[FedCom] ROSS 096 - Phila

Mon, 29 Jul 2002 22:34:33 -0400

For years there were many call-signs or call-sign modifiers that had special
meaning to ATC for law enforcement activities.  But with over 700,000
licensed pilots in the US and another 70,000 in Canada, it's hard to keep a
secret !

Additionally the news h/c would gravitate to the areas that operations were
underway in (especially in CA) to try and scoop the other media outlets.

Look at a car chase in LA (remember the OJ 'slow speed' chase ?).  You see
helicopters above, under, around each other... Despite the cooperation
between the news crowd and law enforcement, despite the new stabilized
cameras that give great shots from a mile or two away... I'm surprised that
there aren't more mid-airs between them....

A recent national security 'non event' -- some one saw an airplane circling
a reservoir --brought no fewer than 6 helicopters together within a mile of
each other.  If it was southern California, it would have been 15 birds.
Battlefield flying is much more disciplined than the police helicopter and
the 5 or more newsies jockeying for position within a one mile circle..

 ._._.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steven Rutledge" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, July 29, 2002 10:21 PM
Subject: Re: [FedCom] ROSS 096 - Phila

> I don't understand WHY they use these callsigns.  Talk about violating
> COMSEC.  They might as well hang a sign out and tell everyone they have
> a surveillance underway.  At least the "other" USG agencies operate on
> UHF.  That makes them a little less conspicuous.
>
> ken windyka wrote:
> >
> > What's also interesting to note that while "on mission" it's a ROSS
> > callsign BUT once the mission is over the aircraft/helo may very well
> > revert to it's assigned FAA registration number... Listen very carefully
> > when you come across these!!!
> >
> > Ken
> >
> > At 07:35 PM 7/29/02 EDT, [email protected] wrote:
> > >ROSS ### signifies an FBI acft.
> > snip....snip.
> >
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