A couple of evenings ago my wife and I were relaxing on the patio and I heard fairly loud jet engines. Having grown up with aviators in the family, I enjoy watching air traffic over my rural home.
I searched the sky and spotted the pair of Stealth bombers passing overhead at about 30 to 35,000 ft altitude, truly a flying wing. With Whiteman AFB 65-70 mi. to the East, not too surprising, just happy to have been outside at the time to see such impressive aircraft in flight.
Where abouts do you live? I live in Odessa and not to far from Whiteman AF base myself. I too enjoy watching them flyby. Pretty neat when by the time you hear the sound of them itās already on top of you.
I was trout fishing in a remote spot in Da U.P. one time and thought the world was coming to an end. Noā¦ Just a B-52 from K. I. Sawyer Airbase (Now closed) doing low level flying
practice at about 2000 feet right over me.
What a majestic sight.
I do a lot of work in the Mojave Desert. Near and occasionally on military bases. Get to see all kinds of interesting stuff. Also occasionally get to play the role of dry fire practice targets for some of the planes and helicopters.
Itās more than a little unnerving when military aircraft change direction and head towards you. A couple years ago I had an AC-130 gunship circle around me several times with all the guns pointing in my direction.
I too have been buzzed, surveilled and āpaintedā in the Mojave. Pretty cool. One time from a very quiet helicopter in the early '90s just before dawn in the Amargosa valley.
B-52s canāt exactly sneak up on you for sure, majestic sight and sound.
I am not good at estimating altitude, but a C5 flew by my house a couple months ago at about 1,000 feet or less. I did some design work on a C5 maintenance trainer but never saw a C5 in person so it was pretty special to me. Iāve never seen any of the other aircraft I worked on just unexpectedly fly by my house
I enjoy being around airplanes too. I live in central Kentucky and air traffic goes north/south, east/west constantly. There is always the low roar of jet engines in the background. I must admit though when the Covid lockdown (as much as I think it was wrong) happened the quiet was nice.
I lived in Palmdale from 1957 until 1988 and worked at EAFB and Plant 42 from 1970 until leaving. You wouldnāt believe the things I saw. If I told you, they would be coming for me.
We live not too far from three bases-an Air National Guard, Air Force base, and a pretty big army base.
Thereās a certain roar that we hear every so often. We run out side and get to see A-10ās flying over.
I grew up not to far from a different Air Force base. The thunderbirds performed there. They would fly right over our house on the way to the base.
Iāve never seen a B-2 fly over. That would be awesome.
Luke AFB is literally just up the road from my house.
Always get to see something fun every day. Used to mostly be F16s, now F35s.
One time thought I was imagining things but they had a B2 bomber doing exercises with the F35s.
When they have the airshows, we get to see alot of the aircraft flying over our house as well. I always get excited if a B17 comes by. Love the sound of those piston engines.
Back when was in my teens during the Cold War, we started to see B-52s come in 100-150 feet over the mountain tops. Some of them, me standing on the mountain was higher than the bomber was flying. Later we found out that the terrain and our little town was an almost identical match to a strategic location in the USSR. I think they quit flying over our town in the ā80s sometime.
Dan, I am in rural area just 20 miles South of Kansas City. Most of our air traffic is either light aircraft from the local airport or the big twin rotor helicopters from the reserves unit at the old Richards Gebaur AFB.
Oh yeah, Bill. I enjoy hearing the radial aircraft engines. Sweet sounds: 1. V8 with a radical cam. 2. Harley V-Twin 3. Radial aircraft engine.
We are surrounded by fields of soybeans and corn. At least once a year they get sprayed by a cropduster coming low over our houseā¦that radial playing her song!
from this world, right? Had to ask!
Nothing other-worldy at EAFB or Plant 42 (if you disregard the Blackbird). Anything else would be another story.
Have Marine and Army Helos pass over regularly. I hear them i step outside to watch.
Years ago I was doing some work in Roswell NewMexico. We were on top of a building when an F-101 (I think) came over right on the wing tip of a Stealth Bomber. Very Cool.
I thought they retired the F101s back in the 70s? Iāve only seen them on display on the ground. Though a couple years ago I did see an aircraft I didnāt recognize doing some maneuvers with some F16s. Now that I think about it, it did look a little like an F101.
I may be wrong but the way it was explained to me was the F101 sticks right with the Stealth to give it a radar signature.