Savannah RAPCON
120.400 - Savannah Approach/Departure
380.025 - Savannah Approach/Departure
125.300 - Savannah Approach/Departure
387.100 - Savannah Approach/Departure
118.400 - Savannah Approach/Departure
307.225 - Savannah Approach/Departure
Hunter Army Airfield
133.550 - Hunter AAF Tower
279.575 - Hunter AAF Tower
121.800 - Hunter AAF Ground
291.675 - Hunter AAF Ground
126.200 - Hunter Base Operations
309.000 - PMSV (Weather)
51.050 - Helicopter Common Frequency
45.900 - VIPER OPS (1-3 AVN)
49.800 - KNIGHTHAWK OPS (2-3 AVN)
36.100 - A/2-3 AVN
361.100 - A/2-3 AVN?
229.200 - B/2-3 AVN?
32.350 - SHARK OPS (3-3 AVN)
49.900 - ASSAULT OPS (4-3 AVN)
51.500 - 4-3 AVN
82.100 - SUNNY OPS (224 MI Bn)
38.150 - HURRICANE OPS (F-131 AVN)
345.000 - USCG Air Station Savannah
406.1625 - Hunter Tower/Base Operations
406.7625 - Hunter POL
415.1625 - Hunter Transient Alert
Savannah IAP, Combat Readiness Training Center
119.100 - Savannah IAP Tower
257.800 - Savannah IAP Tower
225.750 - 165th Airlift Wing Command Post
225.050 - 165th Airlift Wing
Fort Stewart/Wright AAF
127.350 - Marne Radio (Fort Stewart)
279.625 - Marne Radio (Fort Stewart)
126.250 - Wright AAF Tower
269.275 - Wright AAF Tower
Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort
118.450 - MCAS Beaufort Approach/Departure
301.200 - MCAS Beaufort Approach/Departure
251.700 - MCAS Beaufort Approach/Departure
119.050 - MCAS Beaufort Approach/Departure
340.200 - MCAS Beaufort Approach/Departure
361.800 - VMFA-115 Base
339.500 - VMFA-115 Tac 1
320.200 - VMFA-115 Tac 2
305.800 - VMFA(AW)-224 Base
250.300 - VMFA(AW)-224 Tac 1
313.800 - VMFA-251 Base
290.000 - VMFA-251 Tac 1
327.475 - VMFA-251 Tac 2
376.425 - VMFA-251 Tac
228.200 - VMFA-312 Base
301.950 - VMFA-312 Tac 1
320.300 - VMFA-312 Tac 2
344.200 - VMFA(AW)-332 Base
326.700 - VMFA(AW)-332 Tac 1
349.225 - VMFA(AW)-332 Tac 2
310.200 -VMFA(AW)-533 Base
289.275 - VMFA(AW)-533 Tac 1
299.300 - VMFA(AW)-533 Tac 2
354.400 - VFA-86 Base
308.925 - VFA-86 Tac 1
363.825 - VFA-86 Tac 2
Shaw AFB
311.200 - SHOOTER OPS (55th Fighter Squadron )
138.900 - 55th FS V9
273.700 - GAMBLER OPS (77th Fighter Squadron)
139.925 - 77th FS V12
140.375 - 77th FS V10
141.675 - 77th FS V11
McEntire ANGB
298.300 - SWAMP FOX OPS (169th Fighter Wing)
125.125 - 169th FW V1
140.125 - 169th FW V17
141.825 - 169th FW V19
125th Fighter Wing, Jacksonville IAP
251.250 - 125th FW Command Post/Maintenance
273.900 - 125th FW SOF
234.800 - 125th FW Aux 6
253.700 - 125th FW Aux 7
314.200 - 125th FW Aux 8
343.000 - 125th FW Aux 9
Ranges and Military Operating Areas
228.400 - Townsend Range Control
252.900 - Townsend Range Control
343.750 - Bulldog MOA
269.000 - Gamecock MOA
264.700 - Poinsett Range Control
282.250 - Jacksonville Center, Charleston Low
354.300 - BEEFEATER ECM Range
SEALORD (area control off of SC, GA, FL Coast)
284.500 - SEALORD North Primary
120.950 - SEALORD North Primary
349.800 - W-157 Discrete
376.900 - W-157 Discrete
385.300 - W-157 Discrete
301.000 - South TACTS Range
350.000 - South TACTS Range
339.700 - SEALORD Discrete
341.100 - SEALORD Discrete
Doubleshot
127.725 - DOUBLESHOT Primary
279.725 - DOUBLESHOT Primary
258.400 - DOUBLESHOT Discrete
381.350 - DOUBLESHOT Discrete
Miscellaneous
293.525 - PEACHTREE OPS (116 Air Control Wing, Robins AFB)
310.200 - NAS Jacksonville Base Ops
349.400 - PALMETTO OPS (Charleston AFB CP)
134.100 - PALMETTO OPS (Charleston AFB CP)
228.900 - NORAD Discrete
277.800 - USN Fleet Common
ARTCC (Air Route Traffic Control Center)
269.550 - Jacksonville Center, Columbia Low
277.400 - Jacksonville Center, Brunswick Low
281.550 - Jacksonville Center, unknown (North of Charleston)
282.200 - Jacksonville Center, Jekyll Low
285.650 - Jacksonville Center, Statesboro High
290.350 - Jacksonville Center, Hunter Ultra High
290.400 - Jackonville Center, Alma Low
322.500 - Jacksonville Center, Savannah Low
351.700 - Jacksonville Center, Summerville High
363.200 - Jacksonvilel Center, Allendale Low
323.000 - Atlanta Center, Macon
In the interest of getting this post out in a more timely manner, I'm going to shorten the callsign portion to just some of the more interesting and/or transient ones for the week. I'll try to get back to the more complete listing next time around.
DARKSTAR (E-3, 965 ACCS)
DRAGNET (E-3, 966 ACCS)
NAVY BD 773 (C-130, VR-64)
NAVY SD 423 and 422 (F/A-18, VX-23)
OTIS (KC-130J, VMGR-252)
RAPTOR (F-22)
SHARK (A-10, 23rd Wing)
STEEL (KC-135, 171 ARW)
UTAH (KC-135, 151 ARW)
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
27 February 2007
26 February 2007
Late Posts and TROUT 99
Scanning
Unfortunately, I won't be able to get my weekly MilCom recap posted until around Wednesday. An 8 day straight run at work combined with overtime and a double back will keep me busy until Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday afternoon, I'll have to get an article ready for the Amateur Radio Club of Savannah's Key Klix, after which I'll try to finish getting the recap together.
On a more pleasant note, I did manage to catch TROUT 99 this afternoon on the way to work. It made an apparently unsuccessful attempt to contact Robins Metro on 344.600 then contacted Jacksonville Metro on 343.500 for weather at MacDill AFB. The rare KC-135E was making it's way to MacDill from a visit to Robins AFB.
Motorsports
Likewise, I'll try to get my comments on the week in racing up in the neighborhood of Wednesday. I've been contemplating a few things and have also been sparked by a recent David Phillips commentary on the SPEED website.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Unfortunately, I won't be able to get my weekly MilCom recap posted until around Wednesday. An 8 day straight run at work combined with overtime and a double back will keep me busy until Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday afternoon, I'll have to get an article ready for the Amateur Radio Club of Savannah's Key Klix, after which I'll try to finish getting the recap together.
On a more pleasant note, I did manage to catch TROUT 99 this afternoon on the way to work. It made an apparently unsuccessful attempt to contact Robins Metro on 344.600 then contacted Jacksonville Metro on 343.500 for weather at MacDill AFB. The rare KC-135E was making it's way to MacDill from a visit to Robins AFB.
Motorsports
Likewise, I'll try to get my comments on the week in racing up in the neighborhood of Wednesday. I've been contemplating a few things and have also been sparked by a recent David Phillips commentary on the SPEED website.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
21 February 2007
Boyd - The Fighter Pilot Who Changed The Art Of War
I just re-read Boyd - The Fighter Pilot Who Changed The Art Of War, by Robert Coram, the biography of Col. John Boyd, USAF. Every time I read this book, I come away with new understandings of the third part of the book (on Boyd the Scholar). Upon finishing the book, even the first time, one of my first thoughts was that it is a shame that this man is so little known given the extent of his influence, even to this day. Boyd developed the OODA Loop, which influenced the way Desert Storm was fought and continues to be applied in military thought to this day.
John Boyd first changed the way fighter pilots thought about air combat, then changed the way fighter aircraft were created. His "Aerial Attack Study" became a tactics manual used by not only the USAF but by the USN and USMC as well. Boyd's Energy-Maneuverability Theory changed the way military aircraft were conceived and designed. Boyd can be considered the father of the F-16. He is responsible for the F-15 coming out more like a fighter and less like the F-111. He fought against the B-1, for reasons which were eventually proven to be correct. Boyd was even an influence on one of the men who were responsible for the A-10: Pierre Sprey. Boyd even had an influence on the Bradley Fighting Vehicle through his mentor relationship with the officer that oversaw the Bradley's testing process.
After he retired from the USAF, Boyd applied himself to ground combat and the use of the OODA Loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) in combat. Through his connections to then Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, Boyd influenced how the first Gulf War (Desert Storm) was fought. He was also connected to Donald Rumsfeld, so you have to wonder how much he influenced Rumsfeld's thinking (even though Boyd was by then dead) and what he would have thought of how Rumsfeld fought the war. Coram uses examples from previous conflicts to illustrate how the OODA loop works and how most commanders have problems with it. It is interesting that the Marine Corps is the one that has picked up on the OODA Loop the best and ultimately has recognized Boyd's work and achievements the most. (I'm currently reading Nathaniel Fick's One Bullet Away; Boyd isn't mentioned by name, but the OODA Loop is. Fick was a USMC Recon officer in Iraq.)
