has not indicated its destination but I've heard these MAPLE flights heading down to Shaw AFB several times in the past.
1054: Have MOVER 42 (KC-10 McGuire AFB NJ) calling for "Any aircraft on McGuire tanker interplane frequency." He's using «139.875» He gets no reply after a couple of calls.
1055: I then have the MOVER 42 tanker on «311.0» I don't know who he called but he said his tanker was to be FUZZY 41 (KC-135R, 136th ARS NY-ANG Niagara Falls) and that he needs to cancel the activity for maintenance reasons. He gave a phone number to call to relay that info.

BWI wx at 1100 is 46 degrees and rainy
1101: Have OPEC 44 (KC-10 McGuire AFB NJ) calling Washington Center and reporting at FL240 and has a request. Unfortunately, he's on the primary refueling freq «238.9» rather than a Washington Center freq.
1111: MOVER 42 with McGuire Command Post on «319.4» heading for home and is A-3 mainenance status...some door that will not close.
1115: Have some U/I tanker chat on interplane «139.875» talking about meeting up at the Pulaski IP for refueling activity in AR-328 at 1640Z. He says he'll be at FL240 and for the other guy to be at FL230.
1115: At the same time, TEAM 40 (KC-10 McGuire AFB NJ) is talking on «238.9» about going down to flight level 210.
1121: The U/I speaker in the 1115 item is OPEC 44 and he is talking to MOVER 41 about the activity they're going to perform. He repeats the flight levels for both as 240 and 230. Guess this is a day for tanker practice activity. He also says he'll be on the primary freq for AR-328. «139.875» He's getting a lot of noise on this freq.
One source shows the freqs for AR-328 as 235.1 for primary and 319.7 for secondary.
1138: JOSA 574 calling McGuire Command Post on «319.4» No reply to his first two calls.
1144: PACER 20 to SAM Command on «378.1» reports as a home station C-21 with tail #40125, arriving at Andrews in 20 minutes, is A-1, has no pax and needs a crew bus for three.
1144: JOSA 574 calls McGuire Command Post two more times with no reply on «319.4»
1145: JOSA 574 makes contact to say no duty pax on board but 1 Space A pax and that they need crew transportation. «319.4» (There was more to the msg but he must have been in a turn and briefly faded out.)
1157: I have someone who might be MOVER 41 asking somebody on «349.4» if he has heard from OPEC 44. It seems the answer was negative and so he says he'll keep looking for him on the radio. I've been monitoring those AR-328 freqs but have not heard anything. (It wasn't MOVER 41...it was HAGAR 70 which explains why he was using the Dover Command Post freq...see next item)

BWI wx at 1200 is 46.4 degrees and rainy (sound familiar?)
1201: HAGAR 70 (C-5 Dover AFB DE) calling OPEC 44 on primary AR-328 freq «235.1»
1203: HAGAR 70 continues to call OPEC 44 until he finally reaches him on «235.1» He says he's sorry to interrupt his refueling activity but he wants OPEC 44 to know he had a maintenance issue and so was late but is now at the IP. Does he want to change frequency? (Can't hear OPEC 44 here but he must have said yes.) HAGAR 70 says he'll go to the secondary freq (which should be 319.1)
Earlier we had MOVER 41 with OPEC 44 saying the IP would be Pulaski. I suspect the HAGAR 70 was at the same IP. Pulaski is the PSK VORTAC located in Dublin VA which would explain why he was so readable.
1213: DC 02 (KC-135, 756th ARS Andrews AFB MD) on squadron freq «351.2» asking when he needs to have the aircraft back on the ground.
1217: Hearing TEAM 40 weakly on primary refueling freq «238.9» He mentions how much fuel he just passed to someone and he's just signing off with them and climbing to altitude block 270-290.
NOTE: AR-328 is a refueling track located in southwestern Virginia with primary 235.1 and secondary 319.1. AR-636 refueling track is off the coast of Virginia with primary freq 238.9 and secondary 319.7.
1235: FORCE 96 (KC-10 McGuire AFB NJ) to McGuire Command Post on «319.4» arriving in 30 minutes, is A-1, has 1 pax, no cargo, has 58,000 pounds of fuel on board and requests parking spot.
1238: REACH 393 calling Dover Command Post a couple of times on «134.1» with no reply
1239: REACH 393 to Dover Dispatch (PTD) on «269.125» to say he can't make contact with Command Post on VHF or UHF and asks that his takeoff time of 1735Z be passed to them.
1247: DC 41 (KC-135 Andrews) to LIBERATOR on «351.2» to report he's 25 minutes out, is A-1 and has about 35,000 pounds of fuel on board.
1250: DC 02 to LIBERATOR on «351.2» (short message garbled)
Tanker callsigns heard today...FUZZY, MOVER, OPEC, FORCE, TEAM, DC
Draw a line from Norfolk Va to Rochester NY. Everything east of that line in the U.S. is covered in rain and cloudy skies. It's all moving toward the east/northeast slowly so this area may clear up in an hour or so. If it all doesn't stall, we may be clear enough to see some fighter activity this afternoon.

