A Month I Won't Forget - Coastal Georgia Military Monitoring Recap; January 2025

The first month of January 2025 was a month I won't forget. It was a month of highs as well as the lowest of lows. I took a wonderful road trip down to Florida's Space Coast and there was a Sentry Savannah exercise that was interrupted by a very un-Deep South like winter storm. At the end of the month, I lost my father, who I inherited my love of radio from. That's why this post has been a bit longer than usual in posting; I just didn't feel up to working on it for a while. The radio community, including the Coastal Amateur Radio Society (CARS) in Savannah and my scanning/monitoring friends have been incredibly supportive over the last week. CARS even did a Silent Key tribute for my father during their net this past Sunday night. 

SpaceX's Starlink 12-11 mission launching from Kennedy Space Center during January's Space Coast Road Trip

Aerospace, History, and Wildlife in Florda's Space and First Coasts - Space Coast Road Trip Radio Report; 7-11 January 2025

Last week, I took what is becoming my annual Space Coast Road Trip. I left Savannah going south on Tuesday and returned on Saturday. On the way to Titusville on Tuesday, I stopped in Ponce Inlet and visited the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse and Museum and then continued on to visit the Merritt Island NWR before checking into the hotel. I spent Wednesday at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex, catching a SpaceX launch while I was there. On Thursday, I spent the morning at the Merritt Island NWR and Canaveral National Seashore then visited the American Space Museum and Hall of Fame and the Valiant Air Command Museum in the afternoon. On Friday, I headed back up I-95 to St Augustine where I visited the St Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum, Castillo de San Marco, Colonial Quarter, and the Fort Mose Historic Site. I overnighted in St Augustine Beach so I wouldn't have to drive through Jacksonville on a Friday afternoon/evening and drove back to Savannah on Saturday morning. Temperatures in Florida were below normal and winds were high throughout the trip, but with the exception of Saturday morning, there wasn't any rain to deal with. Some excellent meals were had along the way and it was also good to catch up with radio friends at several of them.

Space Shuttle Atlantis on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex. Atlantis holds a soft spot for me and I love to visit it at KSC because it was the shuttle I saw launch on its STS-125 mission on 11 April 2009 - the only Shuttle launch I got to see launch in person.

Coastal Georgia Military Monitoring Recap; April 2024

April was yet another terrific month for military monitoring in Coastal Georgia; the first four months of 2024 have been extraordinary. The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 3rd ID was in the field for part of the month, with a lot of radio traffic on the US Army 98D TRS coordinating their training. The 23rd Wing from Moody AFB conducted an exercise, part of which was held at the Savannah Combat Readiness Training Center/Air Dominance Center (CRTC/ADC). A short road trip up to Beaufort County, SC gave me the opportunity to do some listening around MCRD Parris Island and a two and a half day road trip to the Space Coast gave me the opportunity to do some listening around Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral SFS as well as catch a night launch in person.

 

Aerospace History, a SpaceX Night Launch, and Wildlife - Space Coast Road Trip Radio Report; 26-28 April 2024

This past Saturday was Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Family Day, and a friend invited me along for a base tour; since it coincided with my weekend off, it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I left Savannah on Friday and came back on Sunday. In addition to the Cape Canaveral SFS visit, I was able to visit the Merritt Island NWR and take in my first in person night launch when SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 on Saturday night. And as always, a trip to the Space Coast makes for interesting radio listening. It was a truly enjoyable road trip that in the end seemed all to short.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center on Saturday night, 27April 2024. The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) can be seen on the right, and LC-39B, lit up for work, can be seen to the left of the launch.

Space Coast Road Trip Radio Report; 8-13 January 2024

Last week I took a road trip to Florida's Space Coast to take in nature and wildlife at the Canaveral National Seashore and Merritt Island NWR and the past, present, and future of space travel at the Kennedy Space Center. Throughout the week, I also enjoyed listening to the wide variety of communications in the Space Coast area - aviation and Military communications, NASA and federal communications, private space company communications, and more. I also took a boat tour of the Banana River and Port Canaveral while I was there and that yielded a wonderful surprise. The weather was somewhat uncooperative on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, but it still turned out to be a terrific trip. Some excellent meals were had at restaurants along the way, including a great meal with friends. Overall, it was a wonder, enjoyable trip - one that is becoming an annual thing. 

Coastal Georgia Military Monitoring Recap; September 2023

The Monthly Military Monitoring Recap consists of frequencies and callsigns that I've heard in use in Coastal Georgia and during my travels (usually around South Carolina and Florida). Special Operations, Intelligence, and real-world Combat Air Patrol information will not be posted. Gulfstream (Savannah) and Boeing (Charleston) flight test frequencies and callsigns are also included as well as US Coast Guard, non-law enforcement FedCom, and civilian medevac callsigns, N-numbers, and frequencies. 

My month of September was a bit of an oxymoron when it came to scanning and monitoring; I didn't have a lot of radio time, but it turned out to be an extraordinary month. Even though I only had a couple of hours to listen to it over the week it took place, the William Tell Air-to-Air Weapons Meet was the highlight of the month. It had been nineteen years since the last William Tell and the first of the revived Meets took place at the Georgia Air National Guard Combat Readiness Training Center/Air Dominance Center at Savannah-Hilton Head IAP. Another highlight was getting to hear some of the recovery communications as the NASA/SpaceX Crew-6 crew returned to earth from the International Space Station. They splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean near Brunswick, GA and Jacksonville, FL so I was able to hear some radio traffic from NASA aircraft supporting the recovery. Other things worth noting from September are: