ATC funny that's not so funny...

[Jared]

On Saturday I attended the Cleveland National Airshow at KBKL.  there were many different displays and aircraft there.  This story revolves around the ATC (Show Control), the Firebirds aerobatic demonstration team, and a P-38.  

So anyways the Firebirds were flying their routine in (2) extras and (1) Russian Sukhoi and communicating with each other on 123.15 while show control was 126.4

As the firebirds neared the end of their routine the intensity of the aerobatics increased as well.  As the firebirds began a climb into the vertical position for the hammerhead maneuver, a p-38J made a VERY low pass of the field in the exact same spot where the firebirds were just seconds ago.  

So anyways the firebirds were still communicating on their own frequency while entering a modified pattern to land when one of the firebirds spotted the P-38J which was by then on short final to 6L the active runway.  

The firebird that spotted the P-38J said

[Polynomial]

yes i agree, not that funny.

[Jared]

It might have been funny if I had been just listening to the radio chatter without seeing what was going on, and maybe it was even funny for a split second there, but then you realize really quick the seriousness of the situation...

Silly Boy

[Mr. Bones]

that could have turned out into a disaster...but afterwards, when nothing happened, this sounds funny.

a while back, i was at EBZR where we fly with gliders. one of our pilots was on downwind and said the following: "glider Tango Golf on downwind for runway 2...shit...05" and at that moment, we saw him making a 180

[Jared]

yup, just have to keep an eye out for everyone else, and watch your 6!

Silly boy

[Squeek]

Good thing nothing did happen. How did do u people find out the frequencies that the different demo teams use?

[Jared]

It's all basically a guessing game, unless you are able to get it off of the internet.