DoD Plans Affect Area Units and Bases

With the Department of Defense making big cuts to Air Force infrastructure, many milair monitors in and around Ohio may experience a big decrease in local activity.

At this point all plans are 'Unofficial' but it appears that the DoD seeks to make heavy cuts involving over 100 A-10 aircraft including squadrons. Two squadrons are neighbors to Ohio, the 163rd FS 'Blacksnakes' from the Indiana Air National Guard at Fort Wayne and the 107th FS based at Selfridge Air Base for the Michigan ANG. Both units recently converted to the A-10 from the F-16.

The A-10 'Warthog' began flying operations in the 70s with its mission to providing
close air support for ground troops. Other squadrons that maybe affected are the 184th Arkansas ANG at Fort Smith, the USAFE's 81st FS at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany and the AFRC's 47th FS at Barksdale AFB.

Possible good news for the 163rd FS and Fort Wayne, is that the unit could pick up the mission of the MC-12 flying nine to eleven aircraft beginning in October 2013. The MC-12 is a turboprop plane that provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information for ground forces. It just entered operational flying status in 2009.

Ohio Bases To Lose Aircraft

The Air Force recently announced that many cuts were coming to the service in an effort to reduce costs and size of forces. These cuts will appear to hit several bases in the Buckeye State hard. In particularly, Mansfield. Cuts call for the 179th AW to lose all four of its C-27J Spartans to retirement, two of which are currently deployed to Afghanistan. The 179th AW just received and started flying the C-27J last summer. Within the next year, some 3,900 active duty, 5,100 Air Guard and 900 Air Force reserves will be cut overall.

Ohio lawmakers, including Senator Rob Portman (R) and Senator Sherrod Brown (D) are working hard to minimize the impact on Ohio.

The Ohio National Guard's 121st ARW based at Rickenbacker International is slated to lose six of its KC-135 Supertankers.

SPARTANS HEAD OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME

The 179th AW airmen have headed to Afghanistan for the first-ever deployment of the Air National Guard's new C-27J transport aircraft. The 179th will join up with units from Georgia and Oklahoma to work with the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Using the new C-27J Spartans for airlifts and airdrops to provide direct support to U.S. Army ground units. The 179th AW was the first air national guard unit to receive the new Joint Cargo Aircraft as reported here on the Ohio Area Milcom Blog in August 2010. Their deployment overseas will last nine months.

Springfield-Beckley Could Become a C-17 Assault Strip

With a September 30th date fast approaching for the handover of the former Air National Guard Base to the City of Springfield. Plans are being formulated to turn the airport into possible use as an assault strip for the C-17s from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Currently the 445th AW have been flying to Washington state and South Carolina to practice take-offs and landings. Turning KSGH into an assault strip for those training purposes would save in fuel and costs. Not to mention giving us Milcom monitors more to listen to.

2011 Vectren Dayton Air Show Frequencies

Ohio Milcom frequency spotters report the following frequencies in use at this year's Dayton Air Show now getting underway at Cox-Dayton International Airport (KDAY).

Fixed:

123.150                 Show Discrete
123.225                 Daffy Control (Ramp)
124.900                 Air Boss
282.325                 Air Boss
379.700                 Daffy Control
                    (ground side kept mistakenly transmitting FM)
451.500/456.500 743 DCS Air Show Ops

Tactical:

122.475               A-10 East Hog Demo
122.775               OSP Plane
123.325               MetLife blimp
123.450               Red Bull
123.475               Team Oracle
133.000               Sean D. Tucker
139.625               180th FW Aux 06
141.075               Thunderbirds V01
141.575 127.3 PL      CAP CC 1
234.500               Army Aviation Heritage Foundation
235.250               Thunderbirds U01
275.500               VFA-37
322.950               Thunderbirds U02
341.750               9th BW
397.475               ISR 6
413.275 431 DCS       Thunderbirds ground support


WPAFB TRS:

976      Fuels
1552     Military FSS/RSU