Nighthawk lives on - a dramatic close encounter with the F-117 in February 2019.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ก.ย. 2024
- The jet black F-117 Nighthawk - clandestine hero of 'Desert Storm' - was officially retired in 2008. This incredible video proves that some of these aircraft still remain in service today. A full report with exclusive photos will appear in the May issue of Combat Aircraft.
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Makes you wonder what else they had to fly during daylight while this guy was playing decoy ;-)
Probably the aurora.
@@tokko6884 Hell, yeah !! Perhaps, finally the engine technology is there to actually drive the "75". Crossing my fingers !
good thinking. when the nighthawk flight tests were conducted they were flying at the same time 3 corsairs for distraction
*snugs down Reynolds Wrap Fedora*
snowbird552 YF-23 Black Widow.
He needs to sell posters of that "hang loose" shot. Fantastic photo, and awesome video.
The gas prices? Yeah I with ya wow more then double what I'm payin
Nice to see you in the wild. Awesome videos man.
figured I might see you here Tao. I'd definitely get that poster and put it beside my two other 117 posters, and the pic I took right in the exhaust of one about 20yrs ago. 👍😎
I would buy that poster.
I’d buy one!
testing their new radar against their own stealth jet to see if it can pick it up.
The speculation between my friend an I was the F-117 being used as a test mule for new avionics and radar.
They’re testing new coatings. The new “paint” has a meta-material aspect to it. This makes the 117 even less visible to radar than it already was.
Testing radar or radar coating of some type I reckon to used by aircraft that fly low as in 200ft hence why 2 F16's trying to track it.
F16 pilots would be able to se it and track it using cameras to compare data collected my their radars/systems.
@@DZimmer000 that's not new tech. I know of one I use to work on 16 years ago this paint. We could only fix small spots of it. Anything big we had to have NADEP come in, and use a special gun to spray it on. I'm sure it's more sophisticated now, but it has been out for 20 years or so
nubz detail Not doubting your experience with the coatings. However, the meta-material coating can’t be sprayed on. This is due to how the actual meta material re-routes radio waves. This would be almost a “wrap” for the plane. The Chinese recently claimed a huge breakthrough in this tech. However, the US has been working on this for 8 years and are considered the world leaders in Meta tech.
Seeing that plane on a desert backdrop is a thing of pure beauty.
When I lived in Vegas till 2013, I would observe activities from Nellis from the vantage point of the main library observing take offs, mostly F15's, F22's, A10's, the occasional B2 and the occasional Typhoons that are stationed there for aggressor training.
Then one day back about 2011, I saw a F117 take off in a hurry in broad daylight, heading north over the mountains which surprised me as I thought they were obsolete and out of service. The plane disappeared then a pack of 6 F16's took off together and chased after it at very very high speed like the 117 had stolen something.
That's when I put the pieces together and realized the Air Force was training pilots on how to interdict and fight stealthy aircraft.
This is nothing new.
Ah, makes sense.
Yep, training to defend against stealth...my conspiracy theory.
The Air Force's "Aggressor" squadron, flown by USAF pilots trained in Russian/Soviet tactics (supposedly, the Mig-25 pilot that defected with his aircraft to Japan in 1976, Viktor Belenko, worked a great deal with the Air Force to update them on V-VS practices) to simulate opposing forces, is said to be the best Soviet fighter "regiment" in the world.
I was thinking the other way around, the nighthawk might be antiquated but we still have enough of them and they are still useful tools in the shed and they are really good at dropping an ordinance so back when this was filmed I was thinking it seemed they were training to _RUN_ away from aircraft, and then I thought of Iran. In the event something big happened over there they might throw these at Iran with the big toys behind them (F-22's,B-2's,F-35's and maybe some NEW ones) They train in the day because Iran's a big country that looks strikingly similar to the backsides of Nevada and parts of the Mojave in California. Whatever their eventful purpose may be would result in an escape if they survived the wave after dropping their ordinance in a first strike and the plan after is just to fly low ,evade and get the hell out of dodge, but they would have to do it in broad daylight possibly. Anything, like training to give them a chance to escape after all hell broke loose. Even if they got out of Iran they would have to make it across other countries full of 3rd worlders that would wish the worse for them.
