Experiences With Jets

[Kauri]

No, this mine is not near the petroglyphs and, now you have me curious..................................

At the risk of derailing this thread (something I seem to unfortunately be good at)...
I looked on CalTopo's Scanned Topos page and I believe the mine they mentioned is the Lost Emigrant Mine.
And, wow, from looking at that map there are way more old mines in that area than I'd realized!

[bbbb]

There are some really terrific videos in this thread. Thanks for sharing.

Here is a B-2 and NT-43A I encountered early one morning in 2010. I spotted them over Death Valley after photographing Zabriskie Point at sunrise:




Different perspective and uncropped:



I was just really impressed to see a B-2 out in the wild. I think I had only ever seen them in pictures and video up to that point.

[DeathValleyDazed]

There are some really terrific videos in this thread. Thanks for sharing. 
I was just really impressed to see a B-2 out in the wild. I think I had only ever seen them in pictures and video up to that point.

Love your photos. I believe that the B-2 always has an escort when flying in these parts. 

I forgot to post a video I took near the rim of Rainbow Canyon where it appears the jets buzz a tour bus. Also shot of the jets turning around after heading up the canyon and then zooming back down. And one of getting buzzed on Trona Road. I was so lucky to see all of this action. 

[DAW89446]

I believe that the B-2 always has an escort when flying in these parts.

It is my understanding that a chase plane is always present so that they can keep tract of the B2 since it’s invisible on radar.

[DVexile]

I believe that the B-2 always has an escort when flying in these parts.

It is my understanding that a chase plane is always present so that they can keep tract of the B2 since it’s invisible on radar.

They, and other stealth aircraft, have electronic transponders just like civilian aircraft so they can be plenty visible on radar when they want to be. Some stealth aircraft can also optionally attach radar reflectors to increase their radar cross section for training flights but I have no idea if that is common with the B-2 specifically (F-22 and F-35 definitely do).

I’ve not seen a B-2 out and about in the DV area for many years myself, but in the early 2000’s at least I saw them fairly frequently solo with no escort/chase plane.

[DAW89446]

I believe that the B-2 always has an escort when flying in these parts.

It is my understanding that a chase plane is always present so that they can keep tract of the B2 since it’s invisible on radar.

They, and other stealth aircraft, have electronic transponders just like civilian aircraft so they can be plenty visible on radar when they want to be.  Some stealth aircraft can also optionally attach radar reflectors to increase their radar cross section for training flights but I have no idea if that is common with the B-2 specifically (F-22 and F-35 definitely do).

I’ve not seen a B-2 out and about in the DV area for many years myself, but in the early 2000’s at least I saw them fairly frequently solo with no escort/chase plane.

Thank you for your clarification. I haven’t seen the B2 out and about since the early 2000s either.

[Evan]

I feel lucky then to have seen a B2 on the first morning of my first trip to the park last week. I was camped a couple miles down the Harry Wade road and one flew south over me with a chase plane, pulled a big U-turn, and headed back north up the valley.

[DeathValleyDazed]

I feel lucky then to have seen a B2 on the first morning of my first trip to the park last week. 

Yes, lucky. I saw one flying due north up Death Valley Basin from my point of view being the intersection of Artist Palette Drive exit onto Badwater Road. Happened too fast for me to grab a video.

Here's really cool Instagram shot of a stealth fighter low flying over the Panamint Valley's Lake Mountain. Must have skimmed over South Pass heading toward China Lake?

https://www.instagram.com/p/BuZRdoJFH2s/

and this B2 flyover at 1:35 give me chills.

[DeathValleyDazed]

Thursday March 3,2022 at crossing The Armargosa River in Death Valley at sunrise a B2 Stealth Bomber and escort military aircraft passed directly over my head while I stood in the river wearing rubber wading boots. The B2 made two passes northwest and two passes southeast over the course of an hour.