BWI wx at 1300 is 48 degrees and light rain
1303: DC 02 says he understands he's been given spot 5 as opposed to spot 8 for parking when he lands at Andrews «351.2»
1311-13: OPEC 44 (female) calling McGuire Command Post on «319.4» No reply to first four calls.
1313: DC 02 on «351.2» (believe he said he's 20 minutes out) repeats his parking spot as R-5.
1323: OPEC 44 makes contact finally with McGuire Command Post but is very weak by this time. She says she's arriving at 1845Z, is A-1 and has 65K fuel on board. «319.4»
1336: SWIFT 46 (C-21, USAF VIP, Scott AFB) calling Willow Grove Base Ops on «306.8». After calling a couple of times, he makes contact and says he'll be arriving in 20 minutes but wants to know the weather there. After being told it's overcast and 100 (visibility?), he says he may or may not arrive there.
I've had that 306.8 freq programmed into my scan rotation for WG Base Ops since dirt was new and this is the first time I've ever heard activity on it.

BWI wx at 1400 is 48 degrees and cloudy...skies clearing to the west.
1400: Have a pair of fighters giving fuel flow information on «141.875» They are FURY 1 and 2.
1402: The fighters are a flight of FURY F-16s from the VA-ANG at Richmond «141.875»
1403: HAGAR 70 (C-5 Dover AFB) calling Dover Command Post on «349.4» saying he'll be arriving in 20 minutes, is A-1, they are training 50% complete - they missed the first tanker because of problems on the ground but got the second tanker, they need parking.
1403: Also have fighters - might be the same VA-ANG flight on «142.175» and on «138.625»
1408: FURY flight with ZDC-Cofield on «323.0» at FL230....reporting as FURY 41.
1409: The fighters on «138.625» do not appear to be the FURYs...at least not the FURY 41 flight.
1415: Flight leader on «138.625» tells his wingman he can go to a one mile trail if he wants....a minute later they give fuel flow info....flight leader says let's push Airkey.
1418: VA-ANG tac freq «141.825» active.
1418: The pair on «138.625» say that NY Center has them...Center reports they just popped up on the screen. (I didn't catch a ZNY freq active.) This pair seems to just be paddling through the area. And I hear them on ZNY-Big Flat on «270.3». They were on ZDC-Potomac «381.5» just prior to that at FL270. Still haven't caught a callsign.
1422: T-BOLT 31 flight of two (F-16 VA-ANG Richmond) with ZDC-Franklin on «269.4» FL 15,000.
1425: The pair from 138.625 just checked in with ZNY-Philipsburg on «306.2» at FL270.
There are three pairs of F-16s flying...the FURY pair and the T-BOLT pair from Richmond and the U/I pair on tac 138.625. I wonder if that last pair is the MAPLE flight from Vermont that we heard going south earlier in the day and now returning home. The last I heard from them was wondering why they have different fuel remaining loads. They determine that one started with 12,300 pounds and the other with 11,900 pounds.
1433: The «138.625» pair is still chatting.
1433: One of the VA-ANG pairs (maybe) is with Norfolk Approach (TRACON) on «370.925»
Nothing heard after 1433 (now 1446) from any of these guys...no idea where any of them went. It almost sounded like the VA guys might be going to the Duke MOA. They might as well. Everyone else is using that area these days.
1451: CRAB 52 (C-130J, MD-ANG Martin State) doing a very unusual touch-and-go at Andrews with Tower on «118.4»
1451: Also have a ??? 54 landing at Dover on runway 1 with Tower on «126.35»

BWI wx at 1500 is 48.2 degrees and cloudy. The major area of rain has all passed off to the east but there are rain showers in the Norfolk/Langley area
1502: CRAB 52 doing a series of touch-and-goes at Andrews. Working Tower on «118.4» and Approach on «119.3» This CRAB jockey is a female and she's mumbling her callsign. I've settled on 52 as the suffix but at times it sounds like 54 or 56 or even 53. The problem is that she releases her mic button before she finishes speaking.
1504: Have a pair of fighters working tac freq «138.425» No ID yet.
1506: The «138.425» pair are using callsign BICEP. They are F-16s from the NJ-ANG at Atlantic City.
1507: BICEP 11 flight with ZDC-Sea Isle on «281.45» and then ZDC-Salisbury on «257.7» reporting at FL210.
1508: BICEP 11 looking for direct Norfolk «257.7» He has to repeat that three times. Guess ZDC wasn't expecting that since it's so unusual for them.
1514: BICEP flight gets freq change and goes to ZDC-Norfolk on «327.8» FL240.
1515: Have a NJ-ANG F-16 flight using tac «138.875» Not sure yet if this is the BICEP flight or a different one.

Continued below...character limit reached.

 

[TinEar]

Continued from above...I lost 3 or 4 lines when I exceeded the character count and couldn't remember exactly what I had written. One transmission was describing to ZDC that the BICEP flight was heading for area R-5314.

1518: AERO flight of F-16s from NJ-ANG are the ones using tac «138.875»
1520: BICEP flight push Oceana 266.8 «327.8»
1520: BICEP 11 flight reports leaving 240 for 16,000 and going to R-5314. «266.8»
1523: The AERO flight is going to R-4006 and is now with BayWatch on «270.8»
NOTE: The R-5314 area that the BICEP flight is going to is the Dare County Range in North Carolina. Haven't heard any of our area guys using that range in a very long time. Soon after the BICEP flight changed to Oceana on 266.8 I lost them due to distance and the fact they were descending.
1527: Have the AERO flight back on tac «138.875» and the wingman is telling the flight leader that he's unreadable on Victor. Flight leader says they're not going to get much out of this mission because of the overcast. He says they can go to McGuire and try for something or other. They decide they'll try what they set out to do here at Pax....they are in a 4 mile trail.
1533: I have a flight of two fighters using «139.625» which is usually a VA-ANG tac freq but I believe these are the two AERO F-16s from Atlantic City.
NOTE: The 266.8 freq that the BICEP flight changed to, is one of the Oceana Approach/Departure freqs.
1546: The fighter pair on «139.625» has been chatting constantly about settings on a piece of equipment they seem to be testing out.
1557: The pair on «139.625» is saying they've had enough of this testing and are ready to quit. I think they are the AERO pair but have not heard them use a callsign on this freq.
1559: The BICEP pair that went to Dare are readable again on «138.425» and with Oceana Approach on «266.8» and are just changing to Norfolk Approach on «370.925»

1603: BICEP 11 flight with ZDC-Cape Charles on «256.8» reporting direct Sea Isle.
1607: Someone...must be AERO...reports 30 miles south of Sea Isle at 11,000 «256.8»
1608: Have one of the NJ flights with Atlantic City Approach on «327.125» Not sure which. They mention something about going to McGuire. That must be the AERO flight because...
1611: BICEP 11 with ZDC-Kenton on «277.4» reporting out of FL220 for 11,000.
1617: BICEP 11 flight push button 6 «277.4»
1618: BICEP 11 with Atlantic City Approach on «327.125» heading for the runway. They are still chatting on tac «138.425» as they approach the runway.
Anyway, they are all going home - I think - and so....
END OF REPORT.

If anyone is interested in Oceana frequencies, these are what I have for the Oceana Naval Air Station:
119.6, APP/DEP
120.875, TWR
123.9, APP/DEP
124.825 RADAR
126.05, NORFOLK APP
254.4, CLNC DEL
266.8, APP/DEP
288.3, APP/DEP
310.8 ,RADAR
317.6, SFA ATIS
323.05, APP/DEP
328.4, RADAR
336.4, GND
346.4, RADAR
348.75, RADAR
352.1, RADAR
360.2, TWR
363.1 ,RADAR
372.1, NORFOLK APP
387.4, PMSV METRO
284.9, BASE OPS
237.8, VFA-106 (Callsign ROMAN)
239.875, VFA-131 (Callsign WILDCAT)
275.3, VFA-106 (Callsign ROMAN)

 

[TinEar]

And here's the public story of the BRAVE 61/62 scramble along with OMAHA 1 and 3 that happened yesterday....

