lburke19 said:
266.4 was the Kiwi Refueling Track, which was/is located near Cherry Point. When I monitored the military heavily, I heard it regularly from Tidewater Virginia. It never showed up on any refueling track lists. I can't recall how we stumbled across it, but an ATC controller confirmed it.
Thanks very much for that piece of info. It's appreciated.
mateo said:
For what it's worth, from Gravelly Point (which is 1000' from the threshold of DCA rwy 19, and about 1.3mi N of the Customs ramp at DCA), you can't hear ground comms from ADW, since there's a ridge in the way.
It's worth a lot. Thank you. That certainly explains why an antenna at ADW can't hear ground transmissions from DCA or vice versa.
Tony said:
I'll go back through the forum and have a look for specifics, but I recall that on some of my first CAP catches, I could hear the controller side when in far Western FFX County and Centreville, so my guesses would be the Falls Church PAL remote in Merrifield, or Potomac TRACON at Vint Hill, at least for some of the frequencies in use - 228.9/260.9 if I remember correctly.
Appreciate that Tony. One of the problems is that HUNTRESS can apparently transmit from a variety of antennas/locations. I've heard him on one of the CAP freqs - 228.9 or 260.9 - talk to one aircraft and sound like he's in my back yard and then talk to another and be completely inaudible. When the CAP or scramble involves Andrews F-16s, he seems to transmit from an antenna that services the immediate Andrews area. However, your suggested locations could also be right on the mark and probably are. That sure was an unexpected and interesting scramble last night even if some of the suspense was taken out of it by having HUNTRESS announce the exercise at the start. Usually, we at least get to think it's a real intruder scramble for a little while before realizing it's an exercise. One of the neat things was hearing HUNTRESS talking to BRAVE 61 while he was still on the ground pre-takeoff.
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Late in the 1200 hour I'm hearing helicopters all over the place heading for the Havre De Grace area - at least two Troopers and various news helos. As one of the news helos said, "A train and car met and the train won." Enough said.
1308: Dave, if you're reading.......hearing A-10s with Philly App/Dep....probably Willow Grove based and might be headed out your way.
1310: Nevermind Dave...it is A-10s from Willow Grove, callsign FLYER, but they've switched to Bollen Range controller BALKY on 237.2. Maybe in your direction when they finish here. FLYER is asking BALKY for the ground FAC callsign...he repeats it but I can't understand it because he's mocking it.
1329: PACK 11 (KC-135R, 133d ARS, Pease ANGB NH) calling FURY Ops (VA-ANG Richmond Command Post) on «289.3» to announce he's on time for the refueling operation with TBOLT 31-34 at 1800Z. He wants to know the status of that flight. Answer is that "they're in the green." (TBOLT=F-16 VA-ANG Richmond)
1339: PACK 11 to Giant Killer on «238.1» for a radio check. Establishes comms and will stand by.
1341: PACK 11 descending from FL 360 to 240. «238.1»
1343: U/I fighter flight on tac «138.45»
1343-48:
HARCAR 21 flight with ZDC-Calvert «281.4» climbing from 16000 to 26000....later sent to 325.625 where he calls Washington Center with no joy...back to 281.4 where he learns it should have been 235.625 (ZDC-Blackstone) so goes there and checks in. (A bit of audio dyslexia on his part. Is there such a thing?)
1345: PACK 11 sent to «249.8» by Giant Killer and checks in there.
1349: REACH 9012 arrival msg to Dover CP «349.4» IDs as a C-5.
1350: TBOLT 31 flight off the deck at Richmond and with Norfolk TRACON «370.925» for climbout.
1352: TBOLT flight using tac «141.875»...one of them says he's going to check on PACK 11.
1352: TBOLT to Giant Killer on «249.8» to say the flight is 15 minutes out and wants to know status of PACK 11. Told he's already established in AR-636...goes back to tac and repeats that info.
