Message posted by n01_b4_flash (Member since 01/29/2012) on October 15, 2023 at 8:23:20 PST:
Hello everyone, just came back from my recent trip to the desert. I was quite lucky this time and managed to photograph, record and see a lot of action and traffic going in and out of both TTR and Groom. I visited TTR on Oct 10 and there was action all the time I was up there. Spent there 7 hours and arrived at the first light, just slightly after 6AM. As it was the third time I visited the place, I didn't expect too many movememnts besides the regular ones - Janet flights but... reality turned out much much different :) Firstly, one of the early 737 Janets entered the base and landed on Runway 32. My scanner was running all that morning and I was puzzled of the number of movements at the base. The apron or part of the base located next to Janet terminal is under construction now, and there were builder tracks doing staff all day. The size of the construction suggest that there may be another building constructed soon(a hangar maybe?). Shortly after 7AM I noticed the hangar doors of two of them are opened, I immediately directed my digital camera towards the base and spotted a black shape in both of hangars. Zooming in and got the answer - two F-117 were sitting inside with some personnel walking around. I got to point - maybe they will launch them that morning? I would be delighted :) In meantime, some of the Janets arrived at the base. One was regular 737 and the other one was more rare - the Beechcraft - That was the first time I ever saw one so I was happy with what I just saw. The aircraft got quickly out of the runway and make a space for... a pair of the F-117s that were sitting in an open hangars before. It was the first time I saw the F-117 and was amazed of my luck. I know the base flies them more or less regularly but since I'm not native I can't visit the place as mach regular as I would like to, so each military type seen on the runway of both Groom and Tonopah gives me chills :) The pair departed in pattern, one after another and was flying in the range for almost one hour before RTB. Both of the guys that drived them gave me so much fun as they were flying in close vicinty to my viewspot. I even got impression that one of them said "Just to clarify, there is a video guy making shots of us!" but for some reason I can't find that recording now. Either it didn't save or it was me who was so excited that I heard the things that really didn't happen lol, anyway. I'm going to leave here my video and welcome everyone to watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUTpZSI9tQw In upcoming days there will be more of me and more from me as it was not the only time on this visit I got lucky. Stay tuned! Happy Sunday everyone. n01_b4_flash
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