For a great read on a fascinating, yet unheralded figure in American History, I strongly recommend this book. Not only is it informative and entertaining, it makes you THINK.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
John Boyd first changed the way fighter pilots thought about air combat, then changed the way fighter aircraft were created. His "Aerial Attack Study" became a tactics manual used by not only the USAF but by the USN and USMC as well. Boyd's Energy-Maneuverability Theory changed the way military aircraft were conceived and designed. Boyd can be considered the father of the F-16. He is responsible for the F-15 coming out more like a fighter and less like the F-111. He fought against the B-1, for reasons which were eventually proven to be correct. Boyd was even an influence on one of the men who were responsible for the A-10: Pierre Sprey. Boyd even had an influence on the Bradley Fighting Vehicle through his mentor relationship with the officer that oversaw the Bradley's testing process.
After he retired from the USAF, Boyd applied himself to ground combat and the use of the OODA Loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) in combat. Through his connections to then Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, Boyd influenced how the first Gulf War (Desert Storm) was fought. He was also connected to Donald Rumsfeld, so you have to wonder how much he influenced Rumsfeld's thinking (even though Boyd was by then dead) and what he would have thought of how Rumsfeld fought the war. Coram uses examples from previous conflicts to illustrate how the OODA loop works and how most commanders have problems with it. It is interesting that the Marine Corps is the one that has picked up on the OODA Loop the best and ultimately has recognized Boyd's work and achievements the most. (I'm currently reading Nathaniel Fick's One Bullet Away; Boyd isn't mentioned by name, but the OODA Loop is. Fick was a USMC Recon officer in Iraq.)
For a great read on a fascinating, yet unheralded figure in American History, I strongly recommend this book. Not only is it informative and entertaining, it makes you THINK.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
My Postings: Making the Military's Job Harder?
The following was recently left as a comment to one of my Weekly MilCom Recap posts. Originally I wasn't going to respond, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt the need to. I appreciate this comment and I see where he is coming from, but I just can't agree with it. I work in communications and understand the need for communications security and operational security. Everyday when I go to work, I have men and women on the other end of the radio from me whose lives depend on what I do. I also have family and friends in the military. Even if I haven't served in the military myself, I do have some perspective to look at a communications issue such as this from.
Second, I hope that the enemy is having a hard time hearing callsigns. Certainly the frequency hopping and encryption gear that combat aircraft are equipped with is being used for tactical traffic. I know that the Army has been using SINGCARS nets and that other services have been using encryption that my radios can't track or decode. If enemy intelligence depends on me for their information, then they aren't getting very good intelligence.
Third, if one of the techniques is to use another type's callsign, isn't it just as bad to post that on a public blog? On the other hand, if that technique is used, wouldn't callsign ID lists be a useful way to increase the effect of the misinformation?
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
First, I hope that our military is not using their static callsigns in a combat zone, I hope they are using some sort of tactical callsign system. Most static callsigns seem to be based off of the unit's nickname, so it naturally makes them easier to determine. Using static callsigns would be a communications security and an operational security mistake. Audio and video from news reports and transcripts and descriptions in books indicate that the USAF and USMC are using tactical callsigns different from their static callsigns. I also hear the USMC in particular doing this during training and I haven't posted those tactical callsigns on this blog."A funny thing happens when the enemy can id your type of aircraft by recognizing
your callsign. It lets him know the a/c he can shoot at and the a/c he doesn't
want to shoot at. In combat we try and use some strategery on the enemy by using
other a/c's callsigns from time to time. Please don't make our job any harder.An Apache Pilot at Hunter"
Second, I hope that the enemy is having a hard time hearing callsigns. Certainly the frequency hopping and encryption gear that combat aircraft are equipped with is being used for tactical traffic. I know that the Army has been using SINGCARS nets and that other services have been using encryption that my radios can't track or decode. If enemy intelligence depends on me for their information, then they aren't getting very good intelligence.
Third, if one of the techniques is to use another type's callsign, isn't it just as bad to post that on a public blog? On the other hand, if that technique is used, wouldn't callsign ID lists be a useful way to increase the effect of the misinformation?
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
18 February 2007
Military Monitoring Recap; 12 Feb to 18 Feb 2007
133.550 - Hunter AAF Tower
279.575 - Hunter AAF Tower
121.800 - Hunter AAF Tower
291.675 - Hunter AAF Tower
126.200 - Hunter AAF Base Ops
406.1625 - Tower/Base Ops
406.7625 - POL
415.1625 - Transient Alert
49.800 - KNIGHTHAWK OPS (2-3 AVN)
36.100 - A/2-3 AVN
49.900 - ASSAULT OPS (4-3 AVN)
345.000 - USCG Air Station Savannah Ops
51.050 - Fort Stewart/Hunter AAF Helicopter Common
119.100 - Savannah IAP Tower
257.800 - Savannah IAP Tower
225.750 - 165 AW CP
225.050 - 165 AW
237.000 - Savannah CRTC Ops; CAPE OPS (102 FW)
293.300 - CRTC Discrete; 102 FW Aux
328.500 - CRTC Discrete; 102 FW Aux
363.900 -CRTC Discrete; 102 FW Aux
127.350 - Marne Radio, Fort Stewart
279.625 - Marne Radio, Fort Stewart
118.450 - MCAS Beaufort Approach
301.200 - MCAS Beaufort Approach
119.050 - MCAS Beaufort Tower
340.200 - MCAS Beaufort Tower
361.800 - VMFA-115 Base
339.500 - VMFA-115 Tac 1
320.200 - VMFA-115 Tac 2
305.800 - VMFA(AW)-224 Base
250.300 - VMFA(AW)-224 Tac 1
313.800 - VMFA-251 Base
290.000 - VMFA-251 Tac 1
327.475 - VMFA-251 Tac 2
354.400 - VFA-86 Base
308.925 - VFA-86 Tac 1
363.825 - VFA-86 Tac 2
273.700 - GAMBLER Ops, 77th FS
141.750 - 77 FS V9
140.375 - 77 FS V10
141.675 - 77 FS V11
320.525 - SNAKE Ops, 79th FS
138.150 - 79 FS V8
141.600 - 79 FS v9
141.775 - 79 FS V10
142.125 - 79 FS V11
251.250 - 125th Fighter Wing Command Post/Maintenance
234.800 - 125th Fighter Wing Aux 6
253.700 - 125th Fighter Wing Aux 7
343.000 - 125th Fighter Wing Aux 9
343.750 - Bulldog MOA Discrete
254.475 - AWACS Discrete, used in Bulldog MOA
228.400 - Townsend Range Control
252.900 - Townsend Range Control
120.950 - Sealord North Discrete
284.500 - Sealord North Primary
313.700 - Sealord North Secondary
376.900 - W-157 Discrete
385.300 - W-157 Discrete
138.325 - STEALTH Discrete (117 ACS), used in W-157
301.000 - South TACTS Range Discrete
350.000 - South TACTS Range Discrete
321.200 - STEALTH Discrete (117 ACS), used in W-157
127.725 - DOUBLESHOT Primary
279.725 - DOUBLESHOT Primary
269.550 - Jacksonville Center, Columbia Low
282.200 - Jacksonville Center, Jekyll Low
363.200 - Jacksonville Center, Allendale Low
323.000 - Atlanta Center, Macon Low
255.400 - FSS, Macon Radio
319.500 - VFA-201 TAC?, HUNTER 1# flight
ARMY - Misc. Army aircraft
VIPER - AH-64D, 1-3 AVN
HOOKER - CH-47D, B/2-3 AVN
ASSAULT - UH-60L, 4-3 AVN
SUNNY - RC-12N, 224 MI BN
COAST GUARD - Misc. Coast Guard aircraft
DAWG - C-130H, 165th Airlift Wing
CAJUN - F-15A, 102nd Fighter Wing, training at Savannah CRTC
CAPE - F-15A, 102nd Fighter Wing, training at Savannah CRTC
LYNX - F-15A, 102nd Fighter Wing, training at Savannah CRTC
BLADE - F/A-18A+, VMFA-115
BENGAL - F/A-18D, VMFA(AW)-224
TBOLT -F/A-18C, VMFA-251
ATTIC - F/A-18D, VMFA(AW)-332
WINDER - F/A-18C, VFA-86
DIAMOND - F-16CJ, 77th Fighter Squadron
GAMBLER - F-16CJ, 77th Fighter Squadron
TOKAR - F-16CJ, 77th Fighter Squadron
BULL - F-16CJ, 79th Fighter Squadron
HOOTER - F-16CJ, 79th Fighter Squadron
SPITFIRE - F-16CJ, 79th Fighter Squadron
STORMY - F-16CJ, 79th Fighter Squadron
FANG - F-15A, 125th Fighter Wing
SNAKE - F-15A, 125th Fighter Wing
RATTLER - F-15A, 125th Fighter Wing
GULF TEST - Gulfstream Test Flights
HUNTER - F/A-18, VFA-201
PUCK - VFA-201 tactical callsign
TOUGH GUY - VFA-201 tactical callsign
NASA 836 - F-15B Quiet Spike research aircraft
NAVY LL ## - P-3C, VP-30
PEACH 6# - E-8C, 116 ACCS
SENTRY 5# - E-3, 965th ACCS
TEAL - WC-130J
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
