“A little more pull, a little power. Standby boards -- boards!” Monitoring the Air Show Experience The Annual MT Air Show Guide By Larry Van Horn, MT Assistant Editor, N5FPW f that bit of chatter above sounds familiar to Where do you hear the The team is home based at Forrest Sher- you, then chances are you have monitored com- man Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Imunications at a military air show sometime in action? However, the squadron does spend January the past. And when you canvass military radio hob- From time to time, frequencies for air show through March each year training pilots and byists from around the world, one of their favorite teams do change, so it’s important to know new team members at the Naval Air Facility in monitoring activities, hands down, is monitoring where to search for potential new frequencies. El Centro, California. air show communications. When the U.S. Navy Blue Angel flight demon- The Blue Angels are scheduled to fly 67 air Nothing stirs up the aircraft enthusiast’s juices stration team made some major changes back in shows at 34 air show sites in the United States more than these two magical words – Air Show! 2004, seasoned veterans knew the right bands and Canada during the 2009 season, as the team Every year, from March through November, to target to look for the new frequencies being celebrates 23 years of flying the F/A 18 Hornet. thousands hit the road to watch the action, as used. Since its inception in 1946, the Blue Angels military and civilian aero teams put their aircraft Last year, we saw major changes in the have performed for more than 450 million fans. through the paces to entertain and perform. VHF frequencies used by the famed U.S. Air The other major piece of hardware in the While there is nothing quite as thrilling as Force Thunderbirds. Again, thanks to veteran squadron is their C-130 Hercules transport air- going out to one of these public air shows and monitors who knew where to monitor, we were craft, affectionately known as “Fat Albert.” It is watching the military or civilian demonstration the first to report on our Milcom Monitoring the only Marine Corps aircraft permanently as- teams strut their stuff in front of thousands of Post blog the major frequency changes used by signed to support a Navy squadron and is flown aircraft fanatics, you can add to the visual experi- the boys in Blue in 2008. by an all Marine Corps crew of three pilots and ence by monitoring the performing teams’ radio Just like the veterans, if you concentrate five enlisted personnel. “Fat Albert” flies more communications. With a radio scanner in hand, on the bands listed below, you should be able than 140,000 miles during the course of a show you will experience a whole new perspective of to locate most air show activity at the show you season. the show that few attendees will realize or enjoy. are attending (all frequencies in this article are After coping with a multitude of frequency Since the new 2009 air show season starts in in MHz unless otherwise indicated). changes during the 2004 season, the 2008 sea- the second week of March, we here present our son was relatively stable and quiet for the Blue annual MT Milcom Air Show Guide, giving you the 118.000-137.000 25 kHz search steps (AM Angels. The primary AM mode UHF frequen- frequencies to monitor, the recommended list of air mode) Note: We have reports of a lot of new air cies monitored during last season include: show activity in the new portion of the civilian show radio equipment, and the major military flight aero band – 136-137 MHz. Be sure to check demonstration team schedules for the upcoming air out this frequency range out for civilian and Blue Angel Frequencies show season. military demo aircraft communications Frequency Usage 122.700-123.575 25 kHz search steps (AM) ------- Pensacola (KNPA) frequencies <Chan- On a personal note, it is really hard for me nels 1-7> to believe that you are reading the 10th annual 138.000-144.000 12.5 kHz search steps (AM/ Narrowband FM) ------- Show Site frequencies <Channels 11- Monitoring Times Milcom Air Show Guide here in 148.000-150.800 12.5 kHz search steps (AM/ 15> the pages of MT. What started out as an answer to NBFM ) 237.800 Solos <Channel 8> a question by a reader of the Milcom column ten 225.000-380.000 25 kHz search steps (AM) 250.975 Diamond (new in 2008) years ago, has grown into one of the most eagerly 406.100-420.000 12.5 kHz search steps 255.200 Circle and arrivals discrete <Channel (NBFM) 17> anticipated features in this magazine each year 275.350 Diamond <Channel 9> -- and for good reason. 