My range invaded by Stealth Bomber

[onondaga]

Yesterday and today, 09-11-2011 my range at LaSalles Sportsmans Club in Niagara Falls, NY has been closed. Behind the Rifle Range Berm you can literally throw a rock and hit the main runway at the Air Force Reserves airfield. It is the home of most of America's C-130 big ships. They regularly have parachute cargo drop practice when I am shooting..right in front of me.

With the Closed Today sign on the range gate I watched the Airshow from my berm top with the Blue Angels and Stealth planes. Have a peek:

Stealth, click image to play
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/rhymeswithwhat/th_stealth.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/rhymeswithwhat/?action=view&current=stealth.mp4)

Blue Angels, click image to play
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/rhymeswithwhat/th_BAngels.jpg (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/rhymeswithwhat/?action=view&current=BAngels.mp4)

Gary

[OneBagNomad]

Very cool. I didn't it realize until your post, but I don't think I've ever seen ground footage of a B2 at low altitude. Your video really shows the profile well, almost disappears head-on.

[MtGun44]

Looks like the Thunderbirds rather than the Blue Angels. BA are dark blue with yellow
trim stripes, and fly the twin tailed F-18s, T-birds are white with red and blue trim, fly the
single tailed F16s. Both teams put on impressive shows, but being a Navy brat, I have
to say I like the Blue Angels more.

We keep those B2s out hear about an hour east of me. You don't see them around a
lot. Must have been a good air show.

Bill

[LUCKYDAWG13]

thats cool

[onondaga]

I was especially impressed by the noise suppression of the Stealth at low altitude. You cannot hear them on their approach until they are nearly overhead and then they are gone!! So quiet.

Gary

[geargnasher]

I work with a guy that was a navy medic, and did a rotation on the Blue Angel gig, he didn't like the pilots very much! Part of being that good is the ego that goes along with it. I like to see them fly, and if a B2 flew over my range I'd be ducking for cover!

Neat pics,

Gear

[Rocky Raab]

Mtgun44, I have to agree with you that the Blew Angles put on a better show than the Blunderbirds - but they also have more crashes doing it. I reckon that adds to their "NASCAR attraction" though...

Back in '76, I was recommended and actively considered for the announcer position of the T'Birds. But with two very young daughters and the prospect of being away from home 300 days a year, I declined.

We return you now to the regular thread...

Nice photos, and I'm delighted you enjoyed the air show.

[357 Voodoo]

They were the Thunder birds not the Blue Angles. I really like the B2 its really hard to judge how big they are till you get close to one there huge.

[fecmech]

Gary-- They must have had a "flyby" with a B-1 bomber at the Air Show today. Heard the engines while shooting sporting clays this morning, looked up and a B-1 went over coming from Niagara Falls! I seem to have a weird connection with B-1's and sporting clays. A few years ago while shooting clays in Missouri I heard a tremendous roar of jet engines and a B-1 came up out of a valley about 1/2 mile away, topped a ridge and went back down. My guess is he was practicing "nap of the earth" flying. Big difference in the sound between military engines (with no noise restrictions) and the modern high bypass engines on airliners!

[jameslovesjammie]

I have seen the F-117A Stealth up here while driving up Highway 83. It must not have been 200 feet off the ground and you could not hear it. My wife has seen them a few times during the night, but we're only about a mile South of the Air Base.

[Rocky Raab]

Recently? That's odd, because the last F-117 was decommissioned in mid-2008.

[waksupi]

The year wasn't mentioned.

[tommygirlMT]

When I was helping my uncle on his house doing the wiring for him since I'm good with lectric and he aint but he needed to build it himself to not break the budget (inspected afterwards by professional of course - only thing I missed up was the new code for the outside outlets needing the full coverage big rain covers instead of the old style little metal flip lids that just cover the plug when nothing plugged in) --- over on the east side of MT we had a pair of F-16 do a supersonic very, very, very low pass over the construction sight

Probably only 50 feet off the ground --- sonic boom about blows you clean off your feet and there is absolutely no warning that they are comin if you dont see them since they are travlin faster then the speed of sound

They made about three passes on us with only the first one being supersonic --- rolled over inverted on the third pass going really slow and you could just about read the names next to the cockpits --- I think they were having fun with us since its a big house construction sight out in the middle of know-where in flat land country so a perfect target for arrial mischiff by a couple of air guard boys in a mischiff mood

[lbaize3]

Nothing but COOL, Gary! Thanks for the diversion....