Nice! I also live in Vegas and yesterday went to my first air show at Nellis AFB. I saw the F22, F18, C- 5M Super Galaxy. It was incredible. I also have had clients that work/worked at Nellis, the Test site, Area 51, Lockheed/Skunkworks. One of them had a job involving the inside of hangars at Lockheed-Martin. He didn’t say much and I respected his NDA’s but damn I wanted to hear about some top secret technology!
My guess is the pilots are thinking that if y'all are willing to stand around out in the desert for hours at a time waiting you've earned a little show of some cool aircraft rarely seen in real life. That pilot is a total badass and that is a great photo of them.
Hi,
Pilots do like to play.
Back in the sixties, on my fishing boat off the coast of California, an F4 flew by us about a half of a mile away and two hundred feet off the deck. The pilot looked at us as he flew by.
So, being complete idiots, we flipped him off.
We then saw a puff of black smoke come out the tail as he accelerated away and then pulled up into almost a ballistic climb. It was beautiful to watch.
He went high and away. and then he started to loop over and went down. When he was low on the deck, we saw a great cloud of black smoke appear.
Less than ten seconds later. the jet went passed us going Billy be damned about fifty feet off the deck and maybe he was fifty feet away from us.
To this day, I remember his mask pulled down, he had a huge all his white teeth smile on his face as he pulled away.
He flipped us off.
That was so cool.
All we could do was cheer.
My ears weren't right for days.
Peace
I think the pilots are just as excited if not more so about the incredible aircraft they get to fly. So, they all seem more than willing to “share the love” with other aviation buffs behind a shutter button instead of a stick.
What is badass about it? Getting paid well to do a job in a machine that is not dangerous? Serving in a military of a country that does not pay their servicemen is badass. Volunteering to serve during a war is badass. This is a job.
One of the biggest honors of my life was working on these at TTR for the 37th TFW Nighthawks! We did own the night!
Pretty badass for a machine that first flew in 1982
that bird was strictly built around stealth......aerodynamicly unstable......but the the radar return........compare the 22???
J L I got there in 89 after all my in processing to the unit. Left after the first GW1 when it was moving to Holoman!
@@kinch613 I dunno... those sr-71 guys were pretty badass too! congrats to be part of something so cool!
@Dion Ross jeez dude take a chill pill. These are beautiful aircraft let's not make this political.
I know the F22 is a more capable plane but it thrills me to no end to see the F117 still flying!
F117 is a way more capable strike aircraft than an F22 which is an air superiority fighter... If your going to dismantle the other guys air defense network B2s and F117s are the ticket... They are not just flying them just because...
C and K Early Warning Systems ?????
C and K Early Warning Systems are you crazy ??
@@SanT-mi8ng the F22 carries its missiles internally and bombs externally meaning in a ground attack roll its not stealthy... The F117 carries 2 2000 pnd bombs internally and is stealthy until right over the target... The F22 is an air superiority fighter the F117 isxa dedicated stealth strike fighter read light bomber... Since physics hasnt changed any its still stealthy especially if you dont know its coming... Id love to know where the error of my thinking is???
The F 117 and F 22 are not comparable. The F 117 was a strike bomber. While the F 22 is strictly an air superiority fighter intended to combat other fighter jets
Congress mandated that the F-117 fleet be stored in such a way that they could easily be used again in a national emergency. Part of that storage process is periodically flying a couple of them to keep pilots current and make sure the jets can still do what they need to do. It's also possible that they are used for testing purposes. None of this is a mystery.
SUPERVILLAIN11 they are stores very well but there are only about 51 left and the government destroys about 2 per year since they are retired although some are used now for testing radar and new sensors but soon they be gone
Very cool to still see them flying.
Exactly said well👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
@@jesseterrell9354 destroyed, is perhaps more stripped for still usable spares &/or if enough core airframe is still good, refiting to new tech/test-mule usage in some mammer.
@@razor1uk610 The Mammer Jammer, F-117....Awesome!
Who would win:
1) some loud bois
2) a flying triangle
I just watched a interview with the first test pilot. He said he'd heard about this and was quite excited about it
I saw that too. That guy had an amazing memory.
Me too couple of days ago 👍🏻🇬🇧
Source, please?
Same as me. Just watched it a couple minutes ago, until this TH-cam link coming up...
5:30 gotta be one of the best pics taken ever
Whew! What an amazing aircraft. Hats off to the videographer for the clear and smooth tracking.
They'll never retire. They may have been stopped from doing bombing campaigns, but they're great test beds for new tech. These things take off and land from Nellis all the time.
agus2001 they actually took part in bombing in Syria. It came out in the news last year. There was no explanation from the pentagon at the time except their mission was complete and the 4 plane flight was on its way back to the States. They actually dropped bombs again.
