Unicorn 122.35

What to Monitor? cussion about some rather severe technical So off you go to your local airshow, scan- problems with a European jet fighter at one air ners in your backpack, fresh batteries in a side show last year. The problems were resolved pocket and a good pair of headphones. Now, minutes before its performance, but left me what should you listen to? Tip number one; turn wondering whether it was safe to remain in the on your scanner on the way to the air show and area while the plane was performing. scan the aviation band. Even before the show And, of course, you will remember the fea- starts aircraft will be arriving and talking to the ture article in last month's MT about the Snow- local control center and tower controllers. In birds. The Snowbirds leader cockpit to cockpit fact, if you live near to where the air show is commands can be heard on 272.1 MHz -a fre- going to take place. it is even worth monitor- quency that many low- priced scanners cannot ing the aviation band (108 -136 MHz) for a day receive. So, if you want to monitor the Snow- or two before the event to listen out for early birds, make sure you get a scanner that covers arrivals. Air show exhibits are often mustered the military aviation band. The Snowbirds corn- at a local airfield during the days before the mand frequency is sometimes relayed over the event - especially if they are going to be a part public address system at major air shows, but of the ground display. you can't always depend on that. The Snowbirds are usually the last performance at Canadian air shows. When the Snow- birds finish their performance, the show usually ends and it is time for the long walk across the perimeter fields back to the parking lot, and the bumpy drive back out into the traffic jams Snowbirds in close formation! CF Photo leaving the show. But is it worth it? You betcha! 31 August -2 Sept Toronto, ON 118.2, 119.2 7 -8 Sept 12 Wing Unicorn 122.35 Table 1: Major Canadian Air Shows in 2002 Shearwater, NS 126.2, 119.0 11 September Bathurst, NB 122.8 14 -15 Sept Sarnia, ON n/a Date Location Tower Frequency Note: "n/a" indicates the air show is not held at a Canadian airport. 20 May Leamington, ON n/a 25 -26 May Muskoka, ON 122.3 Frequency finding isn't always hard 28 May Barrie, ON 122.7 Table 2: The Canadian Warplane Heritage l -2 June Winnipeg, MB 118.3, 125.4 Table 1 lists the tower frequencies at the 12 June Stephenville, NF 122.3 Museum's Collection host airports for the major airshows sched- 15 -16 June Ottawa, ON 118.8, 120.1 uled to take place in Canada in 2002 (com- 19 June Mont -Joli, OC 122.1, 126.7 This fine collection of planes contains many flying exhibits that prehensive at the time of writing). The tower can 27 June Cobourg, ON n/a be seen in Canada's skies at air shows across the country. controls all movements on the runways, 28 -30 June London, ON 119.4 Fairey Firefly MK 5 whether those movements are scheduled air 1 July Canada Day Ottawa, ON 118.8, 120.1 Supermarine Spitfire MK XVI traffic, or air show traffic. Monitoring the 6 -7 July Moose Jaw, SK 126.2 Hawker Hurricane tower frequencies will let you hear when air- 13 -14 July Edmonton, AB 118.3 Avro Anson IV craft are departing or returning from their per- 27 July Yellowknife, NT 118.5 Beech D185 Expeditor formance. You may also want to monitor the 28 July Peace River, AB 130.27 Cessna T50 Crane ground controller frequencies to get a "heads - 3 -4 August Lethbridge, AB 121.0, 122.5, 126.7 Douglas DC -3 Dakota up" when a performer is moving toward a 7 August Esquimalt, BC n/a Grumman G -44A Widgeon runway for take -off. A scan of the aircraft 9 -11 August Abbotsford, BC 119.4, 121.0 Canadair CF -104 Starfighter band will quickly reveal what frequencies are 17 -18 August Saskatoon, SK 118.3 Lockheed T -33 Silver Star being used by ground controllers often not - 24 -25 August Thunder deHavilland Vampire the regular ground frequencies, especially if Bay, ON 118.1 28 August Brantford, ON 123.0 Lockheed CF -104D Starfighter scheduled air traffic is continuing during the Hawker Hunter show. Canadair CF -5 Freedom Fighter Sometimes the task of finding Avro CF -100 a frequency to punch into your scan- Amo Lancaster ner is not so hard, as figure 3 shows; Bristol Bolingbroke some smaller airports post their fre- North American B25 -1 Mitchell quency on a sign for pilots to see Consolidated PBY 5A Canso when entering the apron area. Grumman CSF -2 Tracker There is one other important Fairchild F -24R Argus frequency that you will want to have Westland Lysander Ill keyed in to your scanner; that is the flC GIEIT VAI FLYING NUSEON Auster Beagle frequency for the director of flight Boeing Stearman PT -27 Kaydet operations, usually called the "Air deHavilland DHC -1 Chipmunk Boss." You can also find this fre- 1 deHavilland 82C Tiger Moth quency very quickly by scanning the Fairchild PT -26B Cornell aircraft band, or be bold and ask an Fleet Finch official. Fleet 21K The Air Boss is in overall con- Fleet 60K Fort trol of the sequence of performances North American Harvard IV in the air show. You will often hear North American NA -64 Yale some very interesting chat on this Westland Lysander Ill frequency. I remember hearing dis- Bristol Bolingbroke The Great War Flying Museum in Brampton, Ontario Grumman CSF -2 Tracker 12 MONITORING TIMES March 2002 www.americanradiohistory.com.

Load more