Thursday, January 31, 2008

Arizona Air Guard to watch over Super Bowl

by Capt. Gabe Johnson, 162nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs


Note: Frequency information below for our Valley of the Sun friends.

TUCSON, Ariz. (AFPN) -- Pilots assigned to the 162nd Fighter Wing's Alert Detachment at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., will fly air patrols and air defense deterrence missions in support of the Super Bowl XLII Feb. 3 in Glendale, Ariz.

Arizona's Air Guardsmen are teaming up with the North American Aerospace Defense Command in a consolidated effort with federal, state and local agencies to provide security for the National Football League's championship game held at 73,719-seat University of Phoenix Stadium.

"We have the best jobs in the world," said Lt. Col. Moon Milham, the alert detachment commander. "We get to defend our country and our way of life, and we get to do it from the cockpit of a high performance fighter jet."

Colonel Milham, a 21-year F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot, and his team of aircrew and aircraft maintainers are well-seasoned in the area of homeland defense having provided a 24/7365 rapid response force in support of Operation Noble Eagle, the U.S. air defense mission which began in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The pilots will fly about 8 a.m. Feb. 1 over the Phoenix metropolitan area and Nogales to make a visual show of capability to the general population and the aviation community in order to deter threats, and to reassure the public of their safety.

"Over the Phoenix area, we'll have two F-16s flying in low formation at a medium speed just to let everyone know we are on the job," Colonel Milham said.

It's extremely rare that F-16s would fly at 2,000 feet over the city; therefore the pilots are coordinating with Phoenix approach and local airports to ensure the sorties do not interfere with normal flight activity in the area, the colonel said.

The jets will make approaches at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, Sky Harbor Airport, Goodyear, Glendale, Deer Valley and Scottsdale, and then press south near Nogales to demonstrate U.S. air defense capability near the border.

During the Super Bowl, an undisclosed number of F-16s will perform air patrols to enforce the Federal Aviation Administration's temporary flight restriction over the area.

According to the FAA, only approved military, law enforcement and emergency medical flights will be authorized within two nautical miles of the stadium between 1 and 3 p.m.

Within 10 nautical miles of the stadium, between 3 and 10:30 p.m., authorization extends to regularly-scheduled commercial passenger, private charter and all-cargo flights that meet or exceed approved security programs. From 10 to 30 nautical miles, all other aircraft arriving or departing local airfields will be authorized to pass through, but will be required to maintain constant radio communication with air traffic control.

"We won't be as visible to people on the ground during the game on Sunday, but we'll be up there," Colonel Milham said.

Milcom Monitoring Post Logbook

NORAD Frequencies:
West Sector - McChord AFB
Callsign Bigfoot

121.500 Civilian Emergency
138.000 CAP Air-to-Air
138.025 CAP Air-to-Air
138.225 CAP Air-to-Air
139.925 CAP Air-to-Air
148.125 Air Defense Alert Nationwide
225.000 Refueling
228.800 Tactical All Sectors Channel 1 [Autocat Tac-1]
228.900 Tactical
234.600 Tactical
235.900 CAP Tactical
238.400 Tactical
239.700 Tactical
243.000 Military Emergency/Calling
252.000 CAP Primary (Phoenix area)
254.200 Tactical
256.600 Tactical
260.800 Tactical Secondary
262.400 Tactical
262.800 Tactical
264.900 Tactical
265.400 CAP/GCI Primary
267.000 Tactical
270.200 Tactical
271.000 CAP (Phoenix area)
274.400 Tactical
275.000 Tactical
276.400 Tactical
276.650 Tactical
277.600 Tactical
279.400 Tactical
282.600 Tactical (usually Socal/Pac NW)
285.900 Tactical
288.400 CAP (San Fran area)
292.700 Tactical
293.600 CAP (SoCal area)
295.800 CAP (Phoenix Area Refueling)
298.300 Tactical
300.125 Tactical
320.600 Tactical
320.900 Tactical
321.300 Tactical
324.000 Tactical Refueling
328.000 Tactical
335.950 Tactical (AWACS)
336.600 Tactical
341.800 Tactical
346.200 Tactical
348.200 Tactical
351.500 Tactical
355.200 Tactical
359.800 Tactical
360.400 Tactical
363.300 Tactical (tentative)
364.200 AICC Nationwide
364.300 Tactical Refueling
369.000 Tactical
374.000 Tactical
377.000 Tactical
386.000 Tactical
387.800 C2 tactical
390.200 Tactical

Some other frequencies to watch at nationwide special events:
228.150 231.750 235.950 239.550 243.475 245.050 247.050 251.725 256.100 257.450 262.850 265.975 267.475 270.150 270.950 274.075 277.350 279.175 283.050 284.800 288.550 289.500 290.000 291.000 305.550 327.450 349.550 369.275 377.700

NORAD listing copyright Teak Publishing 2008. Redistribution in any form is prohibited without permission.