[Jack Stanley]

I love watching the aircraft like most others . I missed a treat several years ago in the town I grew up in . It seems one of the young ladies that graduated from the local high school went on to fly a B-1 as a captain . She was transporting her plane from one place to another and it was going to be very near "home" . She asked for and got permission from her commander to buzz the town , I guess as public relations . Most of the town absolutely loved the two passes she made , a couple people crabbed about it . Some called to find out the whos and what's going on and found out who was driving their tax dollars . Once they found out who was piloting almost all of the whining stopped .

I hope she's a colonel now .

Jack

[462]

Thanks, Gary.

Actually, that's a B-2 Spirit bomber.

Gear,
From long-ago Air Force experiences, I know first hand that a pilot's ego is such that the ground crew are but mere peons. Be that as it may, I'm thankful that we have them.

[Rocky Raab]

Not ALL pilots, my friend. Some of us knew that we only borrowed that plane from the guy who REALLY owned it.

[madsenshooter]

I saw the T-Birds up close once. I was in an air refueling squadron. My commander, a Lt Col, knew they were coming. He had a flightline pass on his vehicle, so he drove out to the edge of the runway to give this youngster an up close view of the little pre-show they put on upon arrival. He got in a little trouble for it later, but it sure impressed me. Though he got in trouble, I don't think we were in much danger.

I had an odd air encounter just last week, heard some big piston engines, looked up to see a B-17 flying over my house.

[Silver Eagle]

I was stationed at Dyess AFB in Abilene, Texas back in the late 80's. Found a place that I could ride my bicycle to under the end of the runway. Those B1-B's are an awesome site taking off on full afterburner! C-130's are a different kind of cool.
Unfortunately, after a few trips out there, I got stopped by a couple of MP's. Found out that the road to my viewing spot was not an open access road. I politely asked where the sign was posting it as limited access. No answer. But, they let me go with a "Don't do that again".
I did ride past the area a couple weeks later. There was a brand new gate and sign leading off to that access road.

Silver Eagle

[jameslovesjammie]

Recently? That's odd, because the last F-117 was decommissioned in mid-2008.

No. This would have been 2006-2007. I had just started my current job working nights and would see them around 2:30-3:00 a.m. There is some weird stuff in the air though during the night around the base.

[462]

Silver Eagle,
Back in my old Air Force days, as part of my job, I would be just a few yards away from F-100s and F-4s when their afterburners were lit, on take-off. Impressive during the day, very impressive at night.

[stubshaft]

I go to practice archery at the closest Marine Base. They set the range up right alongside the runway.

[GabbyM]

Was out in CO about ten years ago shooting P dogs. When a herd of horses started running. Then I heard jet engines and looked up to see a B1-B fly directly overtop of me so close I could see the lettering on the wing bottom. Not just the big letters but the little labels too. Not sure which was more impressive. About forty beautiful horses galloping in a heard over undulating terrain through trees next to a creek or the big bomber. Horses shook the ground and the bomber shook the air. Definitely a memorable experience.

I’m suspicious we were targeted that day. I used to know people in the telephone line business. The A-10 Warthogs out of Indiana NG had as part of there war plan the disabling of telecommunications. Lineman told me they were regularly sim attacked by A-10’s when working on the lines. They said it was a bit unsettling as you don’t hear them coming. They’d do push over dives with throttles back, take a gun photo then pull out and push balls forward. It’s when pilots pushed the balls forward you heard them as you were topped on a pole and looked up to see a big plane heading right for you. Story was that on a wall in Terra Haute there were photos of lineman with bugged out eyes and an OS look on there face with gun sights on them.

And FYI if that B1-B would have been making a real run on us I’d of never got a shot off. They were only running about 450 kts when they flew over but in actual combat that would be turned up.