INDIAN HEAD, Md. -- Authorities said a Virginia man who ignored orders to leave Maryland airspace didn't fully hear the instructions. They haven't identified the 84-year-old Alexandria man, who was flying a Beechcraft plane from Stafford Regional Airport in Virginia to Clinton. Officials said as he neared Indian Head Wednesday morning, flight controllers told him to turn around. He acknowledged the order, but later told authorities he didn't hear a response. The man later landed when he realized he had an electrical problem. Sheriff's Office intelligence investigators and the United States Secret Service interviewed the man. No charges were filed, but the incident will be investigated.

That's from WBAL-TV web site.
http://www.thewbalchannel.com/news/5706039/detail.html

 

[TinEar]

1904: Have a DC KC-135 from the 756th Air Refueling Squadron at Andrews AFB reporting airborne at 0002Z «351.2»
1908: PACER 80 arriving at Andrews...he's a C-21 with tail #40075. «141.55»
1911: MUSSEL 01 with MUSSEL Ops on «292.2» and with Andrews Approach on «119.3» and Tower on «118.4»

This morning (and several times in the past) I logged a flight of F-16s from the VT-ANG in Burlington, callsign MAPLE, flying through the area. They will soon be in Iraq. Here's a news story from Channel 3 in Burlington:
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=4294776

1949: OPEC 49 (KC-10, McGuire AFB NJ) up and flying somewhere around the area. Was in the next room when I heard him so don't know which freq he's using.
2016: Evac 277 to Sam Command on «378.1» arriving Andrews in 25 minutes with 17 SOB - 1 Pax, 1 litter patient plus 3 family members, 5 medical crew plus 7 aircrew...downloading 3 medical pallets.
2025: NAVY 990 to Andrews Tower on «118.4» 11 miles out prepared to land. Wants to know if Navy Ops has a freq and if they're open. Going to VR-53 on the Navy side to pick something up.
2028: U/I aircraft on Pax River freq «310.15» approaching for landing and wants a deer sweep done on the runway before he arrives.
2034: Same aircraft as above...call ending in 407...wants a message passed to the comm center that he needs a KG-33 key set clock start...comm center will know what he means. He then spells out T-S-E-C which might have been what "key set" really was. «310.15»
2038: Apparently, the comm center has what he needs and says he'll see them in just a little bit. «310.15»

 

[TinEar]

1005: Warren Grove Range active on «283.1»
1010: SPORT 1 (A-10, MD-ANG Martin State Airport MD) with Reagan TRACON on «257.2» at 7,000
SPORT is the unit's travelling callsign.
1011: SPORT 1 cleared to 23,000 and needs to slow his speed....given 200 «257.2»
1013: SPORT 1 at 22,000 «257.2»
1015: SPORT 1 with ZDC-Linden on «319.1» checks in at FL220.
1016: Fighter tac freq «138.15» active. Believe these are the same guys that are at the Warren Grove Range.
1019: SPORT 1 cleared to FL240 «319.1»
1021: Tanker interplane freq «139.875» active.
1023: SPORT 1 cleared to flight level 260. «319.1»
1025: SPORT 1 requests FL260 as a final. «319.1»
NOTE: I haven't found a tac freq for the SPORT flight which leads me to believe he's a single ship flight.
1027: SPORT 1 flight handed off to next controller...couldn't hear the freq...searching. «319.1» (Flight was very weak by this point.)
1029: Two tankers on interplane «139.875» One tells the other to speed up and pass him because he was going to do some maneuvers. They are at FL200 and 190.
1030: DEVIL 11 flight (F-16, NJ-ANG Atlantic City) with ZDC-Cape Charles on «256.8»
1031: DEVIL 11 flight into BayWatch area using «354.8» requesting flight levels from 3.5 to 260. He's also going to work a tanker which sounded like ?CELL? 71. He asks BayWatch if he has info on the inbound tanker which they plan to meet in about 15 minutes at FL400.
1038: MD-ANG A-10s from Martin State are up and active on «142.3» and with Raven Ops on «143.8»
1038: DC tanker active on squadron freq «351.2»
1042: Have three DC-ANG F-16s on tac «127.275» One callsign is BULLY.
1046: The three F-16s are using callsigns BULLY 1, GUNNY 1 and 2. They are just coming home from somewhere and giving mission report to SOF on «139.9» They report their position as 69 miles south of Andrews. (They haven't used the GUNNY callsign in a very long time.)
1046: Bollen Range active on «237.2» Probably our A-10s from Martin State.
1052: DEVIL 11 to BayWatch says he's descending back down to FL260. «354.8» (This is the first I've heard from him since he signed into the area.)
1053: GUNNY 1 with Potomac TRACON (Andrews GCA) on «335.5»
1056: GUNNY 1 with Andrews Tower on «349.0» 15 to the south, preparing to land on runway 1R (of course)
1059: GUNNY 1 and 2 along with BULLY 1 all report - base, gear, stop, right «349.0»

