NTTR/Groom scanner audio Jan 2012

What would we do without search engines? I see some fresh scanner audio on Youtube. It sounds like one of those daytime Groom tests where they fly released aircraft but obviously have something unique to test.

NTTR Groom scanner audio

The Groom testing is near the beginning, then it goes into Red Flag audio,

reply to post by gariac
What do you mean by something unique, a new type of aircraft? or a new tye of engine

If you listen to the first 6 minutes, you can tell that they're possibly recording a sample data grid for climb test procedures for new instrumentation (i.e., perhaps they upgraded the avionics in a slightly older fixed-wing for continued service?)...

When performing climb testing in aviation, there are multiple different techniques that can be used, for the most part, they do sets of 'climb blocks', which if you listened to the radio chatter from this particular test, she has the pilot perform several different sets of climbs and descents... They do this to acquire the aforementioned sample data grid or for benchmarking new instruments/sensors/etc... Anything that you plan to collect/measure data for, must always have a control, for which to compare said set(s) of results.

I'm only about 65% certain that, what they were doing were climb tests.. Who knows?! lol..

reply to post by weavty1


In any type of analysis, you always need baseline knowledge so that you can spot the odd events. You can listen to some Red Flag audio here:
www.lazygranch.com...
to get a feeling of what normally happens on a training range. [The art of deception is to disguise your comms in the form of normal communications. ;-) ] Without baseline knowledge, you might mistake a Janet on approach for a hovering flying saucer.

Groom tests usually mention grids. Of course SAR would be grid based too.

Some of the wisdom of locating Area 51 in the middle of an air force training range is the presence of aircraft isn't exactly noteworthy. It is part of the "hiding in plane site" mentality. The base walks the line carefully in this respect. For instance, a decision was made that the security forces seen by the public would be those friendly camo dudes rather than JSOC trained ninjas.

It looks like this person found the elusive Groom Lake ground frequency, or I gave it out to too many people and somebody got waterboarded. ;-) The reports about fuel are from the Janet's heading to Groom.

Back to the altitude changes, it is possible they are doing dynamic RCS tests. That is, having the plane change altitude and then seeing if the change in position of control surfaces effects the radar cross section.

I will try to locate it later, but the same person that uploaded this audio also uploaded some Groom audio where they were dropping those radar calibration balls. IIRC, the aircraft dropping the balls used the callsign ITCHY, which once again proves these guys have a great sense of humor.



The base places some of the calibration targets around the range to make it easier for the helicopter patrol to see the border.

reply to post by weavty1


What we are sure, is with the new building at the south of the base there is something going on, and sure a new type of plane in testing.

reply to post by darksidius


I thought that new hangar is for performing minor service and maintenance on the Janet/EG&G fixed-wings?

I don't think any outsiders know the function of the new hangar. A Beech was spotted by the new hangar in one of the satellite "passes", but that doesn't mean they do maintenance on Janets there. The Janets are based out of LAS. You will note when they had that recent IFE, they bypassed KINS for KLAS.

www.lockheedmartin.com...

I think this could possibly relate to my original post, regarding avionics testing

reply to post by weavty1


I think Lockheed could do that kind of testing at Edwards. If you hang out there and watch the base, you often see quite ordinary planes flying with chase aircraft. I'm sure Edwards does the minor tweaks. I watched a C17 with chase and was thinking what could they possibly be doing to an established cargo plane?

There was a press release a day or two ago explaining the Edwards aircraft participation at Red Flag was to test a new "tape." I gather tape is some arcane expression the DoD uses for software.

www.edwards.af.mil...

I parked on the north side of Edwards one morning and caught three in-flight emergencies in about 3 hours. The place is quite busy.