1355: TBOLT flight passing over their favorite golf course and discuss its merits. «141.875»
1356: TBOLT flight handed off from Norfolk to Giant Killer on «249.8» where all four jets check in and say they're headed for AR-636 to refuel and then over to area W-386 for their work. It's mission V-2112 today.
1401: PACK 11 calling TBOLT on AR-636 primary freq «238.9» (Taking bets on whether they answer up on this freq.)
1404: I lose....TBOLT 1-2-3-4 all check in on «238.9» but then I hear nothing further from them or PACK. (A few minutes later I hear a couple of broken transmissions but that was it. Not sure what flight level they went to for the refueling op but it must have been low.)
1407: Leesburg Radio on FSS «255.4» makes an announcement to "All Aircraft" warning of hazardous weather and advising them to check with Flight Watch on 122.0.
1410: BICEP 11 flight (F-16 NJ-ANG Atlantic City) going airborne and climbing with Atlantic City Approach «327.125» Their tac freq is «138.425»
1415: BICEP 11 to Giant Killer «238.1» and are apparently sent to «350.0» where they try to check in but have no joy with GK. Back to «249.8» this time where they check in as mission V-2105, flight of three. They are told to do their work on 312.3 but request 238.1 instead and get it. The flight changes to 238.1 to do their thing.
1423: BICEP flight working with HUNTRESS on «138.425» and on «238.1» but believe it's simulated only.
1432: Have a couple of F-16 sounding fighters chatting on tac freq «138.9»
1434: DUKE 11, flight of two (F-16, 178th FS ND-ANG Fargo or T-38s from Vance) with ZNY-Middletown «322.4» checks in at FL 250...then to 240....then to 140. (Might be the same guys on 138.9.) (The DUKE flight got handed off and I missed the freq...sounded like 305.65 but I heard nothing there.
1439: It isn't...flight from 138.9 goes to ZNY-Middletown «322.4» and checks in at FL 150 and descending to 9000...callsign sounded like STING 21. He sends his wingman to 118.8 to pick up the ATIS report (Okay, which airport uses 118.8 for ATIS?)
1440: TBOLT flight on tac 139.625.
1444: Fighter pair on «138.9» gets louder and louder...certainly coming to this general area.
1444: PACK 11, TBOLT 31 and BICEP 11 all check in with Giant Killer on «249.8» and begin leaving the work area.
1445: BICEP 11 flight handed off to ZDC-Casino «285.4» where they announce heading for Atlantic City.
1448: BICEP 11 flight to ACY App «327.125» for initial approach and full stop landing at ACY.
1450: Have had a U/I flight with ZDC-Hagerstown «227.125» and then handed off to ZNY-Harrisburg «270.3» but can't, for the life of me, make out his callsign. Has that sort of B-52 muffled sound.
1450: DUKE 11 with Philadelphia Approach «291.7» checks in as a flight of two.
1452: DUKE 11 down to 4000 feet and fading fast....going into Willow Grove maybe. «291.7»
1452: BICEP 12 to Command Post «261.0» Says 11 and 13 are together about 10 minutes behind him.
1455: The Hagerstown-Harrisburg guy is now handed off to ZNY-Philipsburg «306.2». Still can't get his callsign. He's at FL 270.
1457: He's next handed off to ZNY-Milton «269.1» and now his callsign sounds like TALON 44. If so, there are many choices for that callsign so can't ID him.
1458: TBOLT 31 out of GK's area and going to RTB. East of HEELS and direct Richmond. «249.8»
1503: TBOLT 31 flight with Norfolk TRACON (East) «370.925» as they approach Richmond
1504: ?TALON 44? handed off to ZNY-Elmira «298.9» where he checks in at FL 270
1505: TBOLT flight with Command Post on «289.3» to announce all jets Code 1
1506: TBOLT 31 flight with Norfolk TRACON (West) «360.6» check in as flight of four at 12,000 feet.
1507: And it's time for me to move on. Back later.
