Summit to Aircraft QSO!

Activation Reports
21

I’ve graduated 4 commercial pilots from my licence courses, and talked to most of them from their “office” QTH’s. Had to laugh at my first graduate - when his 2nd-seater suggested that he was spending too much time playing radio, and not enough time driving the bus, he offered him the option of getting out and walking the rest of the way :slight_smile:

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22

Here in western WA we work W7NY all the time. He flies around making contacts… I’ve worked him from summits lots of times. Most of the SOTA ops around here have worked him at least once. He has a nice YT channel here:

73,

Josh WU7H

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23

I have about 35 aerial mobile contacts from home, starting in 1954. You used to be able to spot them easily because of a 400 cycle background hum. Half of them sent cards, and one wanted to drive a rental car 90 minutes from SFO to Hollister just to sit in my P-51. I took him for a ride instead. He paid the fuel bill, which was a lot of money. 360 gallons per hour at take-off settings times 7 dollars per gallon.

I did some operating from the air in a North American AT-6 and Cessna 340A, but nothing like K6HPX. All 146.52 and 446.0

Elliott, K6EL

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24

Thanks Stephan for the S2S on 10m.
Yes Jerry I talked with him on 11:20 - he was over the region Skopjie.
He was 57 .
Also the POTA Station HB0TR Stefan had QSO with Jerry.
Unfortunally from Eddy YU9XMC I heard only parts, too less for QSO.
My report from SV/AG-009 here:

73

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25

Thanks for the links Heinz, and indeed, it seems that Jerry is very active!

In this case, I didn’t hear the typical 400 Hz hum. Either the bus power is now DC, or they must have good filters these days?

Hi Erich,

Thanks for the S2S as well!
I could hear you very well on 20m, much better than on 10m before. Later, I also heard Eddy, YU9XMC quite well.

You have an interesting site! I have to listen to 14317 around 11 UTC, next time I’m on a summit…

Have fun and 73 Stephan

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26

This is a very special way to chase SOTA stations :joy:

73 Armin

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27

Hello Stephan

Thanks for the S2S QSO’s from last weekend. I also had contact with Jerry once when he was flying west of Paris. That was shortly before my SOTA time in July 2020, when I was on Chasseral (HB/BE-104).

73, Stefan

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28

I posted on this thread years ago but as it’s been resuscitated and since then I have a memorable chase from USAF F18 here’s the video……

Thank you USAF!!

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29

Nice contact there Paul. Just one minor correction: F/A-18 Growlers are flown by the USN and USMC. They replaced the older all WX EA-6B Growlers from back in the day. In a previous life, I used to provide SI Comm support to VMAQ-2 deployed while stationed at NAVCAMS WPAC.

Paul, KJ7MEV, now NG7PR, is now up at Whidby Island. A few years back I used to catch an occasional pilot or two on 52 simplex when they flew down from Whidbey to San Diego. Sounds like you caught him while flying in/around Fallon NAS - which replaced San Diego as the Top Gun - Fighter Town USA :wink: F/A-18s fly in and around the Sierra’s quite frequently - up here I catch them usually on Mondays and Tuesdays popping out over Lake Davis here in eastern Plumas county.

Fun times!

73, Todd KH2TJ

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30

And the F/A-18’s setup for Electronic Warfare are the EA-18 Growlers…

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31

Every Summit Elliott! Thanks for all of your work :smiley:

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32

Hi Todd,

I stand corrected!

Guy @N7UN and I activated Whidby Island (think it’s the same place) up in WA as a part of NPOTA 2016. Stunning part of the world.

Paul was nice as once we had completed the initial chit chat about locations etc (he liked chasing a peak) he was patient enough to go through it again while I rolled the video. My peak had spectacular views and that was a reward in of itself but Paul’s Q was icing. He sent me a QSL card.

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33

Here is my episode with a pilot. At the end, when saying goodbye, the embarrassing sentence came out: “Come down safely.” To which he replied: “We always come down.”
73 Chris

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34

As MM0FMF points out, the ZEPP comes from Zepplin.
And no, antennas do not need anything to “push against”., although reflectors (and directors) do help!

Ken

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35

Here is the picture and the link to the Zepp patent from 1909!
73 Chris

Luftleitergebilde für Luftschiffe (Aerial ladder structure for airships)

Screenshot_20240613-083752_Adobe Acrobat_1
Screenshot_20240613-083752_Adobe Acrobat_1507×1072 43.6 KB

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36

That was a cool QSO Bobby! Even more special on a SOTA activation. Very good. 73, Bob

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