I wonder if part of the reason for continuing to use them as test beds is to keep a pool of qualified pilots and maintenance crews available.
@Jake Heke While it was developed for the F-117, GBU-27 sales to Israel seem to indicate that it can be readily modified for use by the F-15/16. I can't imagine the USAF would keep the entire F-117 fleet in storage/limited service just to deliver the occasional $55,000 bomb.
If they were used in Syria who's to say they weren't testing some new radar/coatings/avionics whilst being used to drop bombs.
As you say the aircraft is a great test bed.
Why retire something like that and build a new testbed/aircraft when you have some readily available.
Congratulations for this production, the still and the videos. What a beautiful aircraft.
My god the 117 has a true alien design
5:29 for Badass of the Week.
I'm very happy to see them flying again .. I was stationed up at TTR (Tonopah Test Range) from 1986-89, working on the F-117 project while it was still "black". I was even presented a flag at my retirement that had flown on the first daylight flight in Nov 1988. Thank you, again, for showing this.
Thank you for your service to our country Bill.
I have one of the 117 SkunkWorks t shirts. Shhh
Katie Rae ok, thank you
Ah, so you got there a year after "Summer Fun '85". Curious, what shop were you in ( if you can acknowledge it).
@@f3xpmartian I was in charge of the comm center and computer operations center.
They take out the 117's out now and then, to make sure they are in good condition, testing, etc.
I would imagine there’s one or two still in the air that we don’t know about!
Иван Кузнецов the only thing with the SR71 program is that we have a list of every airframe produced and each one is accounted for, the A12 however a few may have slipped away unknown. So who knows.
Exactly right , it’s the type of storage they are in which requires operational checks and flights IAW the storage as assigned to .
There are 4 or 5 I belive in the middle east for operation need. One ended up having to land at a Saudi base unexpectedly.. There is video of it.. If its legit?
I meet pilot who flown downed F-117 Nighthawk over Serbia i was in Aircraft museum where parts of downed F-117 Nighthawk displayed and he was there to tell the story ^^
In early 1987 I had bought my first house west of Fresno Ca. Almost as soon as I was there I began to hear this strange sounding jet fly over in the dark at about 19:15 just about every night and it would fly due east. I would get a warning of a howling sound and I would have enough time to walk out and look up straight overhead to see a red beacon and as it would pass two dim lights on the wingtips that would appear after it passed overhead. Cut to the time change and 19:15 was in the light and sure enough here it comes right on schedule. I look up to see this arrowhead looking plane and knew it had to be a new plane or the stealth! I even showed my neighbor(I had only one). I had binoculars and got a great look, but had never seen one before. They or it would usually come by every 15 minutes in the same path about three times. Then one day it lost the strange howl. They eventually stopped that path but one day about 6 months later I saw it over Fresno at about 5k cutting through the clouds.
Think about how many air forces would die to have that jet, even today! And it was built in the early 80's! Like 40 years ahead of it's time. What an amazing jet!
I really appreciate you posting this. I’ve always been into aviation since I was a youngin, and the F117 has always caught my eye, and is the reason why I’m I joined the military. I work on AH64’s and they’re pretty badass too, but not near as badass as the F117.
AH64 😍😍
It is so cool to see them still flying. They have only been retired, so it makes sense that it is still in use.
I grew up watching these fly over from when I lived in Alamogordo, NM (my dad was stationed at Holloman). So many childhood memories
Wouldn't surprise me if they were testing them with todays improved stealth coatings to see if the 117's angular & less compromised shaping performs better than current stealth fighters in terms of radar signature.
The F-117 is angular because of the computers at the time of design. They simply didn't have the power to design a stealth shape that was rounded. The F-22 is said to be the stealthiest aircraft in the world.
@@devin5139 That's the usual explanation, but reality is often more nuanced.
I doubt that it is a test of the 117 itself, more that those coatings need to be tested and a 117 is a lot cheaper to operate than a F-22 or F-35. Especially when the 117 doesn't need to be combat capable.
Devin Vermeulen The F-35 is stated to be stealthiest now.
I’ve heard that the YF-23 had better stealth than the F-22, with the exception of it’s canopy, but I don’t know how it compares to the F-35.
So... The thing is still in service. Remarkable!