284.250 Show Box/Delta <Channel 16> 289.800 Aerial Refueling U.S. Navy Blue Angels 289.900 Aerial Refueling The U.S. Navy (USN)/Marine Corps 305.500 Fat Albert “Bert” Primary/Solos (West (USMC) military team is represented on the Coast) <Channel 10> air show circuit by the Blue Angels flying their 346.500 “Checklist Freq” – Pre-show checklist, F/A-18 Hornet aircraft. ground star/, roll out, and mainte- A Blue Angels flight demonstration exhib- nance <Channel 18> its the skills possessed by all naval aviators. It includes the graceful aerobatic maneuvers of the During the 2005 show season, the Blues four plane Diamond Formation, in concert with started using a new ground cart for show com- the fast paced, high performance maneuvers of munications. Two new narrowband FM splinter its two Solo Pilots. At the close of every show, frequencies/designators were found in use: the team illustrates the pinnacle of precision 139.8125 <Bravo/Channel 3> and 142.6125 flying, performing maneuvers locked as a unit <Alpha/Channel 3A>. In 2007, another possible Brian Topolski in the renowned, six jet Delta Formation. new NBFM frequency was reported: 141.5625 8 MONITORING TIMES March 2009 MHz <Charlie>. 148.1250* Thunderbirds <Victor 1> (AM) Although we believe that the older 162-174 Georgia near end of the season MHz Blue Angel FM LMR frequencies are no 148.8500* Alternate Diamond <Victor 2> paired w/139.800 longer being used, I have not deleted them from 150.1500* Alternate Diamond <Victor 2> this list, as some West Coast monitors claim paired w/143.700 that some of them were still being used as late 225.1750* Thunderbirds <Uniform 1> (AM) as 2007. Georgia near end of the season I encourage those of you with Signal 235.2000 Thunderbird Control/ComCart/ Cross Country (AM) Stalker® and Close Call® capability to watch 235.2500 Pre-Engine Start and Solo aircraft the LMR spectrum from 138-144 MHz closely on/off show center/ linked to PA Brian Topolski for new additional 12.5-kHz splinter frequencies system (AM) <Uniform 1> being used by the team’s ground crews. 322.9500 Engine Starts/Solo aircraft (5-6) nel 2); 413.250 (Analog); 413.350 (P25); Air-Air (AM) <Uniform 2> 413.375 (P25); 901.500 (Comm Cart Head- Additional Blue Angel Frequencies *indicates a new frequency used in 2008 set); 905.350 (Comm Cart Headset) Cross Country Air-Air 138.250 143.600 237.800 238.150 Maintenance/Ground teams (NBFM) 275.350 284.250 303.000 (AM) 216.725 Announce PA feed - Music and show Other US DoD Military Maintenance/Ground communications [Old narration <Channel 55> communications comcart/ground frequen- 216.975 Team air show frequency feeds/ Flight Demo Teams cies] (NBFM) mix – air-to-air simulcast <Channel In addition to the two units mentioned 140.100 142.000 143.600 163.000 60> above, the Navy and the Air Force also have 164.900 165.225 167.500 167.800 413.275 Ground Maintenance Analog (DCS other flight demonstration units. Other branches 431) 168.900 169.400 170.900 of the Department of Defense (DoD) and David Tower-Comm Cart (May no longer be used) 413.325 Ground Maintenance Analog (DCS 173.825 (NBFM) 503) Shultz air shows (one of the premier air show Tower Observer 143.000 (AM) companies) use a wide variety of VHF and UHF UHF frequencies not reported in recent seasons There are other 216 MHz frequencies frequencies during air shows. 236.450 249.625 251.600 254.500 that are transmitted from the T-Bird Comm VHF frequencies to watch for air show 256.250 262.850 263.350 264.350 cart using Comtek gear which are interesting activity include: 264.550 265.000 273.300 286.000 138.150 138.200 138.250 138.500 299.650 302.100 (Fat Albert Secondary) to monitor. You can get a complete Comtek 138.550 138.575 138.600 138.625 302.150 307.700 381.000 (AM) bandplan link for that frequency range in our 138.675 138.750 138.825 138.950 internet resource guide printed in this month’s 139.000 139.225 139.300 139.525 Milcom column. If you don’t hear the cart on 139.600 139.700 139.900 140.200 U.S. Air Force the frequencies that I have identified above, do 140.300 140.500 141.150 141.250 a search using the frequency chart listed in the 141.300 141.400 141.550 141.600 Thunderbirds 141.650 141.950 142.300 142.600 The premier U.S. Air Force (USAF) flight Comtek link. 142.700 142.800 142.900 143.000 demonstration team is known as the Thunder- Previously used frequencies used by the 143.150 143.200 143.250 143.550 birds.