Please use this page to bring attention to issues affecting our area.
Suggestions for revisions to coordination procedures (SOP, LOAs) posted here will also be added to the list here.
Please use this page to bring attention to issues affecting our area.
Suggestions for revisions to coordination procedures (SOP, LOAs) posted here will also be added to the list here.
Control from 42 to descend gpt inbounds
I completely agree. MOB and GPT are both AOB330 and yet GPT is significantly closer to the boundary. AOB330 and control for further descent on GPT and only AOB330 on MOB makes sense to me.
The VHF/UHF frequency pair designated for W59 in the frequency table on the scope is the same as designated for VOODO-92 (121.02/317.77). We figured this out the hard way today when sector 27 cleared aircraft into W59 and suddenly they were chatting on VODOO’s frequency. My guess is that before being used for sector 92, these frequencies were being used for W59?…I’d never noticed that. What frequency should we use for aircraft in W59 now?
The complete list of military frequencies in the frequency table are as follows:
W59 121.02/317.77
WHODAT 277.4
DISCREET 370.9
DISCREET 321.3
DESOTO 228.85
Note I do not find 321.3 nor 228.85 on any VSCS in the New Orleans area.
370.9 is on the VSCS at multiple positions, however the transmitter button is stuck red and says “XMTR ON OTHER”. Terence called the SOC and they told us that this frequency transceiver was destroyed in a hurricane and has been OTS for around two years. The SOC is planning to remove it from the VSCS soon.
So that means as things currently stand in VSCS, we are only able to maintain two-way radio communication with aircraft in WHODAT (277.4). Not a single other of the many SUAs we are the controlling agency of.
This doesn’t seem safe to me.
What’s going on with 228.85? Why don’t we have that in VSCS? It would be great to be able to monitor DESOTO/BULLSEYE comms and jump on their frequency to provide advisories if, say, a VFR was going to transit the airspace. The military would love a heads up when a known VFR target is going to transit that airspace. Moreover, if we needed to reach out to them to recall airspace for an emergency, etc. There are any number of critical reasons we ought to have the ability to monitor and communicate with aircraft on discrete frequencies while they are operating in SUA. Right now, once we switch them to “tactical”, there’s no way for us to get a hold of them until they call for RTB on center frequency. They can call us whenever they need/want on center frequency, but there’s no way for us to get their attention since many of these military aircraft have only 1 radio and they’re on the “tactical” frequency while established in SUA. This goes not only for DESOTO/BULLSEYE, but every SUA in our area. Why don’t we have dedicated frequencies for each? What do other areas have?
To call a ZHU sector directly from outside the building…
Call 281-230-5601, a voice will say “enter security code”, dial 77, then dial “02” and the sector number to dial the d-side, “0227” to dial D-27, for example. “04” and the sector number would call the r-side. Best to always call the d-side in case they’re open.