1100: DEVIL 11 (1) calling Devil Ops on «138.125»...bad comms...says he'll switch to Uniform and consequently comes up on «261.0» calling SOF and is wiped out by static.
1102: DEVIL 11 calling SONIC on V-1 «138.125» He calls several times.
DEVIL 11 appears to be a single ship flight.
1104: DEVIL 11 back to U on «261.0» Calls and gets no reply apparently.
I'm not sure yet of the function of the SONIC callsign but it has been noted several times in conjunction with the NJ-ANG F-16s.
1107: Have an aircraft working Pax River freq «291.15» that identified as "161NG." That's the Northrup-Grumman test flight aircraft.
1110: DEVIL 11 with SOF again on «261.0»
1114: DEVIL 11 to SONIC on «261.0» reporting he's got contact with the tennis court and the road intersection as part of targeting information. (This is the same role SONIC has played in the past - as a range controller) DEVIL 11 reports he'll be in on the target in 10 seconds.
1121: A-10s coming home to Martin State with Raven Ops on «347.2» Callsign is AXEMAN, flight of two
1122: DEVIL 11 with SONIC requesting immediate retasking. He's doing ground attack exercises on the SOF freq «261.0»
1129: Another flight of three A-10s coming home to Martin State on «347.2» No callsign used. Meanwhile, the AXEMAN flight is with Martin State Tower on «297.2» reporting over the airfield.
1132: DEVIL 11 tells KINGPIN he's ready to RTB and is changing to BayWatch freq «261.0» (I believe KINGPIN is the SOF callsign for the unit.) (I don't hear DEVIL with BayWatch and I don't hear him with the Center flying home. Don't know where he went.)
1133: Have Martin State A-10s using «143.0» as a tac freq. Callsign RAVEN. These are the same aircraft, flight of three, mentioned above at 1129 that were working 347.2.
So AXEMAN is a flight of two working 142.3 as tac and RAVEN is a flight of three working 143.0 for tac.
1143: Here he is...DEVIL 11 with BayWatch on «354.8» asking for a Center freq. He is given 277.4 for Center. He's at altitude 7500.
1144: DEVIL 11 with ZDC-Kenton on «277.4» 24 miles southwest of Waterloo at 7500 feet.
1148: DEVIL 11 leaving 7500 for 2500 «277.4» (Goodbye)

NOTE: Corrected the SPORT ID at the beginning of this message. It was early...that's my only excuse for originally assigning that callsign to Andrews rather than Martin State. It was a single ship flight as I suspected and it went from Martin State to Scott AFB IL.

Continued below if necessary....

 

[TinEar]

1315: Have a VIPER 1 landing at Andrews with Tower on «118.4» Don't know who this flight is but have had that callsign several times into Andrews in the recent past. My callsign database shows it to be a C-12 at an unknown Andrews unit. I can't prove or disprove that.

NOTE: I mentioned something a couple of days ago about checking FlightAware for a C-130 flight into BWI. FlightAware does not track military flights whether they fly into military or civilain airports. I should have known that.

1332: MARINE 206 with Pax River on «120.05» requesting a VHF freq for BayWatch
1333: MARINE 206 with BayWatch on «119.275» says he'll be working from 3500 to 15,000.
1334: MARINE 206 mentions he'll be going from Patuxent to Brooke (BRV VORTAC) to Gordonsville and he'll let Pax know about 5 minutes before beginning that route. «119.275»
1341: Have that elusive TROOPER 17 (MD State Police) about to land at Martin State and working with tower on «121.3» Several TROOPER helos today coming and going from KMTN and KADW but all were regular numbers below 10. No idea who the units above 10 are. TROOPER 17 is landing at "The Point" (Strawberry Point) which should make him a helo at least.
1347: MARINE 206 is given his flight route...it's TAPPA, V16, COLIN, Gordonsville. «119.275»
To find the location of reporting points like TAPPA or COLIN, go to www.airnav.com and select the Navaids tab where the reporting points are listed alphabetically - thousands of them.
1350: MARINE 206 trying to call Washington Center to report at flight level 11,000 but is still on Pax River freq «119.275» (He's no doubt using a VHF freq for Center which I don't monitor...so he's gone.)

1401: DC tanker flight (didn't hear the suffix) coming home...he's 30 minutes out as reported to LIBERATOR on squadron freq «351.2» (I believe he's DC 52)
1402: Have F-16s from the VA-ANG at Richmond active on tac «141.875»
1406-08: REACH 661T calling McGuire Command Post several times with no reply «319.4»
1409: DC 52 to LIBERATOR on «351.2» arriving at Andrews in 20-30 minutes, is A-1 and has 36,000 pounds of fuel and needs a parking spot.
1412: Flight of 3 F-16s from the VA-ANG on tac «141.825»
1413: REACH 661T to McGuire Command Posts on «319.4» arriving at 45 past the hour, is A-1, has no pax or cargo and needs a parking spot.
1415: DC 52 with Andrews Tower reports 15 out «118.4»
1416: JOSA 154 landing Andrews with Tower on «118.4»
1420: U/I aircraft with GIANT KILLER on «251.6» (Probably the VA-ANG F-16s)
1424: Have U/I fighters working on tac freq «138.75» They are doing ground attack exercises. I don't have this freq assigned to any of the local units. It's a flight of two...and maybe three.
1426: DC 52 did a touch and go - or two - and is now coming around for a full stop landing on 1R with Approach and Tower. «119.3/118.4»
1436: Also have a DC 51 tanker (KC-135) coming home to Andrews...he's 10 miles out and planning a full stop landing on runway 1R. «118.4»
1437: Warren Grove Range active on «283.1» (Possibly this is what matches up with the 138.75 freq???? However, many of the objects on the ground mentioned by the 138.75 fighters match up with objects at Bollen Range that I often hear. However, there has been no activity I've heard on the 237.2 Bollen Range freq. The bottom line is that I don't know who the hell they are.)
1441: Have OMAHA 43Lima (he's airborne) calling Charlie 100 on Customs freq «165.2375». He wants a message passed to 2Lima201 at APPLE PIE that it is 5 hours, 40 minutes into their flight time that has dragged on. He wants to know if they should continue for their full 8 hour planned flight. They are tired but both pilots are willing to press on.
1456: One of the pilots on the «138.75» freq mentions going over to the 138.2 freq on the ??? radio. I'm monitoring 138.2 but hear nothing there.

And I've been parked on 165.2375 awaiting an answer for our two, poor, flight-whipped Omaha-43L pilots but nothing has been said on freq whether they can come home or must stay up until 5 o'clock when their eight hour shift will be finished. It has been 30 minutes since their world-class whine.

1512: REACH 0535 heading for Andrews. They report they won't need to refuel until tomorrow morning - indicating a RON for them. They're landing with about 50K of fuel and mention taking on 100K so it's definitely not a Piper. «378.1»

And as the clock ticks toward 1600, I think it's quitting time and time to end the daily log.
Happy New Year to all.

 

[carbineone]

1507 Tinear I am hearing them here in N.J. but I cannot make out any callsigns for them on 138.750. I also heard the 165.2375 message they mentioned Reading PA.
1513 U/I flight on NY approach 353.750 these might be the 138.750 boys cannot make the callsign out at all very weak signal. Headed north

 

[TinEar]

Good that you can hear them too...all I've heard them use are a 1-digit suffixes to identify themselves. (138.75)

Ref your 1513 item....they've disappeared from 138.75 here. I suspect they might be A-10s from either Barnes or Bradley