Does the speed of sound travel faster in the ground the way it does in water?
Those horses knew that plane was coming a good five seconds before I heard it. But then I’m 40% hearing impaired.

[waksupi]

Horses hear and smell well. Always watch their ears, if you are elk hunting. Lots of times, the ears are pointed at an elk.
I recall an incident out on the prairie, in the butte country. There was a Basque sheep herder that was arrested for shooting at Uncle Sam's bombers that he said were buzzing his sheep, and making them stampede. The AF guys said, no way, our planes have a minimum altitude, and they never go below that. The sheepherder told them to go look at the plane real close. He had been standing on top of a butte when he shot, and the bullet holes had entered in the TOP of the wings. Case dismissed.

[GabbyM]

Silver Eagle,
Back in my old Air Force days, as part of my job, I would be just a few yards away from F-100s and F-4s when their afterburners were lit, on take-off. Impressive during the day, very impressive at night.

Was driving down Rt. 36 about five years ago at 1:00 A.M. when I saw a twin engine mystery fighter with five doughnuts in the afterburner tail zooming along supersonic at about 750 AGL offset from me about 800 yards. I couldn’t hear a thing, not even a hum. Rolled down the window at 60 mph as the plane was already a mile out and still couldn’t hear anything. Then it was two miles out then gone. I know supersonic flight when I see it . Used to be a pilot. I’m sure if I was out in the open quiet I’d of heard the plane. But gee wiz the old planes from the fifties and sixties, if they could have flown that fast on the deck which they could not, would have blown the windows from my car with the boom footprint.

I've heard F4's go supersonic low altitude out over water 18 miles from my position. It's loud even from that far out. Not just the boom but the roar. F22 isn’t your dads fighter plane.

[10 ga]

Having lived in eastern Virginia for most of my 61 years I have seen a LOT of planes. Been to the air show at Langley several times and it was great. However the air shows at Oceana are better, and not by just a little. Fishing in Chesapeake bay regularly see aircraft practicing all kinds of stuff on the "target ships" up by Tangier. Was working up in Stafford County when they were having some kind of "games" at Quantico. Could readly hear all kinds of guns and ordinance going off and the "jump jets" were doing their roll out to attack right overhead. When night fishing for Stripers have detected the WHOOSH of the "black" helos and could only spot them by starlight or moonlight. Was going over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and tunnel one early morning and saw 2 black zodiaks fullof black uniformed figures and concluded it was one of the seal units on a training exercise out of Little Creek. Going to Blacksburg one night up rte 40 through Blackstone and Crewe was just about scared to death when a large explosion next to us went off, we were going through Camp Pickett and they were having night firing on the Tank range, right next to the road. Whenever one of the local harpies complains about all the military planes in the area I politely remind them "it's the sights and sound of freedom!" Best to all! 10 ga

[Jack Stanley]

Waksupi , The part about bullet holes on the top of the wings is a pretty good defense huh? :lol:

Pity the poor pilot after that

Jack

[Rocky Raab]

Jack is right. Almost all of the "real true" stories in this thread would have meant the end of the pilot's career. Risking your wings isn't worth it.

Unless you are flying a genuine Low Altitude Training Route, such things simply are not done.

[johnly]

I've had similar issues...

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee13/johnly1923/IMG_0863.jpg


http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee13/johnly1923/IMG_0866.jpg


http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee13/johnly1923/IMG_0869.jpg

John

[metweezer]

Love It! Thanks Gary!

[colt 357]

we had a air show here about a month ago and I just got back from the range putting away the guns and the wife yelled at me to get out here. I got outside just in time to see the B-2 fly about 200 feet above my house. that was totaly cool.