It's fairly well known that there's still a couple of F-117s still flying around Tonopah, this was reported (with video) last year.
Our enemies, frenemies and allies know this aircraft can penetrate their airspace without any real possible way of retaliation. We are a peaceful and patient country. This is one of our means to defend ourselves.
At Chama airport it flew over us at 200 feet approximately 14 passes during the entire day. It turned and followed the exact pattern and rolled the exact exact time as if it were pre programmed flight following automation. We were sitting on a fire helicopter job at this location. We never moved our chairs during the day so we saw the the exact flight pattern every time!
Testing unmanned flight computers?
While working Southern Colorado, Silverton, Ouray, Telluride including northern NM, often watched exotic mil training flights through canyons at high speeds.... day and night. Lined up as if targeting Ouray.. lol
B-52's right down in the purple dirt, between hills across the Bisti.
Previous to Iran raid fiasco, training, flying in formation, C-130's and helos, was observed across southwest, 200' altitude, between the sand dunes and above the Puerco, south of ABQ, Kirtland AFB [C-130 training base]. Periodically today we observe the same low level, close formation training C-130s accompanied by helos.
There is nothing cooler than a plane that flies in spite of preconceived aerodynamic notions...
Makes me wish maybe we still have a few F-14's still flying.
I would so love that to be the case, but I am hard pressed to think of what benefits they could be getting from flying a few Tomcats.
@@ParkerUAS Very true I'm sure the only one's flying today are in Iran. Fun to day dream though.
@@f4cphantom2 , oh absolutely. I se retly hope that they didn't really destroy all the tooling for the wing box and wing sweep system. Hopefully, there comes a day we see the F-14 being flown as a war bird. If Collings can fly an F4 Phantom and a second B-29 can be flying after 70 years, there is hope. I think once the F-16 is retired and opens up the engine market there might be a way to get an A or A+ into flyable mode, bit the costs will be super prohibitive, so it will take a dedicated non profit.
@@ParkerUAS That would be awesome. Collins tried to obtain a F-105 to restore to flying condition. But govt. Wouldn't allow due to it's purpose of carrying a nuclear weapon. At least that's what the rumor mill says.
@@f4cphantom2 , I think that is an awesome thing to say, but unless there are B61's laying about I don't see how they couldn't just demilitarize it.
The far more likely reason is the sheer maintenance and cost to get a plane flying that had such an abysmal safety record. As someone who works in aviation, it all comes down to a question of, "Can you insure it?" and "Can you maintain it?". Even for Collings those are huge hurdles for a Thud.
I got that same greeting from an A-6 Intruder right-seater in Mossyrock Washington!! He overcooked his pass over Mayfield Dam and had to extend his turn, going between the power lines and the hillside. I was standing on top of the hill, directly under the power lines, looking DOWN into his cockpit, with my mouth hanging open!!! He looked up, waved "Rock on", and got back to work... his jet pulling enough Gs to have vortice off of wings and roots! I bet his pilot wasn't thinking "rock on", he was probably thinking "ROCKS!!! TREES!!!".
Great plane, great moment caught and the response from the pilot was priceless. Goes to show you that no matter where you around that area are they know exactly where you are.
Had they wanted to cover it up none of this would have made it to youtube. Camo Dudes would have captured it.
Hahahaha we are shoot down f117a in 1999 here in Serbia and b2 too f117a is fall down near by my house here in Belgrade and the b2 is taked down 200km from belgrade
@@djordjezeljic7692 Remind me - who won the Kosovo war?
@@djordjezeljic7692 Hahaha 2. 1999 Serbian air force made of rubber band planes go Boom. Crash! Kapow! Fall into ground. All laugh. Hahaha. Yes bomber B2 made of model writing paper shot out of sky. With Serbian bb gun. Hahaha. Serbia win war. But did not.
@@texleeger8973 we are take down 18planes and f117a with a 2grade tech from 1989 that mean just one your army is peace of shit and the pilot of f117a is say the same thing
@@texleeger8973 and wiki leaks say the same thing in moscow in war museum can see the story of b2 moscow dont lie
I live in baltimore md. On sept 14 1997 we had an airshow at martin marietta air port which is connected to an air national guard base. They actually share a runway. On that day we had an f117 fly in for the show. Some mechanic installed a service panel up side down which resulted in the jet crashing into martins lagoon on middle river.
This is the coolest flyby ive ever seen.
Great to see it fly again (although I’m over a year late). Had the great privilege of seeing one up close and personal when I was in the RAF at Ex Red flag at Nellis in 2006. We were out with our Tornados and were parked on the next line from the F117s and got asked if we would like to have a closer look. Incredible feat of engineering and such a presence on the ramp. I’ve got a special place in my heart for that jet and it’s good to see it was still flying last year.
it was recently released that F16's were getting same radars as F35? type. Maybe the F16's were learning to spot stealth signature clues with the new radar. The Chinese stealth jet may have a similar signature as the F117
Yes the F-16 SABR AESA upgrade.
Remember one of these flying over my house back in the late nineties.
It was waiting for its slot at the Southend on Sea airshow in the U.K.
Truly was the most amazing and surreal experience!
Definitely miss my first jet. Haven’t worked on it in 20 years. Thank you for the footage.
This was my life many years ago and brought tears to my eyes.It is a wonderful exotic beautilful aircraft. I would do it again...
However strealthy the radar and IR properties of the F-117 may be, acoustically, they are LOUD! (Of course, if you've just been taken by surprise by the arrival of one, the exhaust noise may be the least of your concerns.) :-)*
That’s because people would long be dead before anyone ever heard the sound of
From what I can see on the vid, they're comparatively quieter than a regular fighter. I mean, it closes in quite a bit before the mic picks up the exhaust noise
@@jpardoa94 If something's travelling towards you close to the speed of sound, it's going to arrive pretty much at the time its noise does.
Like the raptor..by the time you see it or hear it...its all over
Hes right. I got to see one and when it flew over it was louder then other fighters.
Back in the 80's I worked for a aerospace contractor. I worked on the disc drives that went into these. At the time we were not told were the disc drives went. It was not until later that we found out these drives were going into the F-117. Must have been great to see them fly. I have never gotten the chance.
wow, now this is something special, I thought the fleet was completely retired with all of them either scrapped or mothballed.
looks like we were wrong, this one looks brand new and is apparently very capable and airworthy.
spectacular !
I have always been intrigued by the F-117 Nighthawk, such an evasive and mysterious plane, groundbreaking technological engineering marvel.
Officially retired yes but in something called f1000 storage meaning they can be recalled with just a very short window, something like two weeks to a month depending on condition. Or so I'm told anyway.
@@truckert9729 wow, did not know that, thank you for the response and information. appreciated !
Every surface that you can visibly see on this jet, basically IS new. The entire aircraft has a coating on it that is replaced very frequently, as it is not all that durable.
Now if we can just get a photo of the stealth Blackhawk.
I saw the B2 aprox 5 yrs before it's public rollout. I was flying S of KSSC Shaw AFB cutting through the bombing range. The MOA was cold and we were accustomed to cutting through it. Black, flat and was above and on our same heading. Reported the traffic to ATC which said no radar contact and after tracking it for 10 minutes they told us Shaw had no mil traffic in the area. Later we were ask if we wanted to file a report. About what?
Maybe you saw something else. When the B-2 rolled in Palmdale it hadn't flown yet.
Secret space program perhaps, the true Starfleet few know exists. When I was a kid on a commercial flight I saw something that literally looked like a straight black line in the air off in the distance. Who knows what that would have looked like from above or below. Flat and black would have probably described it. This was also before the b2, but didn't look like one regardless. Then about 12 years ago or so I caught a glimpse of something literally like a dark grey star destroyer through a hole in the clouds on an overcast night. There is a lot flying that we don't know about. Skunk works and other secret military projects are the ultimate cover story for stuff far more advanced (and perhaps ancient).
@@jbizzle1966 Had these guys said they saw a F-117 running up and down the canyon and didn't have their cameras most wouldn't believe it.
In 1985 I was 7th grade, we had a split schedule school here in Vegas at the time, so I had to catch the bus at 5:00am. One morning two F117s came flying over head, maybe 50 feet of the deck, the were following the railroad track south to north and right under what is normal flight path for planes taking off from McCarran. We could barley make out any shape to them against the lights of Vegas. But they were loud as hell, and they were not using their running lights. Me and my friends had thought we had seen ufos. I had no idea what I was seeing until they showed them on tv during desert storm and I recognize them from that early morning encounter. I never will forget that moment.
