[MilCom] MilAir Monitoring from KeyWest - Lots of Comms!

[GeorgeF.]

Tuesday morning I decided to take a couple days and spend at the Key West, 
FL.  Of course I had to bring some scanners, 2 BC785's, BC780, BC250, plus 
my 144/440 dualbander to chat with some ham friends along the way
..

Before getting to the Keys I had thought activity should be good but I just 
didn't realize how good!  Below are my logs, since I was driving or at 
least in my pickup it wasn't always easy to write down much detail about 
each transmission.  But there are enough freqs and callsigns to give you an 
idea of what you would hear if you came to the Keys.  By all means, if 
you're traveling to the Keys and want to give MilAir scanning a try PLEASE 
program in the freqs found in the logs below, it will be non stop 
activity!  I'm sure if I wrote down all that I heard this log would be at 
least 5 times longer!

Not only is MilAir scanning great from down here but so is the aviation 
activity you'll see if you just look up!   All day long many F/A-18's (call 
sign AMBUSH) arriving and departing from NAS Key West, from my motel room I 
had an excellent view.  This afternoon got to see a CH-53  drop 5 
parajumpers into the Gulf.  And it was interesting to see the massive 
VHF/UHF antenna arrays located at Truman Annex of NAS Key West which is a 
small area located on the far west side of KeyWest.  Looks like 100  TV 
Yagi ants pointed towards Cuba (only 90 miles away), I bet it isn't the Key 
West Cable Company and I'm sure they're not receiving CNN!

I took many pictures of the antenna arrays with a 300mm telephoto lens, 
once developed I'll post them to www.MilAirComms.com as well as pictures of 
a tethered blimp.  I believe the tethered blimp carries radar, anyone have 
info on this let me know
.


The MilAirComms.com Log report for 5/11/2004
All times are Eastern Time, frequencies in MHz and
unless other wise noted modulation type is AM.
SENTRY 51
   Time:        wkg MacDill Metrol
   Frequency:  344.6000 (METRO)

unid
   Time:
   Frequency:  370.8500 (Tarpon Rng?)

unid
   Time:
   Frequency:  350.8000 (GCA Key West NAS)

unid
   Time:
   Frequency:  306.9000 (Miami Cntr)

unid
   Time:        working Avon Park rng
   Frequency:  138.1250 (A/A)

unid
   Time:        working Avon Park rng
   Frequency:  139.8000 (A/A)

Omaha 718
   Time:
   Frequency:  282.4250 (US Customs)

unid
   Time:
   Frequency:  339.3000 (NORAD)

unid
   Time:
   Frequency:  283.7000 (AvonPark rng)

AMBUSH (visually confirmed as F/A-18's)
   Time:        inbound to KeyWest NAS
   Frequency:  289.4000 (Key West NAS Approach)

unid
   Time:
   Frequency:  388.9500 (NORAD)

unid
   Time:        ACM
   Frequency:  300.1250 (NORAD?)

unid
   Time:        ACM
   Frequency:  344.2000 (Tarpon Rng)

unid
   Time:        ACM
   Frequency:  237.8000 (Tarpon Rng)

PITBULL; CHEAPSHOT
   Time:
   Frequency:  250.6000 (Tarpon Rng)

unid
   Time:        Have Quick Ticks/Tones
   Frequency:  341.7500


The MilAirComms.com Log report for 5/12/2004

Various security units
   Time:
   Frequency:  138.6250 FM (NAS Key West Base Security)

GAMBLER 41; NIGHT31; CHEAPSHOT;
   Time: 0830   Entering W-465A
   Frequency:  344.2000 (Tarpon Rng); 318.5000 (Tarpon Rng); 260.6000 
(Tarpon Rng Descrete, possible Button 6)

AMBUSH ##
   Time: 0840
   Frequency:  350.8000 (Key West NAS Gnd)

unid
   Time: 0840
   Frequency:  289.4000 (Key West NAS App.)

OAKGROVE
   Time: 0845   calling for unid aircraft at 3,600', didn't check but 
xmisstion might have been on 121.5000 as well.
   Frequency:  243.0000 (Emergency)

COBRA ##
   Time: 0845   found freq during search
   Frequency:  374.3000 (Tarpon Rng Descrete?)

unid
   Time: 0845   ACM
   Frequency:  339.5000 (Tarpon Rng?)

AMBUSH21, 23
   Time: 0850
   Frequency:  275.4000 (Tarpon Rng)

AMBUSH21, 23
   Time: 0850   found freq during search
   Frequency:  341.5000 (?? possible a/a, found while searching)

VIDAR 72
   Time: 0910
   Frequency:  289.4000 (Key West NAS App.)

SNAKE ## (same snakes as in FANG snakes?)
   Time: 0915
   Frequency:  344.2000 (Tarpon Rng)

GAMBLER
   Time: 0915
   Frequency:  235.9000 (NORAD)

AMBUSH; VAMPIRE; SHACKLE
   Time: 1204
   Frequency:  250.6000 (Tarpon Rng)

unid
   Time: 1320   "sleepy is dehydrated", then lat/long were given but since 
I was driving I didn't write them down.
   Frequency:  283.7000 (AvonPark?)

Navy Ship HUNTER
   Time: 1357   "US Navy Ship Hunter getting underway, any concerned 
traffic contact HUNTER on CH 16"
   Frequency:  156.8000 (Marine CH 16)

unid
   Time: 1358
   Frequency:  364.2000 (JSTARS?)

CRASH RESCUE 1; NAS KeyWest Tower
   Time: 1400   CRASH 1 was informed that a CH-53, Nose Number 408 was 
inbound for RWY 13 (don't know if there was an IFE or not)
   Frequency:  140.0250 FM (NAS Key West Fire)

DARKSTAR
   Time: 1410
   Frequency:  265.4000 (NORAD)

unid, but seen F-18 (possibly AMBUSH) heading towards NAS from the
   Time: 1415
   Frequency:  289.4000 (NAS Key West App)

George - Monitoring from Daytona Beach (actually KeyWest on 5/11 & 5/12,
WEBSITE:  http://www.MilAirComms.com
(c) 2004 By G. W. Fetter. All Rights Reserved.  No portion of this log maybe
reprinted or reproduced in electronic form or print without my permission.