Richard Rowley: F117 pilot at the TTR

I noticed this book on Amazon. No reviews. There is a chapter in the preview about life on the Tonopah Test Range:
Richard Rowley: F117 pilot at the TTR

reply to post by gariac


Sounds like it's so secret because there is a major con-spiracy that people have missed, horse genocide

Looks like an interesting read, cheers

Thanks for this, just read the chapter and enjoyed it. Looks like I've found my reading material for the poolside whilst on holiday.

I'd have to reread "Red Eagles", but I think the story about the commander being the first to hit a horse after the memo went out was also in that book.

The day the last four F-117As landed at Tonopah, we had a small convoy of private vehicles driving down the main road to the base. The plan was to view the landing from the small hill just north of the base named Mt, Diablo, though it is hardly a mountain. Though we could have reached that hill using a dirt road that intersects it, the thinking was there is no way the base is not going to spot a bunch of guys on a hill probably a quarter mile away from the guard shack, so take the paved road.

So we're driving down the road making really sure not to violate any traffic laws and the flashing red lights appear in the rear view mirror. Crap! Fortunately, they go right by us. Eventually we reach the point where a vehicle had a bovine encounter. The vehicle rolled and was off to the side of the road. I never noticed the cow, but was told by another driver that they saw it on the other side of the road.

Hitting a cow, pronghorn, or wild horse is always a distinct possibility on these back roads. On the ET Highway, wild horses are less likely, but the pronghorn have showed up in the last year or two. They were never an issue before, so I guess the herd moved or the mountain lions are getting lazy. Cattle have always been a definite target on the road to be avoided. It is a real problem for people on their first visit to the area because the roads are long and straight, making 70 easily become 85mph. Given the lack of fuel in Rachel and probably at the "lockes", I do 65mph just to conserve fuel. That also gives more time to avoid animals on the road.

Originally posted by gariac

Hitting a cow, pronghorn, or wild horse is always a distinct possibility on these back roads. On the ET Highway, wild horses are less likely, but the pronghorn have showed up in the last year or two. They were never an issue before, so I guess the herd moved or the mountain lions are getting lazy. Cattle have always been a definite target on the road to be avoided. It is a real problem for people on their first visit to the area because the roads are long and straight, making 70 easily become 85mph. Given the lack of fuel in Rachel and probably at the "lockes", I do 65mph just to conserve fuel. That also gives more time to avoid animals on the road.

And if you are on open range BLM land and hit someones livestock, you also get to reimburse them for the cost of the animal too