Such a wonderful feat of technology that I'm sure continues to help us develop and further our capabilities to defend and protect our country and allies. Not even going to speculate about what the flights are for but I'm sure that they are still very viable platforms that can be further updated and reintroduced and even more lethal than before. I am a big fan of author Dale Brown and the "Flight of the Old Dog" series of books and although they were fictional, the concept of taking ages airframes and updating them with the most advanced materials and weapons is a very real one. Glad to see the Nighthawks are still being used in whatever testing that is going on. God Bless America and those who defend her!
I remember sitting in the cockpit of an F117 and marveling on how roomy it was. I'm 6'3" and didn't feel cramped at all. The first two digits of that tail number shocked the hell out of me in that they could keep that a jet a secret for so long.
At 5:30 that's the "Hang Loose" sign, which is used often in the US Military, especially by those who have been stationed in Hawaii. And you mentioned that two F-16s were (Wagon Wheeling) the perimeter. What you fail to see is the invisible jet that's flying right behind the F-117...
Semper Fi 😉🤠🤙
Wonder woman was there?
What is so cool to me, is the pilot seemed to be putting on this show for the people watching
Not sure what all the hype is about. They were placed into flyable storage. They've been flown, usually in pairs, regularly since then.
still the most beautiful plane ever built!!!!!
Great article and footage... Except for the music backing track. It's very distracting and just gives the whole video a cheesy feel overall.
It's a little UFO TV, but agreed and subscribed.
Fantastic! Always loved this aircraft from my teenage years when I was obsessed with American Military Aircraft (I'm from the UK). This and the F16 would be my pin-ups, hugely inspired by computer simulations I played on back then.
Around 8 years ago I saw one out side my house window it was close to say the least it was crazy
I grew up about 2500 ft from the Skunk Works building when the 117 was being developed at then Lockheed airport and remember strange sounding aircraft at 2 in the morning and eventually realized it was the sound of a C5 transport, it was carrying the 117 to Palmdale.
WHAT?! Tesla made CyberPlane?
The way the F-117 cuts through the air is a sensory delight. Hard to explain but does anyone else get kind or a rush seeing video of this flying compared w/other jets?
Holloman Air Force base still have them there.
No they dont. I was personally present for the draw down and retirement of this jet. As well as the bed down of F-22's. Our 117's were sent back to Tonopah.
That beautiful Night hawk does not need to retire. An absolutely beautiful air vehicle I dont care if it did cost 2 billion dollars. There are some thing you cant put a price on
Meanwhile in Serbia
*hold my rakija and give me that russian raketa*
Hardbass intensifies
They took one down just one and they never stopped bragging about it
It was a fluke anyways. Blind luck. They followed the same route every night flying low and close to the shoreline. Bad mission planning.
They got a weak and vague lock with an old short range low frequency SAM ground RADAR. They fired a bunch of missiles and one got lucky and made a hit.
It really was just pure luck.
Low frequency RADAR can see stealth because of the huge frequency wave but it's not very accurate and it is pretty much useless in the real world because it has a very short range. Millimeter wave and micro wave have long range capability and are much more accurate but they are easily absorbed and deflected by stealth materials and design.
Stealth will always have an advantage.
You could theoretically make a triangulating electromagnetic field that could feel a stealth craft flying through it but that would require an unrealistic and painstaking setup that can easily be avoided or jammed with electronic warfare.
@@saltysteel3996 i think that main issue was that they didn't know it was invisible.
@@saltysteel3996 actually it is accurate when the aircraft opens its bomb-bay doors. :)
@@goldzen3019 ye and that one was enough to retire it :)
Man these are impressive. Jim Johnson and his team are genius ahead of their time
Americans:We never seen one
Serbs:🤣1999
Serbia: Wait... It's you again?
Would love to see the F-117 revived !
Yeah, me too Saw the F22's couple years ago in Rainbow Canyon here:
studio.th-cam.com/users/video16DaHQvSPYA/edit
Damn that's quiet for a jet
Rumor has it they still have 2 SR-71s operational.
I'd be surprised at that after NASA was done with them due to cost of special fuel, oils but you never know.
Makes me remeber the time was on a southerly heading at 11,000 ft flying. Grumman Tiger approaching Palmdale when ATC called out, “Tiger 6, a Grumman Tiger your 12 O’Clock 11 thousand passing to your left. Grumman Tiger 6026L F-117 climbing your 12 O’Clock passing ro your left.”
The F-117 was climbing like a scalded cat and passed off my left wing about level with me and maybe 1,000 feet away. Very cool like a black arrowhead. I miss flying that area. Great for seeing exotic aircraft.