279.575 - Hunter AAF Tower
121.800 - Hunter AAF Tower
291.675 - Hunter AAF Tower
126.200 - Hunter AAF Base Ops
406.1625 - Tower/Base Ops
406.7625 - POL
415.1625 - Transient Alert
49.800 - KNIGHTHAWK OPS (2-3 AVN)
36.100 - A/2-3 AVN
49.900 - ASSAULT OPS (4-3 AVN)
345.000 - USCG Air Station Savannah Ops
51.050 - Fort Stewart/Hunter AAF Helicopter Common
119.100 - Savannah IAP Tower
257.800 - Savannah IAP Tower
225.750 - 165 AW CP
225.050 - 165 AW
237.000 - Savannah CRTC Ops; CAPE OPS (102 FW)
293.300 - CRTC Discrete; 102 FW Aux
328.500 - CRTC Discrete; 102 FW Aux
363.900 -CRTC Discrete; 102 FW Aux
127.350 - Marne Radio, Fort Stewart
279.625 - Marne Radio, Fort Stewart
118.450 - MCAS Beaufort Approach
301.200 - MCAS Beaufort Approach
119.050 - MCAS Beaufort Tower
340.200 - MCAS Beaufort Tower
361.800 - VMFA-115 Base
339.500 - VMFA-115 Tac 1
320.200 - VMFA-115 Tac 2
305.800 - VMFA(AW)-224 Base
250.300 - VMFA(AW)-224 Tac 1
313.800 - VMFA-251 Base
290.000 - VMFA-251 Tac 1
327.475 - VMFA-251 Tac 2
354.400 - VFA-86 Base
308.925 - VFA-86 Tac 1
363.825 - VFA-86 Tac 2
273.700 - GAMBLER Ops, 77th FS
141.750 - 77 FS V9
140.375 - 77 FS V10
141.675 - 77 FS V11
320.525 - SNAKE Ops, 79th FS
138.150 - 79 FS V8
141.600 - 79 FS v9
141.775 - 79 FS V10
142.125 - 79 FS V11
251.250 - 125th Fighter Wing Command Post/Maintenance
234.800 - 125th Fighter Wing Aux 6
253.700 - 125th Fighter Wing Aux 7
343.000 - 125th Fighter Wing Aux 9
343.750 - Bulldog MOA Discrete
254.475 - AWACS Discrete, used in Bulldog MOA
228.400 - Townsend Range Control
252.900 - Townsend Range Control
120.950 - Sealord North Discrete
284.500 - Sealord North Primary
313.700 - Sealord North Secondary
376.900 - W-157 Discrete
385.300 - W-157 Discrete
138.325 - STEALTH Discrete (117 ACS), used in W-157
301.000 - South TACTS Range Discrete
350.000 - South TACTS Range Discrete
321.200 - STEALTH Discrete (117 ACS), used in W-157
127.725 - DOUBLESHOT Primary
279.725 - DOUBLESHOT Primary
269.550 - Jacksonville Center, Columbia Low
282.200 - Jacksonville Center, Jekyll Low
363.200 - Jacksonville Center, Allendale Low
323.000 - Atlanta Center, Macon Low
255.400 - FSS, Macon Radio
319.500 - VFA-201 TAC?, HUNTER 1# flight
ARMY - Misc. Army aircraft
VIPER - AH-64D, 1-3 AVN
HOOKER - CH-47D, B/2-3 AVN
ASSAULT - UH-60L, 4-3 AVN
SUNNY - RC-12N, 224 MI BN
COAST GUARD - Misc. Coast Guard aircraft
DAWG - C-130H, 165th Airlift Wing
CAJUN - F-15A, 102nd Fighter Wing, training at Savannah CRTC
CAPE - F-15A, 102nd Fighter Wing, training at Savannah CRTC
LYNX - F-15A, 102nd Fighter Wing, training at Savannah CRTC
BLADE - F/A-18A+, VMFA-115
BENGAL - F/A-18D, VMFA(AW)-224
TBOLT -F/A-18C, VMFA-251
ATTIC - F/A-18D, VMFA(AW)-332
WINDER - F/A-18C, VFA-86
DIAMOND - F-16CJ, 77th Fighter Squadron
GAMBLER - F-16CJ, 77th Fighter Squadron
TOKAR - F-16CJ, 77th Fighter Squadron
BULL - F-16CJ, 79th Fighter Squadron
HOOTER - F-16CJ, 79th Fighter Squadron
SPITFIRE - F-16CJ, 79th Fighter Squadron
STORMY - F-16CJ, 79th Fighter Squadron
FANG - F-15A, 125th Fighter Wing
SNAKE - F-15A, 125th Fighter Wing
RATTLER - F-15A, 125th Fighter Wing
GULF TEST - Gulfstream Test Flights
HUNTER - F/A-18, VFA-201
PUCK - VFA-201 tactical callsign
TOUGH GUY - VFA-201 tactical callsign
NASA 836 - F-15B Quiet Spike research aircraft
NAVY LL ## - P-3C, VP-30
PEACH 6# - E-8C, 116 ACCS
SENTRY 5# - E-3, 965th ACCS
TEAL - WC-130J
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
The Week In Racing
Both NASCAR and the WRC were active this weekend, so for the most part I'm still waiting for the seasons to begin. The countdown to the Formula 1 season continues; I can't wait for the lights to go out at the Australian GP. With all the changes (see last week's blog post on racing), this season could possibly be one of the most interesting in recent history.
NASCAR
There was some good racing at Daytona this Speedweeks. Congratulations to Kevin Harvick on his Busch and Nextel Cup wins and to Jack Sprague on his Craftsman Truck Series win. The finishes of the Nextel Cup race and the Truck race were terrific, although the Cup race was a bit on the boring side through the middle.
Several drivers were very impressive throughout Speedweeks. First, David Gilliland performed wonderfully through the week; not only did he win the pole for the Daytona 500 but he raced skillfully, showing very well for a rookie. Of the veterans, Tony Stewart, the Busch Brothers (although I was less than impressed with some of Kyle's driving in the 500), Kevin Harvick, and Jeff Burton were on top of their game. Conversely, with the exception of the Duel 150 win for Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon have to be wondering what happened (The 25 team seems to have taken up where it left off).
Despite the humiliation of the fuel controversy, the 55 team put on one heck of a performance. They came back from the brink of disaster by putting a car together just in time and then racing it into the Daytona 500. What they accomplished after having two top team members thrown out of the track and under incredible pressure was perhaps the most impressive performance of the week.
WRC
I haven't been able to catch up on the action in the Rally Norway yet, but I have seen that Mikko Hirvonen won and that Ford came in First, Second, and Third. Quite impressive.
Gronholm leads the points and one has to wonder what has happened to Loeb.
Champ Car/IRL
Unite.
Please.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
NASCAR
There was some good racing at Daytona this Speedweeks. Congratulations to Kevin Harvick on his Busch and Nextel Cup wins and to Jack Sprague on his Craftsman Truck Series win. The finishes of the Nextel Cup race and the Truck race were terrific, although the Cup race was a bit on the boring side through the middle.
Several drivers were very impressive throughout Speedweeks. First, David Gilliland performed wonderfully through the week; not only did he win the pole for the Daytona 500 but he raced skillfully, showing very well for a rookie. Of the veterans, Tony Stewart, the Busch Brothers (although I was less than impressed with some of Kyle's driving in the 500), Kevin Harvick, and Jeff Burton were on top of their game. Conversely, with the exception of the Duel 150 win for Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon have to be wondering what happened (The 25 team seems to have taken up where it left off).
Despite the humiliation of the fuel controversy, the 55 team put on one heck of a performance. They came back from the brink of disaster by putting a car together just in time and then racing it into the Daytona 500. What they accomplished after having two top team members thrown out of the track and under incredible pressure was perhaps the most impressive performance of the week.
WRC
I haven't been able to catch up on the action in the Rally Norway yet, but I have seen that Mikko Hirvonen won and that Ford came in First, Second, and Third. Quite impressive.
Gronholm leads the points and one has to wonder what has happened to Loeb.
Champ Car/IRL
Unite.
Please.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
17 February 2007
NASA 836 Update!
I received some emails this morning that offer some updates on NASA 836. The most recent project for NASA 836 has been sonic boom reduction. It was at the Gulfstream Facility at Savannah International Airport to have the "Quiet Spike" equipment removed. The Quiet Spike is a nose mounted device developed by Gulfstream for sonic boom mitigation.
There is an article in the Savannah Morning News about 836's visit that has some great photos of the aircraft (I particularly like the 3rd photo): http://savannahnow.com/node/228414
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
There is an article in the Savannah Morning News about 836's visit that has some great photos of the aircraft (I particularly like the 3rd photo): http://savannahnow.com/node/228414
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
VFA-201 in the Southeast
F/A-18s from VFA-201 at NAS Fort Worth are currently working on the east coast. I caught them working with F-15s from the 125th Fighter Wing out of Jacksonville IAP and with STEALTH, the 117th ACS at Hunter AAF in the South TACTS Range (SEALORD's airspace).
They were using 319.500 for air-to-air, which I would assume is one of their TAC frequencies and were using the static callsign HUNTER with air traffic control and the tactical callsigns PUCK and TOUGH GUY while fighting with the F-15s.
Based on an email I received from a fellow radio enthusiast in Florida, they could possibly be in the area for a Speedweeks flyover at the Daytona International Speedway.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
They were using 319.500 for air-to-air, which I would assume is one of their TAC frequencies and were using the static callsign HUNTER with air traffic control and the tactical callsigns PUCK and TOUGH GUY while fighting with the F-15s.
