Can Somebody Explain

a reply to: Zaphod58

Yeah I know the other higher flying thing above it, but for causal observer it seems stupid to have a comparison for scale.

a reply to: B2StealthBomber

But without it, the other reason becomes a lot easier to misconstrue.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Yeah good point.

Is it still against FAA rules to a UAV over a populated area?

a reply to: B2StealthBomber

They have to have an escort any time they're flying in controlled airspace.

" the other higher flying thing above it" ?? Something flying above the Amarillo Craft ?

If it was test flying there would be a few aircraft around her to video various parts of the test.3D modelling and computer sims only show you so much.

originally posted by: darksidius
" the other higher flying thing above it" ?? Something flying above the Amarillo Craft ?

Hint; it's not an airplane

a reply to: spaceman42

a reply to: darksidius

Yeah what he said lol

I haven't heard of many test beds flying without a chase plane and I've never heard of a b-2 being a chase plane. Hmm

a reply to: B2StealthBomber

Chase planes almost always flying with test beds. It's for safety purposes and as you said for taking pics and movies. Sometime ago I found a pic of a Chinese B-2 copy with chase plane.

a reply to: darksidius

I seem to remember from previous posts on this topic that the Amarillo sighting was a mistake, but the LRSB prototype was in the air in daylight because they wanted to show the aircraft off to "someone". They wanted **something** to snap its photo.

a reply to: gfad

That's what I recall as well, and the "comparison" with the B-2, which is currently still one of if not the world's stealthiest combat aircraft, was crucial. If you get what I mean.

What kind of chase plane be used it this type of case ? f-15 - f-22 ??

Anything thats a two seater.. Amarillo wasnt a mistake if I recall as photographer was given a headsup.

The point of a chase is to watch for problems, video and image the aircraft in different configurations, and if necessary, assist with the emergency checklist. If you're flying multiship you have others that can do all but the imaging.

a reply to: spaceman42

So I must have missed something on this board somewhere, because this is the first time I've heard that there was something else ABOVE the (2) B-2s and LRS-B spotted in Amarillo!?

So are you saying the asset ABOVE was the Boeing Space Plane or what?

Are you saying the 3 bird formation was hiding another asset from ground view or from Radar?

a reply to: BigTrain

Nah it wasn't An aircraft, it was putting on a show for a sat.

a reply to: BigTrain

The general assumption is that the B-2s and LRS-B prototype were flying at a time of day, and location, where they would be seen by a Russian satellite. Putin was getting a little brash in the Ukraine around this time so it was a subtle show of force by the US (from half a world away, no-less). The US would have solid intelligence on the capability of said satellite, providing enough time for it to gather however much, or little, information they wanted it to find.

It would be interesting to know if they flew the LRS-B under one of the Spirits then let it pop out and dance for a few minutes before she went back under, or if she was allowed to freestyle throughout the full outing (this would tell us a more about the eye in the sky that was watching her). I would guess she did something special and unmistakable, if it was an older sat., to erase any questions about capabilities. If it was a loaded-up, newer sat, they may have just raised her skirt a little and left the rest to their imagination.

According to the Steven Douglas account, he was provided a slight nudge as to which direction to shoot while photographing in Amarillo. So he was manipulated as a more public, fall-back leak (but I don't think he would mind be called that, I know I wouldn't).

a reply to: Badgermole42

Is the reality really this amateurish?

I don't see how showing the planform to a SAT does anything? Thats like a girl flashing her bazonga's for 1 sec just to see a nip slip, but it doesn't tell you about the woman.

Even if the SAT was full IR, and whatever, the best they could do was show that it was producing no IR thru the exhaust or maybe it had a top skin that was "invisible" so they turn on the exhaust heat but the SAT can't see the plane.

Other than that, pretty useless. Putin doesn't care because he knows there won't ever be a war, its how both sides justify their military budgets....always tell the public you have an enemy.

a reply to: BigTrain

You're right. There's absolutely no point whatsoever in showing anyone that we have new systems in development that can do things they can only dream of. They should just classify everything then.

Or hell just keep flying what we have since everyone knows there won't ever be a war. Save money all around.