My First B-2 Stealth sighting!

[Toejam]

I've seen the B-2 only on TV or in pics, never in person. Coming home with my Mother from the Movies(The Shooter), I notice a B-2 taking off from Kirtland AFB! I was like "WHOA!" I stopped in the middle of the road and that thing flew directly over us! Those things sure are Impressive, and when they are directly above you they look right out of a Starwars movie. And Man are those things Loud!

 

[Jenn]

It's hard to believe that's the first time you've seen one coming out of Kirtland, although Canon AFB is their main home.

The weirdest plane is the one that looks like part plane, part helicopter. It has rotors on both wings rather than the single rotors on the top of the body of helicopter.

I see that one flying around all the time.

Did I tell you about the day that I saw a helicopter that landed in the cemetery off of I-25?

 

[Toejam]

Jenn that to which you speak of is the C-22 Offsprey, it takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter but flys straight just as a plane does.

 

[BaldyLochs]

I've never seen one airborne; but I have had a good look at one upclose on static display, and got to sit in the Pilot seat! Those things are so hi-tech, it's scary. Maintenance plugs in a Palm Pilot via USB cable to trouble shoot the Engine, avionics & weapons systems! And the airframe feels like "plastic" or PVC. I thought it was fiberglass at first. That's one badass hot rod. If I was going on a combat mission.... I damn sure would want to be in one of those birds! A tip of the hat to the guys who fly & maintain them.

 

[Jim]

They have them do a fly over at Charlotte for the NASCAR 600 every year. They are wild. I went a few years in a row and they are quite the sight. I will have to see if i have any pictures of it, though I do not remember taking any, which is strange. In 2002 they had one fly over the Falmouth Road Race course on Cape Cod riget before the race. It went right over my parents house also flying very low.

 

[Jenn]

Jenn that to which you speak of is the C-22 Offsprey, it takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter but flys straight just as a plane does.

That is the one that I speak of. Except it's called an C-22 Osprey. You were just a little bit OFF on the name...lol.

In all fairness, I only found that out when I googled offsprey to find out if that was the plane.

 

[Nitrohaulic]

They just had a thing about them on Discovery or History channel the other week. One of the pilots was talking about what it was like flying into Iraq, trusting the "stealth" part the first time. Said it was scary at first, but then he saw that all the ordinance was going off all around him, that they weren't able to target him. Must be a wild sensation.

 

[willy]

Being able to do your job at 50,000 ft has to have it's advantages as well..

 

[BlueStangGT]

I've seen them on a few occasions. The 2 most memorable were in 1999 and 2003.

In 1999 I was flying from OKC to STL when the captain came on to advise us that they we were being shadowed by a stealth bomber and gave us directions on where to look. I was fortunate enough to be in a window seat on the starboard side of the aircraft and followed the captain's directions hoping to catch a glimpse of the stealth. That proved to be pretty much impossible due to the amazing profile of the stealth until its pilot made a turn to the south and presented a large enough image to actually be seen. As it turns out I had been looking directly at the thing and didn't even know it!

The other time was on 01/01/2003 at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena. As part of the pregame festivities, there was a planned flyover by the Northrop Flying Wing, the smaller yellow craft from the 40's and I believe the only one of its kind to still be flying. What I didn't know is that it was to be followed by a B2. Being overflown by one of those beasts at close range is jaw-dropping, the sensation is akin to that of being at the track for a pair nitro cars!

Northrop flying wing

 

[Hutch]

It's hard to believe that's the first time you've seen one coming out of Kirtland, although Canon AFB is their main home.

The weirdest plane is the one that looks like part plane, part helicopter. It has rotors on both wings rather than the single rotors on the top of the body of helicopter.

I see that one flying around all the time.

Did I tell you about the day that I saw a helicopter that landed in the cemetery off of I-25?

Whiteman AFB, Mo. is the home of the 509th Bomb Wing B-2 Spirit Stealth bombers. Cannon Air Force Base, N.M. is home to the F-16 Fighting Falcons of the 27th Fighter Wing.

