[MilCom] Thunderbirds

[Michael Comer]

Here is a show report, for what there is to it.
Most of the freqs are from the practice show on Friday, did not
have the scanner with me during the show on Saturday.


Kennedy Space Center/Spaceport USA - Space Expo and Aerial Salute

Air Boss: 126.650 (normally weather aircraft and STA use)
Cape Control: 133.800 / 264.800
NASA Tower: 128.550 / 284.000

Thunderbirds arrived on Thursday using 143.850 V-1 for
air-air and switched to V-2 and disappeared. Had 141.850
programmed and it was quiet.
Found them on 141.825 after a brief search.

V-1 143.850 arrival air-air
V-2 141.825 Diamond
U-1 235.250 Solos
322.950

Thunderbird Ops may have been using the KSC trunked system,
heard some related traffic in the clear, but mostly encrypted on TG 39056.

Patrick AFB 920th RQW SAR Demo
255.500 JOLLY 11-12 air-air
321.000 KING 64 / JOLLY air-air

RHINO DEMO (F/A-18E, VFA-106) no discrete heard

384.550 EAGLE 1 (F-15C, 58th FS)

384.550 RAPTOR 1 (F-22A, Langley AFB)
    (used 376.025 air-air on Thursdays arrival)

136.675 Heritage Flight (P-51 Old Crow, F-15, F-22)

Golden Knights not heard on Friday and only 1 jumper
on Saturday due to high winds. Unable to confirm if
123.475 was used or not.

Viewing was on the NASA Causeway at the Banana River
Viewing Site, same as used for shuttle launch viewing,
looking south into the sun.

No bleachers, only 1 food/drink concession, and they were
not at the same place.
(I got food an hour before the show and did not wait at all. Others
getting food or drink during the show had very long waits)

Spaceport USA/Delaware North has a history of not allowing
scanners on their property so I decided not to bother. My time
was more valuable than dealing with a possible hassle. Security
screening at Spaceport USA is much like the airport, metal detectors
and MUST make any electronic device work, if not, take it back to your
car and start over, or surrender it and never see it again. Did see 1
person with a scanner.

There were allot of exhibits at Spaceport USA, along with John Glenn
and Scott Carpenter speaking, but there was no way to do everything
and see the air show. One could spend most of a day at Spaceport alone.

Cost was $29 if you bought your tickets on-line at least the day before,
otherwise full price was $39+tax, the usual cost to get into Spaceport USA.

My sole reason for going was the Raptor demo, otherwise
I would not have gone.
If they do one again, and you attend, go early, get a bus
out early and eat early. I did all the above and had no real issues other
than a long wait for a bus at the end of the show.

Maybe one day Patrick AFB will host a show again.

Mike Comer
Titusville, FL

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <domyers at voicenet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 9:59 AM
Subject: Re: [MilCom] Thunderbirds


>> 141.825 V-2
>> THUNDERBIRD 1 calling THUNDERBIRD OPS
>> THUNDERBIRD air-air
> 
> Is this new for the T-Birds?  In the past V-2 has been 141.85.
> Thanks
> Dan
> Horsham, pa
> 
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