Based on an email I received from a fellow radio enthusiast in Florida, they could possibly be in the area for a Speedweeks flyover at the Daytona International Speedway.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
NASA 836
This morning, I caught NASA 836 passing through the area on 387.100 with Savannah Departure, 363.200 with Jax Center, and 282.300 with Jax Center; it possibly departed Savannah International Airport based on that frequency sequence.
I have to admit that I don't know too many of the NASA aircraft callsigns, so I had to do some web research to figure out which NASA bird I was hearing. I am familiar with the Active Research thrust vectoring project, so I was excited when I discovered 836 was the F-15B that is part of the Active Research project!
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
I have to admit that I don't know too many of the NASA aircraft callsigns, so I had to do some web research to figure out which NASA bird I was hearing. I am familiar with the Active Research thrust vectoring project, so I was excited when I discovered 836 was the F-15B that is part of the Active Research project!
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
12 February 2007
The Week in Racing
WRC
Once again, the WRC isn't shown in the United States. Luckily I have found that the WRC puts out podcasts of the races, thus allowing me to follow it. They also advertise an online radio station where you can listen to the action live, but I haven't had the chance to try it yet (but I will!). Anyway, it was wonderful for the monotony of Sebastien Loeb victories to be broken; congratulations to Marcus Gronholm on his victory in Sweden.
NASCAR
Yates Racing took the front row for the Daytona 500 and some are heralding the resurrection of the team. In the words of Lee Corso (where's my pencil?), "Not So Fast." Yates cars have always had a lot of horsepower, so it is not surprising to see them run well in single car, two lap qualifying. Thursday will better show whether or not they are improving when we see how they do on full runs in a large pack of cars. All of that aside, congratulations to David Gilliland for winning the pole, it is still a great accomplishment for a rookie. Congratulations also go to Juan Pablo Montoya on his 4th place in qualifying. He did quite well in the ARCA race at Talladega last year so I'm looking forward to watching him on Thursday and Sunday.
Toyota remains a question mark. They did manage to get two cars in the top 20, which is not bad for a first run. The question remains of how much they have concentrated on the super speedway program this year; perhaps they concentrated more on the rest of the season due to the fact that there are only 4 super speedway races. I'm not going to judge Toyota's performance until after both California and Las Vegas. Personally, I think Michael Waltrip was in a good position to do a lot of testing and development last year, but didn't do it. Instead of running an unsupported Dodge, he should have sat out a year and done nothing but test Toyotas. Perhaps it would have led to better performance not only for his teams, but the other Toyotas as well. Scott Pruett's similar move when Firestone returned to open wheel racing comes to mind as an example.
Formula 1
Only one more month until the F1 season begins. I can't wait for this season to start. With Schumacher retired, Alonso moved to McLaren, Raikkonen moved to Ferrari, and Bridgestone as the common tire, F1's pot has been mightily stirred. This year's championship could well be a wide open affair.
Champ Car/IRL
Unite.
Please.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Once again, the WRC isn't shown in the United States. Luckily I have found that the WRC puts out podcasts of the races, thus allowing me to follow it. They also advertise an online radio station where you can listen to the action live, but I haven't had the chance to try it yet (but I will!). Anyway, it was wonderful for the monotony of Sebastien Loeb victories to be broken; congratulations to Marcus Gronholm on his victory in Sweden.
NASCAR
Yates Racing took the front row for the Daytona 500 and some are heralding the resurrection of the team. In the words of Lee Corso (where's my pencil?), "Not So Fast." Yates cars have always had a lot of horsepower, so it is not surprising to see them run well in single car, two lap qualifying. Thursday will better show whether or not they are improving when we see how they do on full runs in a large pack of cars. All of that aside, congratulations to David Gilliland for winning the pole, it is still a great accomplishment for a rookie. Congratulations also go to Juan Pablo Montoya on his 4th place in qualifying. He did quite well in the ARCA race at Talladega last year so I'm looking forward to watching him on Thursday and Sunday.
Toyota remains a question mark. They did manage to get two cars in the top 20, which is not bad for a first run. The question remains of how much they have concentrated on the super speedway program this year; perhaps they concentrated more on the rest of the season due to the fact that there are only 4 super speedway races. I'm not going to judge Toyota's performance until after both California and Las Vegas. Personally, I think Michael Waltrip was in a good position to do a lot of testing and development last year, but didn't do it. Instead of running an unsupported Dodge, he should have sat out a year and done nothing but test Toyotas. Perhaps it would have led to better performance not only for his teams, but the other Toyotas as well. Scott Pruett's similar move when Firestone returned to open wheel racing comes to mind as an example.
Formula 1
Only one more month until the F1 season begins. I can't wait for this season to start. With Schumacher retired, Alonso moved to McLaren, Raikkonen moved to Ferrari, and Bridgestone as the common tire, F1's pot has been mightily stirred. This year's championship could well be a wide open affair.
Champ Car/IRL
Unite.
Please.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Military Monitoring Recap, 05-11 February 2007
Each week, time permitting, I will try to post a recap of the frequencies that I've been able to monitor Military Communications on. Hopefully, this will help readers in the Savannah area build their own military frequency lists. The recap will also list callsigns monitored during the week.
Frequencies
120.400 - Savannah Approach/Departure
380.025 - Savannah Approach/Departure
125.300 - Savannah Approach/Departure
387.100 - Savannah Approach/Departure
133.550 - Hunter AAF Tower
279.575 - Hunter AAF Tower
121.800 - Hunter AAF Ground
291.675 - Hunter AAF Ground
126.200 - Hunter AAF Base Ops
49.800 - KNIGHTHAWK OPS (2-3 AVN)
36.100 - A/2-3 AVN Air-to-Air
238.375 - 3-3 AVN Air-to-Air
49.900 - ASSAULT OPS (4-3 AVN)
82.100 - SUNNY OPS (224 MI Bn)
345.000 - USCG Air Station Savannah Ops
406.1625 - Tower/Base Ops
406.7625 - POL
415.1625 - Transient Alert
119.100 - Savannah IAP Tower
257.800 - Savannah IAP Tower
225.750 - 165th Airlift Wing Ops
225.050 - 165th Airlift Wing
237.000 - Savannah CRTC Ops; 102nd Fighter Wing "CAPE OPS"
228.175 - CRTC Discrete; 102nd Fighter Wing air-to-air
293.300 - CRTC Discrete; 102nd Fighter Wing air-to-air
328.500 - CRTC Discrete; 102nd Fighter Wing air-to-air
358.850 - CRTC Discrete; used by 102nd Fighter Wing in W-157
360.150 - CRTC Discrete; 102nd Fighter Wing air-to-air
363.900 - CRTC Discrete; 102nd Fighter Wing air-to-air
127.350 - Marne Radio (Ft. Stewart)
279.625 - Marne Radio (Ft. Stewart)
126.250 - Wright AAF Tower
269.275 - Wright AAF Tower
165.3625 - Fort Stewart Forestry
118.450 - Beaufort Approach/Departure
301.200 - Beaufort Approach/Departure
251.700 - Beaufort Approach/Departure
119.050 - MCAS Beaufort Tower
340.200 - MCAS Beaufort Tower
361.800 - VMFA-115 Base
339.500 - VMFA-115 Tac 1
320.200 - VMFA-115 Tac 2
305.800 - VMFA(AW)-224 Base
250.300 - VMFA(AW)-224 Tac 1
313.800 - VMFA-251 Base
290.000 - VMFA-251 Tac 1
327.475 - VMFA-251 Tac 2
354.400 - VFA-86 Base
308.925 - VFA-86 Tac 1
363.825 - VFA-86 Tac 2
320.525 - 79th Fighter Squadron Ops
138.150 - 79th Fighter Squadron V8
139.975 - 79th Fighter Squadron V12
298.300 - 169th Fighter Wing Ops
