From: "Clay Gibbs" <cfgibbs@valdosta.edu>

Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 04:16:02 -0500

Subject: AF-1/Waldorf Ellisville Fla

Hi all,

Met up with local resident John Warne this evening at Ellisville GEP for a
Combat Cider party.

Some redneck truckdriver almost ruined the entire trip. Apparently, he drove
his 18-wheeler under an I-75 overpass with a backhoe that didn't fit! With
exits in rural Fla miles and miles apart, a good chunk of 75 was detoured
via a small country backroad. Sat in traffic for about 45 mins so tuned the
scanners and began to notice a fair/weak carrier on 267.6 . I rang John on
the cellphone for directions etc, and he informed me the carrier had been
present since he arrived at E-ville shortly after 9pm. Apparently Waldorf
never took the transmitter off the air since AF-1 arrived in Fla.
Interesting.

I finally arrived at E-ville shortly after 10:30. On-site, the 267 carrier
was full quiet on the scanner with the stock whip. Unhooking the whip, it
decreased to almost nil.

>From that time till 12am, John and I played with his impressive WinRadio via
a laptop in the Minivan. It was really interesting to see the 267.6 carrier
on his Spec Analyzer (another story!).

A few mins. after 12, the 267.6 carrier seemed to "power up" greatly. It was
now full quiet on my Pro-60 with no antenna! The Spec analyzer also showed
some interesting spikes +/- the the orderwire. Apparently the CC circuits
were now being fed "up" to AF-1.

A short time later around 0506z on the 267 OW, Waldorf finally blew us out
of the chair with something along the lines of "Understand you're off at
0504z?" .... "Roger Sir." The 355.0 (airside) was barely audible at this
time, so no copy from AF-1 calling out his takeoff time. We watched the
355.0 signal gain strength on the Spec Analyzer, but it didn't stay workable
for long  (Al Stern copied a Pres. limo support aircraft 130miles East of
Daytona Fla.. We believe billy b. flew this route as well)

Around 0540z finally some more orderwire tfc:

"PINWAX (Or somesuch)  this is DOORPLATE (Waldorf) were you calling me sir"?

"Ohhh Loud and Clear sir, I'm sorry!"

(Apparently AF-1 called Waldorf, and Waldorf thought PINWAX(?) was the
station that called him. We also noted a TV blaring in Waldorf's background.
Looks like Af-1 caught them napping! )

"Ahh, you must be on the edge sir, because I got a fairly good signal....
but I have nothing at Goldsboro sir."

"Ummm in Ellisville."

(AF-1 apparently asked what site they are currently in)

"Roger"

Several Mins of silence goes by before Waldorf called AF-1 2 times with no
joy. The 267.6 signal then drops



Observations:

1.) 1 Pvt.. vehicle left Eville around 11pm and another arrived shortly
after midnight. Shift change? Even with a discone and groundplane in clear
view on the minivan roof, they didn't stop to say hello!

2.) Per tonight's orderwire comms, the next GEP after Ellisville to the
Northeast is Seymour Johnson AFB aka Goldsboro. The GEPs to the North and
Northwest should be Jasper Ala.  and Signal Mtn TN.  I will hazard a guess
to say that the Barksdale GEP picks up the coverage to the West. I've seen
references before to a Charleston S.C GEP, but from listening tonight, it
doesn't seem like its up and running anymore.

3.) Was PINWAX the E-4B NAOC, TACAMO or another GEP?

4.) ZERO phonecalls on the MUX circuits:( I noted several on the flight
down. Either AF-1 never got a decent signal or everyone on the aircraft was
tired and didn't want to bother anyone after midnight.

A very enjoyable trip I must say.

Clay