Groom Lake scanner audio May 2011

Monitored was Groom Lake tower, control (like approach/departure at a normal airport), ops (similar to ground at a normal airport), mission, and dreamland. Ops has a few users. "Pokey" is giving weather data. Groom air traffic (or an element of the operation) is called Gumby Control. Pokey was Gumby's horse. Also on ops is Ramrod (perhaps a Springsteen fan, but who isn't). The main ops user is used to schedule fuel.

The callsign of the month for the Groom Janets is Money. Money followed by a single digit is a Beech. Double digits implies a 737. ATC will call a Beech a small cargo, well unless they screw up. [One screw up is recorded.] They call a 737 a large cargo. Company traffic means another Janet.

Boeing 3 special 3 5 is the only aircraft of interest (well more than the usual interest). FATSO aircraft seem to have two tasks. One is pattern work, i.e. flight proficiency training. For instance, SFO is simulated flame out. High key and low key are part of the SFO training. You will also hear touch and goes. Note one of the FATSO planes has a chase. Groom flights in daylight are not black aircraft. From Tikaboo, the daylight flights I've sen have been either F16 or F117A (prior to their so-called retirement). The other FATSO aircraft are flying around the range with some sort of tracking or telemetry. Chester 73 is on the Dreamland frequency. This is Desert Rock frequency of 126.15Mhz that used to be published. The NTS has requested that references to Desert Rock no longer be published, but that doesn't seem to be the case in reality. The other frequencies are not published.

The Janet traffic is typical, though not necessarily normal. The VOR was not broadcasting weather information at one point, hence the requests to Pokey for weather information. Two special arrivals were used. One being Media Day, which I assume is a sick joke since the media has never been to Groom Lake. The other is keyhole, which also seems to be related to a stealthy arrival. If you tour the NTS, you will never see a Janet on the tour, so it is known they alter their routing to keep the Janets out of sight if need be.

Audio is from 5/19/2011 through 5/21/2011. The last "Money" plane was a Saturday arrival.

Boeing 3 special 3 5

all Groom scanner traffic except for Janets

all Groom scanner traffic

Gumby 101