135.125 - 169th Fighter Wing Air-to-Air
140.125 - 169th Fighter Wing V17
141.925 - 169th Fighter Wing V18
141.825 - 169th Fighter Wing V19
251.250 - 125th Fighter Wing Ops/Maintenance
234.800 - 125th Fighter Wing Aux 6
253.700 - 125th Fighter Wing Aux 7
343.000 - 125th Fighter Wing Aux 9
225.725 - 116th Air Control Wing JSTARS Discrete
228.400 - Townsend Range Control
343.750 - Bulldog MOA
120.950 - SEALORD North Primary
284.500 - SEALORD North Primary
133.950 - SEALORD South Primary
267.500 - SEALORD South Primary
376.900 - W-157 Discrete
385.300 - W-157 Discrete
301.000 - South TACTS Range Discrete
350.000 - South TACTS Range Discrete
364.200 - NORAD AICC
228.900 - NORAD Discrete
134.100 - Charleston Air Force Base Command Post
349.400 - Charleston Air Force Base Command Post
235.775 - North Field (SC) CCT
148.125 - Civil Air Patrol Coastal Georgia Repeater
228.225 - ANGEL OPS, 23rd Wing at Moody AFB
277.400 - Jacksonville Center, Brunswick Low
282.200 - Jacksonville Center, Jekyll Low
282.300 - Jacksonville Center, Alma High
285.650 - Jacksonville Center, Statesboro High
319.200 - Jacksonville Center, Aiken High
322.500 - Jacksonville Center, Savannah Low
363.200 - Jacksonville Center, Allendale Low
379.100 - Jacksonville Center, Charleston Low
Callsigns
ARMY (Miscellaneous Army helicopters/fixed wing)
VIPER (AH-64D, 1-3 AVN)
HOOKER (CH-47D, B/2-3 AVN)
ASSAULT (UH-60L, 4-3 AVN)
GUARD (Miscellaneous Army Guard aircraft)
HURRICANE (CH-47D, F-131 AVN)
SUNNY (RC-12N, 224 MI Bn)
COAST GUARD (US Coast Guard aircraft)
DAWG (C-130H, 165th Airlift Wing)
CAPE (F-15A, 102nd Fighter Wing)
CAJUN (F-15A, 102nd Fighter Wing)
DRAGON (F-15A, 102nd Fighter Wing)
LYNX (F-15A, 102nd Fighter Wing)
MADDOG (F-15A, 102nd Fighter Wing)
ATTIC (F/A-18D, VMFA-332)
BLADE (F/A-18A+, VMFA-115)
BENGAL (F/A-18D, VMFA-224)
TBOLT (F/A-18C, VMFA-251)
WINDER (F/A-18C, VFA-86)
PITMAN (F-16CJ, 20th Fighter Wing)
GAMBLER (F-16CJ, 77th Fighter Squadron)
HUNTER (F-16CJ, 79th Fighter Squadron)
JAGGER (F-16CJ, 79th Fighter Squadron)
STORMY (F-16CJ, 79th Fighter Squadron)
MACE (F-16CJ, 169th Fighter Wing)
VIPER (F-16CJ, 169th Fighter Wing)
HEAT (F-16CJ, 169th Fighter Wing)
DEMON (F-16CJ, 169th Fighter Wing)
FANG (F-15A, 125th Fighter Wing)
SNAKE (F-15A, 125th Fighter Wing)
STRIKESTAR (JSTARS)
BEAGLE 21 (unknown)
BERRY (Berry Aviation)
BUCK 342, 343 (unknown)
CAP FLIGHT 928 (Georgia Civil Air Patrol)
FUZZY (KC, 130, 107th Aerial Refueling Wing)
DICE 11 (unknown)
GATOR (F/A-18A, VMFA-142)
HOBBY (C-130, 403 Airlift Wing)
IMPAC (C-17, Charleston AFB)
JOSA (Joint Airlfift)
KING ## (HC-130, 71 Rescue Squadron)
NAVY 6E 503
NAVY HN ### (SH-60, HSL-42)
NAVY JU ### (C-9, VR-56)
NAVY LF ## (P-3C, VP-16)
NAVY LL ## (P-3C, VP-30)
NAVY LN ### (P-3C, VP-45)
NAVY LT ### (P-3C, VP-62)
PAT (Priority Air Transport, US Army)
POT #### (An-124, Polet)
RAVEN 917 (RC-130, Raven Air)
REACH (Airlift)
RIVER (F/A-18, VFA-204)
STEALTH (117th Air Control Squadron)
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Frequencies
120.400 - Savannah Approach/Departure
380.025 - Savannah Approach/Departure
125.300 - Savannah Approach/Departure
387.100 - Savannah Approach/Departure
133.550 - Hunter AAF Tower
279.575 - Hunter AAF Tower
121.800 - Hunter AAF Ground
291.675 - Hunter AAF Ground
126.200 - Hunter AAF Base Ops
49.800 - KNIGHTHAWK OPS (2-3 AVN)
36.100 - A/2-3 AVN Air-to-Air
238.375 - 3-3 AVN Air-to-Air
49.900 - ASSAULT OPS (4-3 AVN)
82.100 - SUNNY OPS (224 MI Bn)
345.000 - USCG Air Station Savannah Ops
406.1625 - Tower/Base Ops
406.7625 - POL
415.1625 - Transient Alert
119.100 - Savannah IAP Tower
257.800 - Savannah IAP Tower
225.750 - 165th Airlift Wing Ops
225.050 - 165th Airlift Wing
237.000 - Savannah CRTC Ops; 102nd Fighter Wing "CAPE OPS"
228.175 - CRTC Discrete; 102nd Fighter Wing air-to-air
293.300 - CRTC Discrete; 102nd Fighter Wing air-to-air
328.500 - CRTC Discrete; 102nd Fighter Wing air-to-air
358.850 - CRTC Discrete; used by 102nd Fighter Wing in W-157
360.150 - CRTC Discrete; 102nd Fighter Wing air-to-air
363.900 - CRTC Discrete; 102nd Fighter Wing air-to-air
127.350 - Marne Radio (Ft. Stewart)
279.625 - Marne Radio (Ft. Stewart)
126.250 - Wright AAF Tower
269.275 - Wright AAF Tower
165.3625 - Fort Stewart Forestry
118.450 - Beaufort Approach/Departure
301.200 - Beaufort Approach/Departure
251.700 - Beaufort Approach/Departure
119.050 - MCAS Beaufort Tower
340.200 - MCAS Beaufort Tower
361.800 - VMFA-115 Base
339.500 - VMFA-115 Tac 1
320.200 - VMFA-115 Tac 2
305.800 - VMFA(AW)-224 Base
250.300 - VMFA(AW)-224 Tac 1
313.800 - VMFA-251 Base
290.000 - VMFA-251 Tac 1
327.475 - VMFA-251 Tac 2
354.400 - VFA-86 Base
308.925 - VFA-86 Tac 1
363.825 - VFA-86 Tac 2
320.525 - 79th Fighter Squadron Ops
138.150 - 79th Fighter Squadron V8
139.975 - 79th Fighter Squadron V12
298.300 - 169th Fighter Wing Ops
135.125 - 169th Fighter Wing Air-to-Air
140.125 - 169th Fighter Wing V17
141.925 - 169th Fighter Wing V18
141.825 - 169th Fighter Wing V19
251.250 - 125th Fighter Wing Ops/Maintenance
234.800 - 125th Fighter Wing Aux 6
253.700 - 125th Fighter Wing Aux 7
343.000 - 125th Fighter Wing Aux 9
225.725 - 116th Air Control Wing JSTARS Discrete
228.400 - Townsend Range Control
343.750 - Bulldog MOA
120.950 - SEALORD North Primary
284.500 - SEALORD North Primary
133.950 - SEALORD South Primary
267.500 - SEALORD South Primary
376.900 - W-157 Discrete
385.300 - W-157 Discrete
301.000 - South TACTS Range Discrete
350.000 - South TACTS Range Discrete
364.200 - NORAD AICC
228.900 - NORAD Discrete
134.100 - Charleston Air Force Base Command Post
349.400 - Charleston Air Force Base Command Post
235.775 - North Field (SC) CCT
148.125 - Civil Air Patrol Coastal Georgia Repeater
228.225 - ANGEL OPS, 23rd Wing at Moody AFB
277.400 - Jacksonville Center, Brunswick Low
282.200 - Jacksonville Center, Jekyll Low
282.300 - Jacksonville Center, Alma High
285.650 - Jacksonville Center, Statesboro High
319.200 - Jacksonville Center, Aiken High
322.500 - Jacksonville Center, Savannah Low
363.200 - Jacksonville Center, Allendale Low
379.100 - Jacksonville Center, Charleston Low
Callsigns
ARMY (Miscellaneous Army helicopters/fixed wing)
VIPER (AH-64D, 1-3 AVN)
HOOKER (CH-47D, B/2-3 AVN)
ASSAULT (UH-60L, 4-3 AVN)
GUARD (Miscellaneous Army Guard aircraft)
HURRICANE (CH-47D, F-131 AVN)
SUNNY (RC-12N, 224 MI Bn)
COAST GUARD (US Coast Guard aircraft)
DAWG (C-130H, 165th Airlift Wing)
CAPE (F-15A, 102nd Fighter Wing)
CAJUN (F-15A, 102nd Fighter Wing)
DRAGON (F-15A, 102nd Fighter Wing)
LYNX (F-15A, 102nd Fighter Wing)
MADDOG (F-15A, 102nd Fighter Wing)
ATTIC (F/A-18D, VMFA-332)
BLADE (F/A-18A+, VMFA-115)
BENGAL (F/A-18D, VMFA-224)
TBOLT (F/A-18C, VMFA-251)
WINDER (F/A-18C, VFA-86)
PITMAN (F-16CJ, 20th Fighter Wing)
GAMBLER (F-16CJ, 77th Fighter Squadron)
HUNTER (F-16CJ, 79th Fighter Squadron)
JAGGER (F-16CJ, 79th Fighter Squadron)
STORMY (F-16CJ, 79th Fighter Squadron)
MACE (F-16CJ, 169th Fighter Wing)
VIPER (F-16CJ, 169th Fighter Wing)
HEAT (F-16CJ, 169th Fighter Wing)
DEMON (F-16CJ, 169th Fighter Wing)
FANG (F-15A, 125th Fighter Wing)
SNAKE (F-15A, 125th Fighter Wing)
STRIKESTAR (JSTARS)
BEAGLE 21 (unknown)
BERRY (Berry Aviation)
BUCK 342, 343 (unknown)
CAP FLIGHT 928 (Georgia Civil Air Patrol)
FUZZY (KC, 130, 107th Aerial Refueling Wing)
DICE 11 (unknown)
GATOR (F/A-18A, VMFA-142)
HOBBY (C-130, 403 Airlift Wing)
IMPAC (C-17, Charleston AFB)
JOSA (Joint Airlfift)
KING ## (HC-130, 71 Rescue Squadron)
NAVY 6E 503
NAVY HN ### (SH-60, HSL-42)
NAVY JU ### (C-9, VR-56)
NAVY LF ## (P-3C, VP-16)
NAVY LL ## (P-3C, VP-30)
NAVY LN ### (P-3C, VP-45)
NAVY LT ### (P-3C, VP-62)
PAT (Priority Air Transport, US Army)
POT #### (An-124, Polet)
RAVEN 917 (RC-130, Raven Air)
REACH (Airlift)
RIVER (F/A-18, VFA-204)
STEALTH (117th Air Control Squadron)
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
10 February 2007
Aircraft Crash at Fort Stewart
Thanks to Adam W. from Scan Savannah who gave me the heads up on this incident, otherwise I would have missed it. Unfortunately, this aircraft crash was fatal, as a result I am withholding the N-number from this post in case the families of the deceased have not been notified yet. I have not seen any identifications on the TV News or the Newspaper, so I can only assume that family notifications are not complete.
