Warbird Information Exchange

Just a heads up, today I received the March Monitoring Times magazine the 2012 Air Show special. This issue includes a rather long list of frequencies that in use by air show performers.

Probably not a good list to publish.... Don't need people who have a transmitter that may screw up the channel when they need it. Listening is OK,talking isn't (or leaving the mike open)....

Just my opinion...

So want to post a copy of the freqs... so we can use them?

Mark H

BTW a quick search has the lists on line.... Mostly Thunderbirds and Blues, Military, etc. However there is a page of civilian teams and acts there.....

_________________
Fly safe or you get to meet me .......

Bummer. There are good reasons why those are not intended to be published.

Ryan

_________________
Aerial Photographer with Red Wing Aerial Photography currently based at KRBD and tailwheel CFI.
Websites: Texas Tailwheel Flight Training, DoolittleRaid.com and Lbirds.com.

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. - Prov. 21:31 - Train, Practice, Trust.

The posting was for informational purposes for all of the people that enjoy air shows. I'm not sure what the problem is, there is nothing about transmitting on those frequencies at all in the article. As to whether the frequencies should be published they are as secret as the frequencies in the IFR Supplement.

That actually happened during the warbird part of the Indy airshow two years ago. Somebody came on the radio yelling about being on fire (or something very similar). The pilots all flew to their respective areas and checked in and they realized that luckly it was just an idiot that found the frequency.

_________________

+1. I'm not sure what WIX's policy is, but most aviation forums request that specific frequencies not be published for different reasons, most obviously for safety. Sites that accommodate international members have to err on the side of caution for legal reasons - some countries ban the operation of radio scanners.



Appreciate the Heads-Up. I know lots of people who attend air shows and enjoy listening to the primary show frequency as well as those of the acts and teams in attendance. I think it's great when people get together at shows and share them with each other (as long as they aren't transmitting).



It happened again at Indy last year during Saturday’s Warbird show (Sunday was rained-out with no flying taking place). Ralph and everybody involved handled it with the utmost professionalism.

I remember a similar incident involving the Six of Diamonds during practice about 15 years ago as well.

It's too bad that there are some individuals out there who think it's fun to do this when it could lead to a very dangerous situation.

Anthony

_________________

I don't know if Vlado remembers or not, but I was listening in on AirBoss during the 2007 Vectren Dayton Airshow when Jim crashed and some kid (I mean that literally) started asking over freq. if he could have permission to cross the flight line and "go help". Besides ARFF being already on scene by that point, it definitely reinforces why airshow freqs shouldn't be published. If you find them with your scanner, great, but by publishing the frequencies you may help the majority who'll be responsible with the information, but you'll also enable those whom can't seem to understand that there are rules and they apply to them just as much as everyone else and it's not funny to say some things.

I know show frequencies used to be published, many times on the tickets or show schedules. After things like were posted here, they stopped posting them. It's also a very sore subject for a lot of performers because if someone decides to pull a "stunt" at the wrong moment and distracts them for just the wrong millisecond, it'll end in a real disaster.

I think simply as noted above... LISTENING isn't the problem... If you listen with a scanner, thats no real problem at all. However a lot of people seem to listen with transceivers. That isn't a problem in general if its a few people doing it. Most know about radio protocol, how to use one and NOT TO TALK SINCE IT ISN"T YOUR CONVERSATION, etc.

However when you get a large group together you always get one IDIOT, who isn't paying attention and we end up with an open mike (and they announce it on the PA and it seems like nobody checks since everyone knows "it can't be me") or worse as noted above some idiot gets on the radio and starts talking....

Mark H

_________________
Fly safe or you get to meet me .......

A couple of things, I had never heard of the incidents that were mentioned above that is news to me. In this day and age it probable would be better not to publish that information as it does take one idiot to ruin it for the rest. But, I love hearing the Thunderbirds or Blue Angles as they fly. Also in 2007 at The Gathering Of Mustangs And Legends the air boss frequency was broadcast on the ATIS.

CAPFlyer, I do recall that request. Did not know it was a young kid.
(Very sad event that day.)
VL

Yeah Vlado, the voice will be imbedded in my head for a long time, not just because of how inappropriate it was, but because of how sad I felt for the kid because he obviously didn't understand what had just happened and the gravity of the situation. I only hope that someone was able to find him and help him understand (not in a forceful/scary way).

You guys did a great thing with the missing man that next day. Brought a tear to all our eyes.

I'm just wondering how those frequencies got out... at every airshow briefing I've been a part of, there has been a strict warning to not give the frequencies out, and I for one would consider it wrong to do so. Too much potential for mischief.

Ryan

_________________
Aerial Photographer with Red Wing Aerial Photography currently based at KRBD and tailwheel CFI.
Websites: Texas Tailwheel Flight Training, DoolittleRaid.com and Lbirds.com.

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. - Prov. 21:31 - Train, Practice, Trust.

Most likely it's people with scanners did what they do - they found the freq. and wrote it down. Most of them have probably never attended a show brief and thus have no idea that there's a reason for them not to be shared.

BTW, I've sent an e-mail to the publisher to get his side on the matter. I didn't ask for anything, just sent an e-mail voicing my concern over the publication of the frequencies and highlighting both of the incidences posted here and that I wanted him to understand that those involved with the airshows consider the frequencies to be a serious matter.

I believe I found the publication in question online. There was a portion about how to enjoy the experience of scanning during an airshow. Lots of DOs and DON'Ts but no mention that I saw about not transmitting which would block the Air boss or others and could happen at critical time. I suspect 90% of those scanning would not necessarily understand the potential danger of their transmission even if it was just keying the mic. I know during a show the only time I would give out a freq would be to my crew chief who is also a pilot and formerly flew in shows (he knows the protocol) or another airshow pilot who might be questioning what he heard in briefing. Thank CAP for writing your email.

_________________