Viper Spotting at Luke

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clover509

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Took a drive out to Luke to watch some aircraft in the pattern returning from Goldwater Range and the Bagdad MOA yesterday... GREAT day for spotting and getting some Close Call hits on the scanner!

There were 6-8 F-16 aircraft in the pattern working in close pairs doing touch and go's or low approach passes and a small crowd gathered on the north end of the runway with cameras and cell phones.

Caught two new frequencies I'd logged previously but still don't have an assigned (or correctly assigned) use for. Posting to see if anyone has positively ID'd any of them:

141.650 - Had inter-plane comms like the usual squadron "victor" frequencies. Sounded like instructor/lead pilot talking with his student/trail about angle of attack, approach speeds and keeping good separation on touch down. Have had this as an 'AWACS E-1' freq from previous internet posts and docs.

143.725 - This shows up all over the internet as an AWACS air intercept frequency. This is the second time I've caught this and have nothing previously logged for its actual use.

306.950 - I think this has been posted in the forums in the past, but I can confirm from the comms yesterday that it was ID'd on the air as "AUX Discrete" by what sounded like "HONKER" or "HAWKER" flight returning from Bagdad MOA. Typical ATC comms here.

371.100 - I've posted this in the past on the forum in Bagdad/Gladden MOA activity, but heard different usage yesterday. As flights were recovering back at Luke, "HONKER" or "HAWKER" flight reported maintenance codes and status to "Ops". "Ops, HONKER/HAWKER flight is Code 1. Line 7, no change. Headed to BONEYARD." Not sure what squadron that is associated to. I've had it as 62nd Fighter Squadron in the past.

So, sorry for the verbosity... perhaps other listeners can share their input and thoughts regarding those!
 
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ILuvSantaFe

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306.950 -

This frequency is used by Luke fighters when they are making the practice ILS approach to the Aux. Field just Northwest of Luke. They cannot land at this Aux Field strictly for practice ILS Approaches.
 

ILuvSantaFe

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Fine Visionz are you talking to me ILuvSantaFe or Clover509 ? If it's me then my main equipment for monitoring Military aviation is a Uniden BC 780 XLT and my favorite Uniden BCT15X.
 

N9JIG

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Got a couple CloseCall hits on 306.3250 this afternoon about 3PM north of the White Tanks, I think they were using it for Wittmann approaches but couldn't be sure.

I have heard them using 306.950 for that recently as well.
 
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