Shep's Mound was busy today

[Philip Argy]

Lots of kids and a guy in a green Ford with a new Sony camera and lens (or at least with the original box on his front passenger seat!).

http://www.argystar.com/pics/Pic001.jpg

The air ambulance was busy today - twice in two hours seems busy to me anyway.

http://www.argystar.com/pics/Pic003.jpg
And although there was an accident on General Holmes Drive just east of the tunnel, that's not where the fire engine was headed.

http://www.argystar.com/pics/Pic002.jpg

Didn't get a shot of the Airside Tours bus but it went further south than I've seen it go previously.

[Nigel C]

The tour bus went to the 3rd runway?:confused:

[AdamB]

I was at the beach just before midday & saw the fire truck & two sweepers working on the taxiway. After they departed every aircraft that taxied up there threw up quite a lot of dust. I am guessing there was some fluid that needed cleaning up.

[Philip Argy]

I was at the beach just before midday & saw the fire truck & two sweepers working on the taxiway. After they departed every aircraft that taxied up there threw up quite a lot of dust. I am guessing there was some fluid that needed cleaning up.

And Car 21 spent some time inspecting 07 west of 16R - not sure if there was any connection with the taxiway cleanup.

[Nigel C]

There is currently a taxiway resheet happening on Twy Alpha south of Rwy 07/25. The dust was from where they have profiled in preparation for the new asphalt in the coming nights. The sweepers were probably there clean up what they could.

Car 21 is the airfield standards manager. At a guess, he was most likely looking at the Rwy 25 RESA works and looking at what needs to be done prior to the June 15 handback of the runway.

[Mike S]

I was down there that day.

I was over near the fence in the Red Golf trying out my new Uniden scanner, Eating Macca's and had the big L series Canon lens out taking snaps.

Actually i arrived as the QF A380 rotated. Not sure if you were still there :)

[Philip Argy]

You'd have noticed if I was still there - I was atop the mound in front of my white Prado with my old faithful Uniden Bearcat UBT9000XLT scanner on the bonnet with the volume up high monitoring director, 16R departure and ground frequencies.

Not sure how your new scanner performed but I use a quarter wave magnetic mount UHF aerial to attenuate the signals as the squelch can't block out strong ones like 126.1 which inhibit multi-frequency scanning which otherwise resumes when there is no voice transmission on a monitored frequency.

[Mike W]

In your opinion, (or anyone else's)which day is better to check out the mound, Saturdays or Sundays generally speaking?

[Mike S]

You'd have noticed if I was still there - I was atop the mound in front of my white Prado with my old faithful Uniden Bearcat UBT9000XLT scanner on the bonnet with the volume up high monitoring director, 16R departure and ground frequencies.

Not sure how your new scanner performed but I use a quarter wave magnetic mount UHF aerial to attenuate the signals as the squelch can't block out strong ones like 126.1 which inhibit multi-frequency scanning which otherwise resumes when there is no voice transmission on a monitored frequency.

I just bought a simple little Uniden Bearcat 73XLT from Dick Smith for ~$200.
I stupidly didnt write down or remembered the main freq's used, but i do remember 126.1 from Flight Sim!

The new Close Call capture technology managed to nab all the frequencies though. Quite a clever bit of Tech in that.

I think i need a better quality aerial. I am not too impressed with the quality and strength of the signal i was getting when i was basically on the front steps of the tower :) I was using the 9V car adapter so power wasnt an issue.

I think you left as i arrived. I do remember a FWD up there, and do recall think how easy it would be to get your vehicle up and down the mount, but on the wrong day with the wrong weather, my golf would be toast :)

I plan to post a couple of pics from the day later on tonight :)

[Nigel C]

In your opinion, (or anyone else's)which day is better to check out the mound, Saturdays or Sundays generally speaking?

Both days are ok for movements.

[Mike S]

Here are some of my snaps. I played around a little in pshop to try and minimise the glare and over white balance.

http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv329/mikestewart_01/Sundayairport308.jpg

http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv329/mikestewart_01/Sundayairport317.jpg

http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv329/mikestewart_01/Sundayairport2138.jpg

[Mike W]

Both days are ok for movements.

Ta Nigel. When I get a chance to go, I usually go on a Saturday but didn't want to miss out on anything if Sundays were the go. :cool: