Where is the USA's version of the Mach Loop? Right here!
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You may or may not know about the Mach Loop in the hills of Wales where military low-level high-speed flying can be looked down upon by you or I.
Is there such a thing in the USA? Well, if you are patient and don't mind a three-hour drive from Las Vegas into Death Valley, you can find a place called Panamint Springs, NV. This is National Park Service world (click the link to see their area) and right there at Panamint Springs campground is where you would find signs and trails to lead you to a viewing location of Rainbow Canyon, or informally, Star-Wars canyon. On the radio, it's referred to as the Jedi Transition.
This was reported on about seven years ago by our own ex-Jalopo-now-EIC of The War Zone Tyler Rogoway
A careful scan the VFR sectional charts for general aviation can find a grey line Designated VR#### or IR####. The four-digit number routes are below 1,500 feet, and the three-digit ones are above that. This particular route, I believe, is labeled as VR1205, which starts up by Coaldale, NV, and runs down south into Saline Valley, follows the Slate Range, and then turns south, eventually ending North of Victorville, CA. I marked the route on the map. (best I could, but the north end and south end are off the map)
The big fat X is Panamint Springs, where somewhere near is the viewing location. The 'transition' would be an allowed segment next to the route they can go into.
But is that it? Well, no! But I can't seem to find any other places in my limited internet time one can look and watch this action. So here is an onboard video of another route from an F-18f super hornet.
This, in the description, is VR-1251. Starting off the shore of Eureka, Oregon, and snaking its way past Mount Shasta and then South-East eventually ending at Fallon Naval Air Station. The Cascades region is where they did a lot of filming for the new Top Gun movie as well, definitely utilizing these low-level training routes.Some co-workers of mine have described their work in the past, and one of them did a lot of low-level flying in the US southwest in a Panavia Tornado when they were in regular service. Sensor work at 480 knots is quick at two hundred feet or thereabouts.
Feel free to post any viewing points you might know of for any other low-level training routes.
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Star Wars canyon was closed to flights after an F/A-18 smacked the wall, killing the pilot and injuring some spectators. I hadn’t heard about it reopening.
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@GrindIntoSecond Wales!
I think on the way up to Snowdonia some of the other members got photos of low level c130s
this was further south near Brecon Beacons National Park also popular with the RAF. -
@GrindIntoSecond last month I went down the rabbithole and spent many many hours watching compilations from both places , including the channels linked here
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What about the concrete canyons of Chicago?
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@Roadkilled that involves going to Chicago though.
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reminds me of this instagrammer's work...
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Meanwhile, in Australia:
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@GrindIntoSecond Is the T-38 the miata of "fighter" jets?
Manual SS, all the doors, all the trunk space, all the powers!
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@Mupalup said in Where is the USA's version of the Mach Loop? Right here!:
@GrindIntoSecond Is the T-38 the miata of "fighter" jets?
Solid analogy, IMO.
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We were in Death Valley a few years ago as tourists, just passing through from northern California on our way to Utah.
On the way in, we were all by ourselves in the middle of nowhere, and one of these pilots took the opportunity to do a low pass right over our vehicle. Wow!! LOL - what an experience.
Then, an hour or two later, we stopped at a pull-off, not realizing exactly where we were, and as soon as we parked, a jet came roaring through the canyon. Awesome!! A couple more followed after.
Definitely one of the biggest highlights of our western road trip; incredibly fortunate to be in the right place and the right time.
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My brother tells a story of when he used to work in downtown San Francisco. The Blue Angels were in town for Fleet Week, and practicing their show. Since he befriended the maintenance guys (as only my brother would), they let him join them on the roof of the skyscraper to watch the show. At one point, one of the jets did a turn around their building, and you could look down into the cockpit as he came around. Must have been one hell of a sight. And sound.
#Planelopnik all the things
Yamaha YTR-8335
Yamaha YTR-8445
Schilke P5-4 -
@ttyymmnn said in Where is the USA's version of the Mach Loop? Right here!:
My brother tells a story of when he used to work in downtown San Francisco. The Blue Angels were in town for Fleet Week, and practicing their show. Since he befriended the maintenance guys (as only my brother would), they let him join them on the roof of the skyscraper to watch the show. At one point, one of the jets did a turn around their building, and you could look down into the cockpit as he came around. Must have been one hell of a sight. And sound.
It was the greatest Aviation Moment of my life and unlikely to be surpassed. They were at low speed but they pulled enough gravities that there was fog coming from the wings. And we all ran to the corner of the roof and waved at them from the parapet like a bunch of kids. Best Aviation Moment Ever. 21 or 22 years ago.
Master Chief Dingus
The entropy of my garage is always increasing.
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@ttyymmnn
My brother-in-law is a patent attorney with an office near the top of one of those Chicago buildings. He has looked down out the window to see a Blue Angel F-18 go by. -
@Roadkilled said in Where is the USA's version of the Mach Loop? Right here!:
@ttyymmnn
My brother-in-law is a patent attorney with an office near the top of one of those Chicago buildings. He has looked down out the window to see a Blue Angel F-18 go by.Beats looking down and seeing an airliner flying into his building.
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One of these days I'll make it out for Fleet Week.
#Planelopnik all the things
Yamaha YTR-8335
Yamaha YTR-8445
Schilke P5-4 -
@ttyymmnn said in Where is the USA's version of the Mach Loop? Right here!:
One of these days I'll make it out for Fleet Week.
I appreciated you mentioning that story.
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I've seen F22s fly this route, and there are some trails lakeside that go to the mountaintops. -
@GrindIntoSecond The bad thing about high speed low levels is that a large feathered beastie goes from invisible to browning out your flight suit in nothing flat.
BTDT
