Photobombed by an F-18
Photobombed by an F-18
An F-18 photobombs campers in Death Valley National Park Tuesday morning. The first one which passes by gets your attention, the second one comes at you from behind at close to the speed of sound, so you won't hear it coming!
#DVNP #deathvalley #camping #desertphotography
Death Valley Workshops
The military is starting to use the national parks as weapons test sites. They are testing electronic warfare devices in Olympic National Park without regard to the negative effects on wildlife.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, Clinton Ferrara! And they are ramping up practice maneuvers in the Western States as they prep for Jade Helm this coming July ~
ReplyDeleteClinton Ferrara I keep hearung more and more about the use of electronic weapons used in some very unethical ways.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jeff, this is awesome. Would you allow me to use this with attribution in a compilation video I"ll be putting together of our trip? I didn't get a clear video of the jets but the soundtrack came in loud and clear...emphasis on the loud.
ReplyDeleteNothing like driving through Death Valley and one jets flys directly at you while another comes from a different direction and scares the crap out of you.
ReplyDeleteLast week I was there and the same thing two of them but they were not the same the wings were different.
ReplyDeletewow amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jeff. We're flying home tonight and I'll have better internet myself this weekend. Hope the rest of your expedition was fruitful.
ReplyDeleteAwesome
ReplyDeleteMarc Benton Photography Email me your email address, or connect on FB and I can send a message and attach some files.
ReplyDeleteMarc Benton Photography I'd love to get a copy of the sound. Lori tried to capture a video, but it didn't start recording.
ReplyDeleteThoughts...."OH CRAP! DON'T LOOK UP!"
ReplyDeleteJeff Sullivan -- we had some flying about that close for a few passes over on Panamint Playa back in March while shooting some star trails -- pretty freaky on a moonless night.
ReplyDeleteI work on Owens Lake, a dry lake just west of Death Valley, we get these guys "practicing" quite often. Think they are having more fun than anything (:
ReplyDeleteexcellent.
ReplyDeleteThat's worth a trip there all on its own!
ReplyDeleteDee Minor- Seeing F-18's low and fast is exactly what I want my tax dollars to go to!
Stephen Cantrel The diversion and sneak attack tactic can save the pilots' lives in Afghanistan or Iraq (or Syria, Yemen, or whatever place the U.S. is not in a declared war this week). Of course once you've seen them do it a couple of times, you know to have your camera in hand and look for that second plane.
ReplyDeleteClinton Ferrara Apparently the nearby China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station was using this air space before Death Valley National Park was expanded to its current size, so retaining use of Panamint Valley, Saline Valley and Eureka Valley was included in the agreement to expand the park. No doubt the desert bighorn sheep don't know what to make of it.
ReplyDeleteAndrew Wisler That would be interesting, especially since the military jets don't seem to be required to use standard aircraft navigational lights when flying at night.
ReplyDeleteThe "R-2508 Airspace Complex" runs 140 miles north to south, from Bishop to Edwards Air Force Base, and 110 miles east to west, from the Nevada State line to Tehachapi, but most of the encounters I've had with low-flying aircraft have been in DVNP.
Jeff Sullivan I used to use china lake and 29 palms for bombing practice back in the 60's
ReplyDeleteClinton Ferrara I think that both are still in use. Earlier this year I camped near Amboy Crater in the Mojave Desert, just north of the Marine Base out of Twentynine Palms. They were running some kind of artillery practice or war games on the base all night, the thuds and booms coming from just over the range to the south and west of where I was camping. On China Lake you can book a trip to the Coso petroglyphs through the Maturango Museum in Ridgecrest, but they're pretty careful about security. The tour is for U.S. citizens only, and I hear that they make you keep all cameras put away until you reach the petroglyphs.
ReplyDeleteJeff Sullivan I only went to Death Valley once way back in the 70's. Fascinating place. All my other looks at that part of the world were B&W aerial photos. I did drive rt 66 from LA to Shreveport in 1969. The Mojave at night.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy all your great photos and stories from that part of the world.
Very nice scene and photo. Thank you.
ReplyDelete