Supersonic Low Level test area

USA / California / Darwin /
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Panamint Valley - There are signs along this road warning of low-level supersonic flights. From the nearby China lake test area. A local friend, from nearby Darwin, has told of having been driving along the road in this desolate, nearly unpopulated valley, and nearly being blasted off the road when some jet went 100 feet overhead above Mach 1.
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Coordinates:   36°9'25"N   117°18'59"W

Comments

  • I and a friend had the pleasure of driving south on Panamint Valley Rd south of the Dunes a couple of miles off Rte. 190 last Fall (2012) when 2 Jets came screaming up the valley easily less than 100 ft. off the deck. One of them came right down the center of the road and was very obviously practicing locking his weapons on us. We could see the entire back of the jet from the cockpit (including his helmet - clear as a bell) to the tail has he came at us... fast. As they went over us, they both rotated 360 degrees in 90 degree steps, one of them remained 180 inverted for quite a distance, then they peeled off towards Darwin. The best airshow I have ever seen.
This article was last modified 6 years ago