Today around 14:00 PST, a B-2 Spirit made at least three loops around the L.A. basin at low altitude (well below the heavy overcast). I couldn’t see the full extent of the loop, but the loop encircled Pasadena (my vantage point).
First: Awesome.
Second: Questions.
Why was it here? Perhaps it was part of some sort of air show or Pearl Harbor memorial?
It ended its final loop heading due west, and just before it was out of visibility it turned slightly northward. A look on Google Maps makes me think that it was heading to Vandenberg AFB. Is this reasonable?
Is there anything special about how the pilot interacts with ATC for airspace its entering? I could see it reaching BUR and LAX airspace during its flight. Would the pilot just use standard communications channels and say, “<tail number> requesting permission to enter <whatever> air space”? Would this be a “gather 'round” event in the tower, or is it yawn for them?
LA is a busy corridor and the crew would have had to coordinate with the area radar center which in turn would coordinate with the local airports.
I can’t answer what event it was attached to or if it was on a training manuever. From my experience with air shows they often get flyby’s that are extensions of basic training. In my area they have split air show deomostrations between Oshkosh and the Dayton Air Show when the dates overlap.
We live E-SE of Kansas City, MO, about 45 minutes from the big AF base which
is home to the B-2. They practice a lot at night and when overcast. Once you
hear the noise they make, you’ll never forget that rumble…
I can’t resist a hijack.
All we get here are C-130’s from LFAFB, although I did see an F-117 going to or from the Jacksonville airshow, and a shuttle atop a 747 being flown from White Sands to the Cape. They had to lay over again at LRAFB, and the pilot flew around downtown Little Rock when he left.
They do have a B-2 at the test wing at Edwards AFB. I guess that’s really no more reason for it to be flying around LA than any of the Missouri-based ones. But you’ve got one that lives just a short distance away.
Part of the opening ceremonies of the USC/UCLA game?
ETA: Sorry. When I saw your post the time stamp said “Yesterday.” I didn’t realize the clock here had switched to past midnight, and I thought “Yesterday” referred to Saturday.
Everyone is missing the point. It was on a mission to take out the LA basin, but unfortunately, it was called off at the last minute.
Amazingly cool to see, you folks were very lucky.
Years ago, I was floating on my back in the lake near the apartment I had, and 2 pairs of F15s flew over. 30 seconds or so later, a KC-135 flew over as well. I have to assume the were heading to Pease AFB in Portsmouth NH. I was living in Amesbury MA at the time.
You certainly can tell a military engine from a civilian engine simply by the noise it makes as it approaches. It’s just not the same noise that you hear from any other type of plane. Civilian jets sound “smooth” to me, where military jets seem to have a “go fast grumble” that I find amazing.
With Whiteman AFB just 30 min down the road and KC’s Arrowhead 15 min in the other direction I’ve seen the B-2 go by often for Chief game flyovers. One Sunday morning for about 30 min I watched it circle in a holding pattern over eastern Jackson county. Even at a great distance it was unmistakable as it banked into its turn.
The cool part was when it completed its turn and then came directly toward us. It pretty much disappeared. Such a huge flying hunk of metal which is so flat the naked eye can’t see it until it’s just about on top of you. When it finally passes directly overhead it’s like some huge building flying by.
My dad used to take me to sit at the end of (civilian) airport runways so we could watch the jetliners take off.
Then I saw an Vulcan at an airshow and realized just how ridiculously loud military jets can be. It was a few thousand feet up, but every single person at the airshow had to cover their ears for the duration of its display.
I know just what you mean. I haven’t seen many come in and out of Nellis, but the first time I matched the noise to the plane I thought this is Stealth? Sounded like a B-52.
I used to have a job near to the end of the runway at MHT (Manchester Airport in Manchester NH). I would often spend my lunch hour (and sometimes a little while after work) at one end or the other watching landings/takeoffs as well. I miss that job for the simple fact of it’s location. (The company went out of business… no surprise, it was a terrible company)
I’d love to find a similar location for military aircraft, but alas, the active bases are too far from me to make this worthwhile. Military aircraft are loud, but amazing creations.
As for your Vulcan, I’m not surprised at the noise! It was a 50’s vintage strategic bomber. They didn’t care about noise, especially given their design intention. (much louder bangs. :D)
The A-10 was one of the most interesting to me noise wise. You don’t hear them coming, and once they pass over, if they WERE interested in you, you’re no longer around to hear the noise anyway.
Wow, I actually can answer an airplane question on SDMB.
Verne Orr, (biography) former Secretary of the Air Force under President Reagan, was The Man who approved the final design of the B-2 Stealth Bomber. He also happened to be a long-time member of my church, the First United Methodist Church of Pasadena.
He passed away at 92 on Thanksgiving Day. They announced his death last weekend, and yesterday during the service explained his funeral would be later that day at 1pm. Our pastor then explained a B-2 bomber would fly over our church during his funeral to honor his life, and death, out of assumed respect for what he did in respects to the B-2. (Getting a :eek: reaction from airplane-loving hubby, and half the congregation.) Our pastor couldn’t tell us when the bomber would be flying overhead, but that some Highly Important Air Force Dude would be there in the service with his walkie talkie (or whatever they use now) to notify when it would be arriving.
When we were leaving the church (around 11:30pm), the Air Force personnel were already in the parking lot, in full dress uniform, practicing their 21-gun salute (minus the “bang” part, heh) and other…uh…whatever else they do in big fancy funerals. There were a few apparently guarding a van (or similar vehicle), presumably holding the body.
Sure enough, around 1:40pm I noticed the B-2 circling low over the valley–and we live a good 15 miles from our church. Rather hard to miss.
Doh! All that editing and I missed that I had typed 11:30pm. We do not go to near-midnight services at my church…it was 11:30am.
DeathLlama (AKA hubby) had been working hard at a nap when I called to tell him the B-2 was circling. He said to tell you that when I called, he answered super-cranky (“She knows I’m trying to sleep!”) but brightened up in a hurry. "Aw, cool, thanks! " He then, heh, climbed on the roof and watched the B-2 from there.
