[Scan-DC] BWI Area Tidbits

[Rapbep at aol.com]

All,

I don't normally listen to the BWI freqs (way too busy), but today had them 
on for awhile (in the background) in the late morning  while doing chores 
around the house.

1. In the morning, Northrop-Grumman at BWI had a couple of aircraft up N757A 
(B-757) & N160W (T-40 Sabreliner) working  F-22 Raptor airborne systems test 
flights over the Atlantic Test Range, off the MD/VA coast, in the area of the 
Snow Hill & Waterloo VORs.

N757A also used callsign Boeing 57A when landing at BWI. N757A is a 757-200 
`Catfish': Boeing's own 757-200 prototype (N757A) fitted with radar nose in 
Lockheed Martin F-22A profile and representative F-22A swept wing section above 
flight deck containing 
conformal radar antennas for advanced radar trials. See 
www.airliners.net/open.file/087246/m for a picture of this specially-configured aircraft. After he 
landed I drove out to BWI to get a peek.  I was able to see it parked, in the 
distance, at the Northrop Flight Test Facility; however he was too far away 
for any pictures.

Northrop Base was working on 123.2 & 123.225. The aircraft were working on 
123.225. The N757A left first and the wx over the test area held them from 
launching the T-40 for about an hour.  Then as the wx began to clear, N757A 
reported that their "Magic" system wasn't operating and told Northrop Base to hold 
the T-40 until they could get the system working. The T-40 left BWI about 2 
hours later and joined up with N757A over the Range.

After they had completed their testing, both aircraft RTB'd to BWI. On the 
way back Northrop Base asked them for a PIREP so they could sked some afternoon 
testing. They reported that the wx looked OK from 5-13,000ft but that above 
that it didn't look good until at least 17,000ft. 

At about 1520 EST Northrop Base contacted an aircraft (probably N757A) on 
123.225 to advise them that there was a light snow falling, but that the airfield 
was OK. The aircraft, which was on the ground, acknowledged the falling snow. 


I haven't heard anything more on the Northrop freqs so perhaps they cancelled 
the afternoon tests.

2. BWI (119.7) was working with an aircraft 30P (never did hear the whole 
registration) which was orbiting in the area of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics 
Lab (APL) near Laurel. The aircraft asked permission to stay in the area but 
the BWI controller adsvised him that they were currently in an undisclosed 
"condition" and that they couldn't promise 39P that he could stay in that 
airspace as long as he had intended.

3. Had an FBI Cessna 172, Ross 33 transit the Baltimore area and head down 
towards Dulles.  

RON
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD (NEAR BWI)
Pro-2045/BC-895XLT w/Discone