1999
Only one f117 shot down
@@jaysonxxx2306
After that one, he was not on that sky.
@@jaysonxxx2306 only one you send
If you knew how it actually happened, then you would know it cannot be repeated.
The word is that the USAF are using 117 to test stealth countermeasures and detection equipment in exercises.
The 117 represent stealth opponents.
Testing air, ground and ocean detection and countermeasures against stealth.
Testing the new sensors I imagine. You found shaba. Aka the black ghost 😎
I used to watch it fly over my school everyday getting escorted by an F-16 in 1992. That and the stealth bomber. I lived in Ridgecrest and I went to elementary school at Groves on China Lake. Saw a lot of interesting things living in Ridgecrest. Watched a F-18 crash on the outskirts of town. I was a little kid playing outside and could hear it having engine backfires I believe. Went in and told my parents something was going on with this plane in the distance. We continued watching it and saw it dive towards the ground and the pilot eject. We rushed out to the site and was there within 3 minutes probably and there were already fire trucks there. Crazy times.
Only the f117a was retired . The b, c, and I, are still flying op- the N was never declassified .
Study operation kingfish and project Cheshire
Иван Кузнецов be well my friend remember we keep it sharpest blades hidden . Best to Kapustin Yar.
The other variants were never built. The one filmed is an F-117a
scythelord wrong , but you’re a civilian so we forgive your ignorance .
Thank you comrade Cody for the information. You can find your payment in the usual place.
Ahh, the Flying triangle from my days as a child still lives. Damn shes such a beauty.
Hahahaha we are shoot down f117a and B2 here in Serbia 1999 we didnt know it was invisible xD
hahahaha - who won the war?
Tell your sister I want my boots back. I left them under the bed.
You never shot down a b2 stop telling yourself lies and the f117 shootdown was the only serbian accomplishment in over 200 years you dont even have an aircraft development program you just borrowed hand me downs from the then former soviet union
you never shot a B2 down LOL
@@slappymcgillicuddy7532 yes we did the place where is shoot down a b2 is full of kerozine and usa is hide that news putin is say that news in 1999 he dont lie
@@djordjezeljic7692 you never shot a B2 down, stop lying LOL. You got lucky and shot down one F117 in several hundred missions since its bomb bays stuck open and it was picked up on radar. Good god you all are like the retards that celebrate a trophy in the special Olympics. It's a shame you got your asses handed to you in that conflict in the end.
Of course it lives on! They're retired but are kept in a state of readiness.
Haha - good to see the canyon dudes witness report :-)
Roger Kemp - CANYON dudes?
Good work guys. I love this aircraft. Out of this world.
'Lehi 1' can gaurantee that this pilot is a Mormon. Lehi is the name of Nephi's father in the Book of Mormon.
Makes me so happy to see they still are being used!
I can solve this mystery for everyone...remember when we found a replica of a f117 in China's industrial buildings on a satallite photo
Stolen technology that the serbs gave to the chinese
@@misterbuklau4053 It wasn't stolen it was shot down over Serbian territory.
@@fuckjewtube69 they stole the u.s stealth technology from parts of the wreckage compromising the secrets of the stealth technology, the us owned the wreckaged therefore if the serbians took the parts from it thats stealing
Couldn’t be much worth stealing since they shot it down with a 1960s Soviet SAM.
And of course, if you’re using chemically propelled ranged weapons, you can thank the Chinese for that. ;)
@@Bartonovich52 that's because the missle bay were left open to long and left a signature.
I’d love to see the tomcat fly again
They are trying to be a bit conspiratorial about this. The aircraft has been seen at many airshows over the years, so this sighting is no big deal anymore. The fact that they use them for some test and eval is not surprising.
They have not flown any airshows in at least 11 years.
The fact that came out in the 80s let me wonder how they don't have 6th generation jets already.
if they even do, they probably wouldn't tell us, New Planes etc. are kept secret just like F117 was
Wonder if the Iranians have any Nuclear enrichment facilities nestled along mountain valleys? Just a thought?
I wonder if Americans will ever realise that they are always the aggressors in these international incidents
@Romans 13:4 Iran's nuclear capabilities are more than likely just a false flag anyway . America just trying to gain support for an invasion
Yeah. Iran was the only nation to ever use nuclear weapons aggressively....
Oh...... wait.....