Communications seemed to be primarily on Fort Stewart Fire Tac 1 (TG 3472 of the Fort Stewart/Hunter AAF TRS) and on 279.625 (Marne Radio). The tower at Wright AAF on Fort Stewart relayed traffic between Fort Stewart Fire Incident Command, who only had the UHF trunked radios and RESCUE 6542 who was on 279.625. RESCUE 6542, a USCG HH-65C from Air Station Savannah at Hunter AAF picked up the ELT from the crashed aircraft and triangulated it's location. After DFing the ELT, they were then able to locate a wing from the aircraft and the coordinates were passed to the Fire crews. Fort Stewart MEDIC 4 located the wreckage and a body at 11:40 PM. 3 0ther bodies were located later in the search and recovery operations. Throughout the search, RESCUE 6542 was also in communications with USCG Sector Charleston and Air Station Savannah.
Despite being called in late in the game (essentially 4 hours after the crash occurred), the Coast Guard quickly and efficiently located the wreck location and did a good job of vectoring the ground crews in despite the lack of direct communication (they apparently did toward the end via a Lt. from the Civil Air Patrol). I kept wondering throughout why Fort Stewart Fire was not equipped with some sort of radio to communicate with air assets. Given that one of their taskings is aircraft crashes, you would think that they would have the equipment to communicate on airband,military frequencies, or VHF land mobile to contact search aircraft directly.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Communications seemed to be primarily on Fort Stewart Fire Tac 1 (TG 3472 of the Fort Stewart/Hunter AAF TRS) and on 279.625 (Marne Radio). The tower at Wright AAF on Fort Stewart relayed traffic between Fort Stewart Fire Incident Command, who only had the UHF trunked radios and RESCUE 6542 who was on 279.625. RESCUE 6542, a USCG HH-65C from Air Station Savannah at Hunter AAF picked up the ELT from the crashed aircraft and triangulated it's location. After DFing the ELT, they were then able to locate a wing from the aircraft and the coordinates were passed to the Fire crews. Fort Stewart MEDIC 4 located the wreckage and a body at 11:40 PM. 3 0ther bodies were located later in the search and recovery operations. Throughout the search, RESCUE 6542 was also in communications with USCG Sector Charleston and Air Station Savannah.
Despite being called in late in the game (essentially 4 hours after the crash occurred), the Coast Guard quickly and efficiently located the wreck location and did a good job of vectoring the ground crews in despite the lack of direct communication (they apparently did toward the end via a Lt. from the Civil Air Patrol). I kept wondering throughout why Fort Stewart Fire was not equipped with some sort of radio to communicate with air assets. Given that one of their taskings is aircraft crashes, you would think that they would have the equipment to communicate on airband,military frequencies, or VHF land mobile to contact search aircraft directly.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
09 February 2007
New Talkgroups on the Chatham-Effingham TRS
I've been hearing infrequent but increasing encrypted digital activity on the Chatham-Effingham TRS in the last 2 months. So far, I've not been able to connect them to
any particular agency or entity using a reference from an analog talkgroup. I've heard talkgroups 8752 and 8848 several times since December and talkgroup 8944 this month.
I also caught a new analog talkgroup that I've been unable to identify and interestingly, it sounds like it could belong to a Bryan County agency. Back on 1 February, I caught talkgroup 26832 active with two unidentified stations, one of which made a reference to being en route to Bryan County Healthcare (which is located in Richmond Hill).
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
any particular agency or entity using a reference from an analog talkgroup. I've heard talkgroups 8752 and 8848 several times since December and talkgroup 8944 this month.
I also caught a new analog talkgroup that I've been unable to identify and interestingly, it sounds like it could belong to a Bryan County agency. Back on 1 February, I caught talkgroup 26832 active with two unidentified stations, one of which made a reference to being en route to Bryan County Healthcare (which is located in Richmond Hill).
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
An-124s at Hunter AAF
Today saw more Antonov An-124s at Hunter Army Airfield. Once again they were shuttling between Hunter and Victorville. This time, however, instead of the Volga-Dnepr aircraft, these were from Polet Airlines, using the callsigns POT 439 and POT 2019. It's always a bonus to catch these large aircraft in the area.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
08 February 2007
Skywarn Net Revisited
I managed to check in to the Skywarn Net on the 146.970 repeater Tuesday night by using the crossband repeater function on my FT-8800. I was great to hear 11 check-ins and hear the enthusiasm they had for developing Skywarn in the area. Before I became frustrated and inactive several years back I had been trying to do the same and even organized some Skywarn classes in the Savannah area, so it was good to hear some hams were still interested in it and that there were others and new hams that were interested in the program. I have volunteered my services as a net control operator and look forward to being able to call some of the nets in the future. It is wonderful to see people enthusiastic about doing something and not just generating numbers to inflate egos. It is encouraging to me, as a ham who was inactive out of frustration over apathy, to see that someone is actually DOING something as I get more active.
If you are already a registered Skywarn spotter, I encourage you to check into the nets on Tuesdays. Right now they are on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 9pm, but when Hurricane Season arrives, they will move to every Tuesdsay. If you aren't trained and registered, but are interested in getting trained, send me an email and I'll forward it to those trying to put together the classes.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
If you are already a registered Skywarn spotter, I encourage you to check into the nets on Tuesdays. Right now they are on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 9pm, but when Hurricane Season arrives, they will move to every Tuesdsay. If you aren't trained and registered, but are interested in getting trained, send me an email and I'll forward it to those trying to put together the classes.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Formula 1 History on the History Channel
On Tuesday night The History Channel had an interesting program, an episode of Man, Moment, Machine, that centered on some Formula 1 racing history. It was about Enzo Ferrari, his work to beat Alfa Romeo, and the development of the Ferrari 375. It was wonderful to see something like that on the History Channel. Usually when racing history is covered on such a program, it is about NASCAR history. I was also pleased that the program covered the strategy of racing, pointing out that the fuel economy of Ferrari's car was part of the plan to beat Alfa, not just the outright performance of the car.
Kudos to the History Channel. It's not often you hear names like Fangio and Ascari on prime time television!
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Kudos to the History Channel. It's not often you hear names like Fangio and Ascari on prime time television!
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
102nd Fighter Wing Update
10 and 12 hour days at work have kept from me from monitor the 102nd Fighter Wing's stay at the Savannah CRTC very much, but through mobile monitoring and recordings, I've been able to determine some callsigns and frequencies for them. They are using the normal CRTC Ops frequency 237.000 for CAPE OPS and SOF and some of the CRTC Discretes for Auxiliary (air-to-air) frequencies.
237.000 - CRTC OPS, used for CAPE OPS (102 FW) and SOF
293.300 - CRTC Discrete; 102 FW Aux
328.500 - CRTC Discrete; 102 FW Aux
363.900 - CRTC Discrete; 102 FW Aux
Callsigns in use have been: CAJUN, DRAGON, LYNX, and MADDOG
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
237.000 - CRTC OPS, used for CAPE OPS (102 FW) and SOF
293.300 - CRTC Discrete; 102 FW Aux
328.500 - CRTC Discrete; 102 FW Aux
363.900 - CRTC Discrete; 102 FW Aux
Callsigns in use have been: CAJUN, DRAGON, LYNX, and MADDOG
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
04 February 2007
Savannah Skywarn Amateur Radio Net
Friday morning I found out that there is a Skywarn weather spotters' 2 meter net here in the Savannah area. It is held on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at 9pm on the 146.970 repeater. During the hurricane season, it will be held each Tuesday.
If you are an amateur radio operator with Skywarn training or are interested in getting trained as a spotter, check into the net and let them know. I've been through the training several times and look forward to checking into the nets when work allows.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
If you are an amateur radio operator with Skywarn training or are interested in getting trained as a spotter, check into the net and let them know. I've been through the training several times and look forward to checking into the nets when work allows.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
02 February 2007
Monitoring the Military Part 1
I wrote this article for the January 2007 issue of Key Klix, the newsletter of the Amateur Radio Club of Savannah (ARCS). The main purpose of this article is to give those new to or unfamiliar with military monitoring some starting points for the frequency ranges used.
More new scanners, as well as some amateur radio gear, are being produced with the ability to monitor a subject that doesn’t get much attention in the general scanning community. Most radio hobbyists are familiar with monitoring pubic safety type communications, but not with monitoring military communications. The Savannah area is rich with military communications to monitor. With this series of articles, I hope to open up the basics of the easiest part of military monitoring, military aviation, to you.
In order to monitor military communications, you have to get used to some different sets of frequencies than what public safety communications use. Additionally, some of these frequency ranges utilize AM rather than FM. For this reason, it is important to look for gear with selectable modes when looking for a radio to monitor the military with.
30.000-88.000 MHz
This frequency range uses 25 kHz steps in FM mode. The Amateur 6-meter band is in the middle of this frequency range, but look here for military activity, too. This range is used for ground communications and by aircraft such as Army and Marine helicopters and the USAF A-10.
118.000-136.000 MHz
Many of you are already familiar with the VHF airband. This range uses 25 kHz steps and uses AM mode. Military aviation utilizes the airband along with civilian aviation. Many of the cargo and transportation type aircraft use this range almost exclusively for air traffic control.
138.000-144.00 MHz
This frequency range uses 12.5 kHz steps and both AM and FM modes. It is used for air and ground communications. Air communications utilize AM mode. USAF F-16s and A-10s frequently use this frequency range for air-to-air communications. Ground communications use FM mode. Many 2-meter and dual band radios have the ability to monitor this range although not necessarily in AM.
148.000-150.800 MHz
Although there are some non-government users in the top of this frequency range, this range is used by the military mostly for ground communications with 12.5 kHz steps in FM mode. There is some air communications utilizing AM, but it is not as frequently used for air communications as 138-144 MHz and 225-400 MHz is. Just as with the 138-144 MHz band, many 2-meter and dual band radios have the ability to receive this range.
162.000-174.000 MHz
Commonly known as the VHF federal band, the military also uses this frequency range for ground communications. 12.5 kHz steps and FM mode are used in this range, although more and more users are starting to use the P25 digital mode. It is not unusual to run into encryption in use by both federal and military users in this band.
225.000-400.000 MHz
This is the big one, the military airband. For the most part, this frequency range uses 25 kHz steps and AM mode. This band is currently undergoing changes, with the top 20 MHz being shifted to land mobile use in 12.5 kHz steps and FM mode. The rest of the band is primarily used for air-to-air and air-to-ground communications by aircraft of all the armed services. Satellite Communications are also found in this range using FM mode. Some command and control type aircraft also use this range in WFM (wideband FM) and USB modes. Although this range has been left out of many scanners in the past, it is starting to be included in many newer ones. It can also be found in some dual band amateur gear.
406.000-420.000 MHz
Commonly known as the UHF federal band, the military also uses this frequency range for ground communications. 12.5 kHz steps and FM mode are used, although just like 162.000-174.000 MHz, P25 digital is coming into use. Frequencies in this range are also used for military base trunking systems.
With the frequency ranges explained, next month we’ll begin to move into some specifics of how they are used in the Savannah area, beginning with air traffic control frequencies. Air Traffic Control is the best place to start finding military aviation communications. Of all the forms of military communications, military aviation is the easiest to hear because the altitude at which the aircraft are flying. You can hear quite a bit even with a handheld. Until then, try searching through these frequency ranges, you never know what you might find.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
More new scanners, as well as some amateur radio gear, are being produced with the ability to monitor a subject that doesn’t get much attention in the general scanning community. Most radio hobbyists are familiar with monitoring pubic safety type communications, but not with monitoring military communications. The Savannah area is rich with military communications to monitor. With this series of articles, I hope to open up the basics of the easiest part of military monitoring, military aviation, to you.
In order to monitor military communications, you have to get used to some different sets of frequencies than what public safety communications use. Additionally, some of these frequency ranges utilize AM rather than FM. For this reason, it is important to look for gear with selectable modes when looking for a radio to monitor the military with.
30.000-88.000 MHz
This frequency range uses 25 kHz steps in FM mode. The Amateur 6-meter band is in the middle of this frequency range, but look here for military activity, too. This range is used for ground communications and by aircraft such as Army and Marine helicopters and the USAF A-10.
118.000-136.000 MHz
Many of you are already familiar with the VHF airband. This range uses 25 kHz steps and uses AM mode. Military aviation utilizes the airband along with civilian aviation. Many of the cargo and transportation type aircraft use this range almost exclusively for air traffic control.
138.000-144.00 MHz
This frequency range uses 12.5 kHz steps and both AM and FM modes. It is used for air and ground communications. Air communications utilize AM mode. USAF F-16s and A-10s frequently use this frequency range for air-to-air communications. Ground communications use FM mode. Many 2-meter and dual band radios have the ability to monitor this range although not necessarily in AM.
148.000-150.800 MHz
Although there are some non-government users in the top of this frequency range, this range is used by the military mostly for ground communications with 12.5 kHz steps in FM mode. There is some air communications utilizing AM, but it is not as frequently used for air communications as 138-144 MHz and 225-400 MHz is. Just as with the 138-144 MHz band, many 2-meter and dual band radios have the ability to receive this range.
162.000-174.000 MHz
Commonly known as the VHF federal band, the military also uses this frequency range for ground communications. 12.5 kHz steps and FM mode are used in this range, although more and more users are starting to use the P25 digital mode. It is not unusual to run into encryption in use by both federal and military users in this band.
225.000-400.000 MHz
This is the big one, the military airband. For the most part, this frequency range uses 25 kHz steps and AM mode. This band is currently undergoing changes, with the top 20 MHz being shifted to land mobile use in 12.5 kHz steps and FM mode. The rest of the band is primarily used for air-to-air and air-to-ground communications by aircraft of all the armed services. Satellite Communications are also found in this range using FM mode. Some command and control type aircraft also use this range in WFM (wideband FM) and USB modes. Although this range has been left out of many scanners in the past, it is starting to be included in many newer ones. It can also be found in some dual band amateur gear.
406.000-420.000 MHz
Commonly known as the UHF federal band, the military also uses this frequency range for ground communications. 12.5 kHz steps and FM mode are used, although just like 162.000-174.000 MHz, P25 digital is coming into use. Frequencies in this range are also used for military base trunking systems.
With the frequency ranges explained, next month we’ll begin to move into some specifics of how they are used in the Savannah area, beginning with air traffic control frequencies. Air Traffic Control is the best place to start finding military aviation communications. Of all the forms of military communications, military aviation is the easiest to hear because the altitude at which the aircraft are flying. You can hear quite a bit even with a handheld. Until then, try searching through these frequency ranges, you never know what you might find.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Monitoring the Military Part 2: Air Traffic Control
I wrote this article for the February 2007 Key Klix, the newsletter of the Amateur Radio Club of Savannah (ARCS). It is not meant to be an in depth article on Air Traffic Control; it is more of a "beginner's guide" to monitoring military flights through the Savannah, Georgia area.
Air Traffic Control frequencies are good places to start finding military aviation activity; as aircraft are en route from one location to another, they will be in communication with local air traffic controllers or ARTCC air traffic controllers. Typically, these air traffic control frequencies will be in pairs of one VHF (118.000 to 136.000 MHz) frequency and one UHF (225 to 400 MHz) frequency. Both civilian and military aircraft use VHF frequencies; military aircraft use UHF frequencies (AM mode is used on both VHF and UHF). The type of aircraft usually determines whether or not they will use VHF or UHF with air traffic control. Military aircraft will usually have 2 or more radios, a typical combination would be 1 VHF radio and 1 UHF radio (larger aircraft may have more than one of each). Some military aircraft are only equipped with UHF radios (this is becoming less common). For air traffic control, large transport aircraft will usually use VHF; fighter or attack type aircraft will usually use UHF.
Just as amateur radio operators use callsigns, military aircraft do as well.
Military aircraft callsigns are composed of a word or combination of letters followed by a series of 2 or more numbers. For the most part, the word or letter combination identifies the unit or service the aircraft is from and the numbers identify the flight number, mission number, or airframe. For example, ARMY 26260 would be an Army UH-60 Blackhawk; ARMY denotes the service and 26260 is the last 5 digits of the helicopter’s tail number. AB 401 would be a US Navy F/A-18 from VFA-86; AB identifies it as a VFA-86 aircraft and 401 is the aircraft number. SHOOTER 11 would be an F-16 from the 55th Fighter Squadron; SHOOTER is a callsign that the 55th FS uses and 11 denotes the flight number (additional aircraft in the flight would be 12, 13, 14, etc.)
The local air traffic control frequencies are airport tower, airport ground control, clearance delivery, and approach/departure frequencies. The tower controls the airspace immediately surrounding the airport. Ground Control controls the ramp space, taxiways, and runways. Approach/Departure controls the airspace around the airport but outside of the airport’s immediate airspace. In Savannah, although there are two major airports, Savannah/Hilton Head International and Hunter Army Airfield, there is one Approach/Departure facility that handles the area surrounding both. Savannah International and Hunter each have their own tower and ground control facilities. Savannah International also utilizes clearance delivery frequencies to issue departure clearances to aircraft; at Hunter clearances are passed over the ground or tower frequencies.
125.300/387.100 Savannah Approach/Departure
120.400/380.025 Savannah Approach/Departure
118.400/307.225 Savannah Approach/Departure
119.100/257.800 Savannah/Hilton Head IAP Tower
121.900/348.600 Savannah/Hilton Head IAP Ground Control
119.550/291.775 Savannah/Hilton Head IAP Clearance Delivery
133.550/279.575 Hunter AAF Tower
121.800/291.675 Hunter AAF Ground Control
When they aren’t within the areas surrounding the airports, aircraft will be in communication with ARTCC (Air Route Traffic Control Center) controllers. ARTCCs are separated into sectors and altitudes. The sectors are named by a city or airport within the sector (sometimes where the transmitter is located) and by the altitude it covers (low, high, or ultra high). The area surrounding Savannah falls in Jacksonville Center’s area. Sectors surrounding the Savannah area are (once again, both VHF and UHF frequencies use AM mode):
Allendale Low 132.500/363.200
Brunswick Low 126.750/277.400
Jekyll Low 124.675/282.200
Savannah Low 322.500/120.850
Aiken High 127.875/319.200
Summerville High 124.075/351.700
Alma High 135.975/282.300
Statesboro High 126.125/285.650
Hunter Ultra High 132.425/290.350
Related to Air Traffic Control are the Flight Service Stations (FSS). The area around Savannah is under the Macon FSS, which uses 123.650/255.400.