[MtGun44]

I have a friend that used to fly B-52s back in the 60s on Low Level Training Routes. He was
the pilot, but either the copilot was flying and using the radar altimeter to keep them at
200 ft or it was on autopilot, which was referencing the radar altimeter to keep them at
200 ft. He tells me that he had his feet up on the glare shield (dashboard) and was eating
a sandwich ripping along at about 450 mph and just sort of looking out the window. He looked
left and about 200 yds away was a woman hanging out clothes on a line, who had stopped
and was staring with her mouth hanging open. He chuckled a bit, until it dawned on him that
he was looking UP at her. . . . . . . Dropped the sandwich and grabbed the yoke and pulled
back gently just a little and had the copilot check out the radar altimeter. It was Tango
Uniform, and would have flown them into the next hill at 450 mph in a few minutes. The woman
was on a slight hill and they were off course a good bit, not supposed to be that close to
houses. Imagine what the view was of a B-52 screaming along at maybe 50 ft at 450 mph
8 jets trailing black smoke and screaming like 8 banshees! She got a show. He tells me that
the view from the cockpit makes it very hard to tell any difference between 50 ft and 250 ft, so
they normally have to trust the radar alt.

Yikes!

As to eastern Va - YES! I have lived in Lynnwood and several areas nearby over the last
50+ yrs, off and on and it is a GREAT place to see all the Navy's air power and the SEALS (I
remember when they were the UDT) training, plus carriers and all the cool ships. Go Navy!
I spent an evening just off the runway at Fentress watching a squadron of F-14s bounce
(night FCLP) getting worked up for a cruise. Awesome. There are some pix around here
somewhere.

Bill

[462]

Bill,
As much as I enjoyed working on and generally being round a couple of fighters, I'll pass on that kind of a close-up view.

An ex-coworker was a B-52 pilot and, for many years, his birds were fully loaded with nukes.

[azrednek]

During the summer sometime in the 50's friends and I watched many prop driven planes going into Luke AFB and the Litchfield Naval Air Facility on their final flight. We sat in my backyard with binoculars and a library book and tried to identify as many as we could. As typical kids there were plenty of ooo's and ahhh's until one of my friends brought a newspaper with him. The news article explained the unusual amount of air traffic was due to the planes going into Luke to be scrapped. Just wasn't as exciting for us after learning they were being turned into scrap metal.

[Sonnypie]

Hey Gary,
Heads up man.
Those links open your entire Photo-bucket site.
Don't know about you, but I don't like the idea of just anybody looking into you and your Families lives.
Capesh? FYI dude.

[462]

Azrednek,
What's Luke's current status? I was stationed there during the Winter of '67 and Spring of '68.

[9.3X62AL]

No. This would have been 2006-2007. I had just started my current job working nights and would see them around 2:30-3:00 a.m. There is some weird stuff in the air though during the night around the base.

Roger THAT. We live less than a mile from China Lake NAWS. Weird, but cool--unless you're some jihadi hairball. Jet engines on afterburner at 0200 hours are just fine with me.

[MtGun44]

China Lake does some REALLY, REALLY cool stuff. And when I went to grade school just off
the end of the main runway at NAS Oceana, the teachers regularly had to stop talking for
20-30 seconds as a pair of Phantoms roared over on take-off. I heard a LOT of Navy jet
noise over the last 50+ years and it was always "the sound of freedom" to me.

As to the B-52s packing a belly load of nukes, my friend was training for that particular mission
all the time. He wound up dropping a LOT of conventional stuff over 'Nam. And then he
wound up flying Puff the Magic Dragon. Seriously cool.

Bill

[462]

Both Puff, aka Spooky, and Shadow were stationed at my base, and I saw them in action a few times. A very interesting night-time light and sound show, for sure.

[OeldeWolf]

In the late 60's my father was stationed at NCS Guam. We used to watch the B-52's circling the island to meet the tankers for fueling before heading to Nam. A couple of times, got to see them taking off. They would roar down the runway, then the bodies would lift a little, with the ends of the wings still on the wheels. Then they would go off the end of the cliff the runway ended in. That sudden falling of the runway into crashing waves was dramatic enough from the civilian liner we dependents were in. Bet the B-52 pilots had an even more dramatic view.

[azrednek]

Azrednek,
What's Luke's current status? I was stationed there during the Winter of '67 and Spring of '68.

Its still there. The adjacent Naval Air Facility closed years ago and Luke expanded into it.

About the time you were there myself and friends being the smart *** punks we were. Drove to the north edge of the base on the dirt road that ran adjacent to the chain link fence. We would moon incoming pilots.

[462]

Thanks, Azrednek.