And if you give me that “wE nEeDeD tO nUkE jApAn To SaVe A mIlIoN aMeRiCaN lIVeS” nonsense... just remember that your almost total destruction of Japan was predicated on a limited airstrike with no boots on the ground against a military installation on occupied territory in response to economic sanctions without a formal declaration of war..... *_SOMETHING THE USA HAS DONE TEN TIMES OVER SINCE WWII!!!!_*
And 5:29 is now my new screen saver. Epic shot, bad ass scene. Thank you all for it. My favorite plane in history. Well of stealth that is.
I don't think the F-117 has been "retired".
In Vietnam, when the Soviet missile target-tracking radar had to shut down, they would still fire and take out planes with a lot of shrapnel from a lot of missiles. Over Bagdad they used the same strategy against the F-117, but luckily they didn't knock one out. I was a Nike Hercules FCC (missile) operator in Korea during Vietnam. They have even used this "blind" strategy against U-2s.
absolutely. "stealth" for the mainshitmedia-propaganda. the same goes today for the the flop f-35 against the s-400.
It doesn't fly active combat missions, just historical demo flights like above. Also, F-117 was designed in the mid-1970s, so it was 25 yrs old during the Serbian bs. F-35 would have no problem with nevas and has countermeasures with far advanced technology.
Such an incredible story for these two! Thanks for making the video, absolutely loved it - the 🤙 at the end!! How incredible is that! I was losing my mind in my apartment, I can’t imagine what you guys were doing at the time it happened!!
KGB would like to thank you for the information tovarishch.
I bet those flights are in purpose of disinformation.
There is 1 on display at the Air Force museum . It must have been a rush. Once in a life time experience .
I'm no expert but my guess is they wanted it to be videoed as a way to let the world know they haven't gone away.
Umm, no.
@@KB4QAA Then why fly low where everyone can see it. And they know that Canyon is full of photographers.
@@Bluelightning23 Because that is where they needed to do the testing. Same reason the chicken crossed the road: to get to the other side. Take off your tin hat and drop the conspiracy theories.
@@KB4QAA You got the wrong guy for that man I'm not a conspiracy theorist
@@KB4QAA My original comment was just an off the cuff remark no need for tin hat comments.
Saw one of these at McGuire during an air show come in and land. No one could get near it of course but the pilot was very nice and proud of his bird. I worked on 141’s at the time so seeing fighters was always a treat.
The F-117A Nighthawk was a nice airplane and the company must be still flying them in tests or the Air Force is secretly still flying them.
Yesssir! Amazing job capturing the badass F117!
Maaan we are shoot down f117a and B2 here in Serbia 1999 f117a is fall down near by my house here in Belgrade but nice plane russian have the best aircraft in the world
@@ReptilianLepton in moscow war museum you have evidence of shooting down b2 in serbia usa hide that story but Russia never lie the place where he fall down is full of cerozine and equipment how that my friend is not lie
Sorry, we did not know it was invisible.
Serbia
this be copy paste comment but its just spot on
& that is the only thing Serbia has done in the last 200 years. Serbia is a racist, garbage nation. Has it ever even developed a simple plane?
@@Odessa45 you lost the war
you shot ONE down out of several hundred bombing missions and it only happened because the bomb bay door stuck open and invalidated the stealth capability. Not only that the crew decided to fly back the same route it had been flying for months. And we ended up crushing the shit out of you anyway..but please, enjoy your one lucky small victory
@@slappymcgillicuddy7532 Theyre just upset they lost the war
@@slappymcgillicuddy7532 F117 had no active navigation system with LPI capabilities, so they HAD to use the same path as these aircraft, essentialy, perform blind flight in the middle of the night.
It's not on the pilot, it was the nature of the beast back in those days.
Props to that artillery commander that sniffed the chance for the big kill and they took it.
Didn't stop serbians to get BVR'ed out of existence anyway, lol.
They fly the F-117 and nice and low while the Aurora and Sr72 fly secretly behind you lol. Great video, must have been a great experience!
And now this spot will be restricted
Worked on these at the end of my air force career. I was so messed up in my own head about everything else I couldn't appreciate it. Now that I've got my head squared away, I wish I could go back.
Go check out Dan's (on the right) youtube page, HABUJET, and subscribe! He's not only a great photographer but has some amazing videos, too.
Hell yeah I had no clue the F-117 was still in the air and I'm so very happy it is even if it is only for testing and evaluating the F-117 is such an icon I really hope it stays flying for years to come!!!