Pilots can contact an FSS to open flight plans, get weather information, etc.
To illustrate how all of this works we’ll create an imaginary flight, ARCS 11, which will depart Hunter Army Airfield and turn south toward Florida. ARCS 11 is given their flight plan via Ground Control on 291.675 and are then given instructions to taxi to the runway. Once they are ready to take off, Ground Control switches them to 279.575 for Hunter Tower where they are cleared onto the runway and then give clearance to take off. When ARCS 11 leaves Hunter’s airspace, they are switched to Savannah Approach/Departure control on 380.025. As ARCS 11 continues south, they leave Savannah’s airspace and are switched to Jacksonville Center on 282.200. At each of these frequency changes, the air traffic controller will pass the new frequency for the flight to switch to. Of course, most of the time you won’t be able to hear the air traffic controller because you are out of range, but the pilots usually repeat the frequency they are given for confirmation, enabling you to follow them along their journey until the aircraft is out of range.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Air Traffic Control frequencies are good places to start finding military aviation activity; as aircraft are en route from one location to another, they will be in communication with local air traffic controllers or ARTCC air traffic controllers. Typically, these air traffic control frequencies will be in pairs of one VHF (118.000 to 136.000 MHz) frequency and one UHF (225 to 400 MHz) frequency. Both civilian and military aircraft use VHF frequencies; military aircraft use UHF frequencies (AM mode is used on both VHF and UHF). The type of aircraft usually determines whether or not they will use VHF or UHF with air traffic control. Military aircraft will usually have 2 or more radios, a typical combination would be 1 VHF radio and 1 UHF radio (larger aircraft may have more than one of each). Some military aircraft are only equipped with UHF radios (this is becoming less common). For air traffic control, large transport aircraft will usually use VHF; fighter or attack type aircraft will usually use UHF.
Just as amateur radio operators use callsigns, military aircraft do as well.
Military aircraft callsigns are composed of a word or combination of letters followed by a series of 2 or more numbers. For the most part, the word or letter combination identifies the unit or service the aircraft is from and the numbers identify the flight number, mission number, or airframe. For example, ARMY 26260 would be an Army UH-60 Blackhawk; ARMY denotes the service and 26260 is the last 5 digits of the helicopter’s tail number. AB 401 would be a US Navy F/A-18 from VFA-86; AB identifies it as a VFA-86 aircraft and 401 is the aircraft number. SHOOTER 11 would be an F-16 from the 55th Fighter Squadron; SHOOTER is a callsign that the 55th FS uses and 11 denotes the flight number (additional aircraft in the flight would be 12, 13, 14, etc.)
The local air traffic control frequencies are airport tower, airport ground control, clearance delivery, and approach/departure frequencies. The tower controls the airspace immediately surrounding the airport. Ground Control controls the ramp space, taxiways, and runways. Approach/Departure controls the airspace around the airport but outside of the airport’s immediate airspace. In Savannah, although there are two major airports, Savannah/Hilton Head International and Hunter Army Airfield, there is one Approach/Departure facility that handles the area surrounding both. Savannah International and Hunter each have their own tower and ground control facilities. Savannah International also utilizes clearance delivery frequencies to issue departure clearances to aircraft; at Hunter clearances are passed over the ground or tower frequencies.
125.300/387.100 Savannah Approach/Departure
120.400/380.025 Savannah Approach/Departure
118.400/307.225 Savannah Approach/Departure
119.100/257.800 Savannah/Hilton Head IAP Tower
121.900/348.600 Savannah/Hilton Head IAP Ground Control
119.550/291.775 Savannah/Hilton Head IAP Clearance Delivery
133.550/279.575 Hunter AAF Tower
121.800/291.675 Hunter AAF Ground Control
When they aren’t within the areas surrounding the airports, aircraft will be in communication with ARTCC (Air Route Traffic Control Center) controllers. ARTCCs are separated into sectors and altitudes. The sectors are named by a city or airport within the sector (sometimes where the transmitter is located) and by the altitude it covers (low, high, or ultra high). The area surrounding Savannah falls in Jacksonville Center’s area. Sectors surrounding the Savannah area are (once again, both VHF and UHF frequencies use AM mode):
Allendale Low 132.500/363.200
Brunswick Low 126.750/277.400
Jekyll Low 124.675/282.200
Savannah Low 322.500/120.850
Aiken High 127.875/319.200
Summerville High 124.075/351.700
Alma High 135.975/282.300
Statesboro High 126.125/285.650
Hunter Ultra High 132.425/290.350
Related to Air Traffic Control are the Flight Service Stations (FSS). The area around Savannah is under the Macon FSS, which uses 123.650/255.400.
Pilots can contact an FSS to open flight plans, get weather information, etc.
To illustrate how all of this works we’ll create an imaginary flight, ARCS 11, which will depart Hunter Army Airfield and turn south toward Florida. ARCS 11 is given their flight plan via Ground Control on 291.675 and are then given instructions to taxi to the runway. Once they are ready to take off, Ground Control switches them to 279.575 for Hunter Tower where they are cleared onto the runway and then give clearance to take off. When ARCS 11 leaves Hunter’s airspace, they are switched to Savannah Approach/Departure control on 380.025. As ARCS 11 continues south, they leave Savannah’s airspace and are switched to Jacksonville Center on 282.200. At each of these frequency changes, the air traffic controller will pass the new frequency for the flight to switch to. Of course, most of the time you won’t be able to hear the air traffic controller because you are out of range, but the pilots usually repeat the frequency they are given for confirmation, enabling you to follow them along their journey until the aircraft is out of range.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
01 February 2007
102nd Fighter Wing at Savannah CRTC
At least 8 F-15s from the 102nd Fighter Wing arrived at the Savannah Combat Readiness Training Center this morning. CAPE 1# flight and CAPE 2# flight arrived via the usual ATC frequencies and passed in-flight reports on 237.000 (CRTC Ops).
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
UAV Crash at Fort Stewart
I managed to monitor part of an interesting incident on 29 January 2007: the crash of a Shadow UAV during training by the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Divsion at Fort Stewart. The UAV belonged to A/2-3 BTB; search and recovery operations utilized assets of 2nd Brigade Headquarters, A/2-3 BTB, and 3-3 Aviation.
Due to my distance from Fort Stewart, I didn't hear any FM or VHF/UHF milair traffic on the operation, but I did catch activity on the Fort Stewart Trunked Repeater System. Most of the activity was on Talkgroup 2960, which has been identified as a 2nd Brigade talkgroup; SPARTAN elements (2nd Brigade), TITAN elements (2-3 BTB) and SHARK elements (3-3 Aviation) were coordinating requests for an AH-64 Apache to assist in the search. TITAN elements also passed last known altitude and heading to assist the AH-64 that SHARK 3 tasked to the search. Talkgroup 7312, which has been used extensively during recent 2nd Brigade training was used by SPARTAN X-RAY to advise training areas of the UAV crash.
The TRS was used to coordinate the activity of the units involved. Based on what I could hear, SHARK 3 had tasked DEATHSTALKER 6 (the AH-64 in the search) to communicate with 2-3 BTB on a SINGCARS net. All in all, it made for fascinating monitoring. Unfortunately I fell asleep before the UAV was located, so I missed the resolution of the search and how bad the UAV may have been damaged. TITAN mentioned that it's parachute had deployed, so hopefully damage was minimal.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Due to my distance from Fort Stewart, I didn't hear any FM or VHF/UHF milair traffic on the operation, but I did catch activity on the Fort Stewart Trunked Repeater System. Most of the activity was on Talkgroup 2960, which has been identified as a 2nd Brigade talkgroup; SPARTAN elements (2nd Brigade), TITAN elements (2-3 BTB) and SHARK elements (3-3 Aviation) were coordinating requests for an AH-64 Apache to assist in the search. TITAN elements also passed last known altitude and heading to assist the AH-64 that SHARK 3 tasked to the search. Talkgroup 7312, which has been used extensively during recent 2nd Brigade training was used by SPARTAN X-RAY to advise training areas of the UAV crash.
The TRS was used to coordinate the activity of the units involved. Based on what I could hear, SHARK 3 had tasked DEATHSTALKER 6 (the AH-64 in the search) to communicate with 2-3 BTB on a SINGCARS net. All in all, it made for fascinating monitoring. Unfortunately I fell asleep before the UAV was located, so I missed the resolution of the search and how bad the UAV may have been damaged. TITAN mentioned that it's parachute had deployed, so hopefully damage was minimal.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
USCG Monitoring Blogs
On 28 January 2007, I posted an article about problems with the USCG Deepwater Program. While checking site hits the next two days, I noticed that I had two hits from the uscg.mil domain, both going direct to the Deepwater entry. One hit came from the Google blog search site.
I'm not proclaiming a conspiracy here, I just found it fairly interesting that a blog post that simply presented the article without comment gathered attention from the USCG.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
I'm not proclaiming a conspiracy here, I just found it fairly interesting that a blog post that simply presented the article without comment gathered attention from the USCG.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
