[MilCom] ETR Downrange supply flights

[AllanStern at aol.com]

At 1:41pm EDT (1741z), Air Transport 530 (DC-10 USAF contractor  acft) 
departed Patrick AFB heading to the USAF Eastern Test Range (ETR) sites on  Antigua 
(TAPA) and then on Ascension Island.  I have been hearing  these range-rat 
supply flights for many many years, even back when they used the  Reach JHL# 
callsign. But today for the first time I heard the flight come up on  130.7 (ARINC 
Gulf of Mexico freq) where he announced his departure time, ETA at  Antigua 
with 29 SOB, 70.0 fuel, and SelCal FLGJ.  He also requested a freq  for HF 
radio check, but I did not hear the freq that was passed.
   I am not sure if this has been a common occurrence and  I have just been 
missing the comms, or if this is a new procedure for  the aircraft heading 
downrange from here. We'll see.
 
AL STERN  Satellite Beach FL (28-11N 80-36W) monitoring
 Patrick AFB (KCOF)  NASA-KSC  Shuttle Landing Fac (KTTS)
 Avon Park Bombing Range (KAGR)  Cape Canaveral  AFS (KXMR)
 JSTARS E-8 Acft Integration Facility, Melbourne IAP (KMLB)
  Worldwide Military HF Communications
 Life Member: Missile, Space and Range  Pioneers.
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