F-22 Flight Test Corridor in TN?

On page 15 of the behind-the-scenes slideshow of this Popular Science article (posted in another thread):
www.popsci.com...
the test pilot mentions flying a test corridor from their base in Georgia through rural Tennessee. Well, I live in East TN and wouldn't mind camping out somewhere to get some photos of a Raptor in flight. Anyone know exactly where they are talking about?

From the article, "Lockheed Martin chief test pilot Bret Luedke takes Raptors out for test runs, flying at supersonic speeds down a long corridor through rural Tennessee. "It's great fun to fly the airplane," Luedke says. "If we have an F-16 or F-15 flying chase, we can just walk away from those guys."

It's probably true. B-2s do the same in the midwest.

Originally posted by Spectre

the test pilot mentions flying a test corridor from their base in Georgia through rural Tennessee. Well, I live in East TN and wouldn't mind camping out somewhere to get some photos of a Raptor in flight. Anyone know exactly where they are talking about?

The FAA has given approval for supersonic test flights out of Lockheed Martin�s base in Marietta, Georgia.
The flight path of the "Raptor testing corridor", covers 120 miles, traveling north out of Marietta to south of Crossville, southeast over Chattanooga, TN and then on to Huntsville, AL.
Hope you see one...

intelgurl

[Edited on 26-1-2004 by intelgurl]

Splendid! It's time to get out my topo-maps and see what looks would be a likely route. Just guessing, based on some general maps, they are flying along the Tennessee River. I've seen pairs F-15s over the Watts Bar Reservoir where I camp, and they occasionally go supersonic. It's very rural area, mainly small towns and some small parks. It probably bothers other campers a lot more than me.

If I get any good video or stills I'll post links here.

Thanks for the info, intelgurl.

Spectre, Next time you see the F-15's try looking in front of them and see if there's anything that they may be following...such as a Raptor.
The F-15's are generally used as chase planes for the Raptors and the F-15's, from what I understand have a hard time keeping up with them.
Other than accompanying F-22's there really isn't a reason I can think of for F-15's to follow that particular flight path seeing how they are not otherwise associated with Lockheed unless perhaps by license through the USAF.

Geez, that is a creepy thought... that Eagles might be chasing a plane (or planes) that I didn't see. The F-15 are always painted that dark grey which makes them stand out like a sore thumb. I have seen them regularly for about two years and always assumed they were flying shakedown runs out of Robins AFB in Georgia or were Georgia Air National Guard doing refueling orbits with the 134th Air Refueling Wing at McGhee Tyson in Knoxville.