At an Air Fete at RAF Mildenhall, England (leased to the USAF) a B-2 Spirit Stealth bomber (Spirit Of Ohio) from Whiteman AFB landed and parked where the military aircraft enthusiasts could take great photos. The two crew talked with the aircraft enthusiasts.

At the 2006 Royal lnternational Air Tattoo, (the world's largest Military Airshow) there were 160,000 visitors. A B-2 Spirit Stealth bomber flew non-stop from Whiteman AFB, did one pass and flew non-stop back to it's home base.

 

[Toejam]

It's hard to believe that's the first time you've seen one coming out of Kirtland, although Canon AFB is their main home.

The weirdest plane is the one that looks like part plane, part helicopter. It has rotors on both wings rather than the single rotors on the top of the body of helicopter.

I see that one flying around all the time.

Did I tell you about the day that I saw a helicopter that landed in the cemetery off of I-25?

Jenn at the last Open house they had at Kirtland, I asked some of the personel why they don't get the B-2 there. They said they are Extremely expensive to fly, but I didn't know Cannon had them either. Bet they see some awesome flybys there huh?

 

[Jenn]

Canon had a few of them stop by when they were flying overseas, either that or Holloman, I don't remember. Maybe that's where I got them mixed up.

My boyfriend is an Air Force brat, his dad an officer. We'd go into the bases just to look at planes and take advantage of the lodging. I'm still learning the planes and their models as it's a family discussion at their house which military aircraft is better.


A really cool place is the Pensicola Naval Station, where the Blue Angels are from, if you get there during certain times of the day, you can see them practice. I have tons of pictures, unfortunately not from the practice session because those buggers where way to fast for my little sony, but at the naval/Air museum there. The museum ground floor is made out of the wood from a carrier ship.

There was the plane that George Bush Sr. flew, and I think McCain's planes too. I'll have to go through them and I'll try and post some of them if you all would like to see them.

 

[Nick Name]

My shop is just a few miles from Edwards, and we see it all.

Jay

 

[none]

Joe,

All the times you've been to Vegas and you never saw one there? They fly by the track all the time,

Alan

 

[Toejam]

Alan a LOT of Planes fly out of Nellis, B-1's, A-10's, F-15's,16's, C-141's, but I've NEVER seen a B-2 fly out of there! Bob Frey would S**t his Pants if one took off while he was announcing!

 

[Jenn]

Alan a LOT of Planes fly out of Nellis, B-1's, A-10's, F-15's,16's, C-141's, but I've NEVER seen a B-2 fly out of there! Bob Frey would S**t his Pants if one took off while he was announcing!

Before the Strip was renovated, Mom, Dad and I went out to a National open there at the strip. Mom, who loves to bar-b-que had a little smoker grill that she had stuck in the trailer and she couldn't get it to light, so after dousing it with plenty of starting fluid, she leaned in close to light the fire and right as she did, a jet flew, lower than I'd ever seen a jet before right over head. Scared her so bad that she knocked over the table and a few chairs before she got her bearings.

I'm not sure what kind of plane it was but I remember reading the call letters on it. It just came out of nowhere and we didn't hear it until it was right on top of us.

 

[Hutch]

Click on The Nellis AFB - Las Vegas Air Show - Aviation Nation 2007 The Nellis AFB - Las Vegas Air Show takes place on 10-11 Nov. 2007 to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the United States Air Force.

 

[Nick Name]

I was at the Strip last November for the all Harley® drags. The air show was going on, and most of it was taking place right over the race track. Kind of hard to watch top fuel motorcycles and the Thunderbirds at the same time.

Jay

 

[BaldyLochs]

It just came out of nowhere and we didn't hear it until it was right on top of us.

Now imagine you're some terrorist dude hiding in the mountains of Afghanastan and one of these baby's pays you a visit! Before you could probably begin to pull the trigger and figure out where to aim your anti-aircraft weapon.... the plane would have come & gone..... and most likely left you a nice little calling card in the form of a crater......