Message posted by Joerg (Webmaster) (Member since 10/17/2000) on August 12, 2023 at 12:26:26 PST:
That particular canyon, known as Rainbow Canyon or Star Wars Canyon, is located in the western part of Death Valley. It is part of the R-2508 training complex, primarily used by Edwards and China Lake. It provides a shortcut between two training routes, also known as the "Jedi Transition". Since an unfortunate accident a few years ago where an F/A-18 hit the canyon wall, killing the pilot and injuring several spectators, there is very little low flying in the canyon. See attached link for some photos I took there about 10 years ago. There are some famous photos on the web of one of the Groom F-16D models flying the canyon. Recognizable unit patches worn by the pilots in those photos were a clear indication that Groom is still very much involved in the evaluation of Russian jets.
In Reply to: Is it an air show or a training exercise? posted by Altner on August 12, 2023 at 9:03:59 PST:
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