Saturday, October 03, 2015

Hurricane Hunters Freqs on HF/VHF/UHF Update


Hurricane Hunter aircraft comms a ircraft to aircraft: VHF 123.05 MHz, Secondary: UHF 304.8 MHz, Back-up: HF 4701 kHz . They have also been using MWARA CAR-B freqs 3455 and CAR-A 5550 kHz USB.

Keep an eye out on the following:

CAR-A MWARA: 2887.0  5550.0  6577.0  8846.0  11396.0  13297.0 kHz
CAR-B MWARA: 3455.0  5520.0  6586.0  8918.0  11220.0  17907.0 kHz

And then there are these two reports from my friend Mac McCormick, KF4LMT, posted to the Milcom newsgroup:

Hurricane Hunter WC-130Js from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron at Keesler AFB are flying missions into Hurricane Joaquin from Hunter AAF in Savannah, GA. Over the last 24 hours, I've caught three WC-130Js on both the radios and Mode-S arriving and leaving Hunter: WC-130J, 97-5303, 53 WRS (Mode-S AE0114), WC-130J, 97-5304, 53 WRS (Mode-S AE0115), and WC-130J, 97-5305, 53 WRS (Mode-S AE0116).

They’ve been flying as TEAL 7# and TEAL 8# flights. Earlier this morning, I caught TEAL 71 (WC-130J, 97-5304, 53 WRS) depart Hunter AAF just before 0500 local/0900 UTC. It routed to the south on 132.925 and 124.675 with Jacksonville Center, advising they that were on a mission to the hurricane. Later, they told Center that they would be delaying in the Hurricane for approximately 5 hours. I lost TEAL 71 on the radio as they went out of range, but Jacksonville Center’s sites were still patched together for the night, so I could still hear the controller passing information to them. Just after 0530 local/0930 UTC they were given 3.445/5.550 for New York HF
and switched over shortly thereafter.

---

53rd WRS WC-130J Hurricane Hunter aircraft are continuing to fly missions to Hurricane Joaquin from Hunter AAF in Savannah. TEAL 72 (WC-130J, 97-5303, 53 WRS) arrived back at Hunter from the mission it flew around 0315 local/0715 UTC this morning. Just before 0400 local/0800 UTC, TEAL 73 (WC-130J, 97-5305, 53 WRS) departed Hunter headed out to Joaquin.

With Joaquin’s change in position as it moves to the northeast, the frequency sequence used this morning is different from yesterday’s. The sequence this morning for TEAL 73’s departure was 124.975 with Hunter AAF to 120.400 with Savannah Approach/Departure, followed by 132.925 with Jacksonville Center to 135.050 with Jacksonville Center. The HF air traffic control frequencies relayed to TEAL 73 this morning were 8.918 and 6.586 USB.

According to the National Hurricane Center’s Plan of the Day, there will be missions from TEAL 71 and 72 later today (10/4/2015) and this evening:

    1. HURRICANE JOAQUIN
       FLIGHT ONE -- TEAL 71           FLIGHT TWO -- TEAL 72
       A. 04/2330Z                                  A. 05/1130Z
       B. AFXXX 1611A JOAQUIN         B. AFXXX 1711A JOAQUIN
       C. 04/2000Z                                  C. 05/0830Z
       D. 33.0N 66.9W                            D. 35.0N 65.5W
       E. 04/2300Z TO 05/0200Z            E. 05/1100Z TO 05/1400Z
       F. SFC TO 10,000FT                     F. SFC TO 10,000FT

There is another interesting flight scheduled according to the NHC Plan of the Day, a research mission to Joaquin by a WB-57, NASA 928, from Robins AFB:

3. REMARKS: NASA WB-57(NASA 928) WILL FLY A 6HR RESEARCH MISSION AROUND JOAQUIN SUNDAY. TAKEOFF FROM WARNER-ROBINS
WILL BE AT 04/1500Z. FLIGHT LEVELS 55,000-65,000FT. ANTICIPATING 71 DROPS.