Another "F-117 Companion" thread and a bit of history!

a reply to: BASSPLYR

I wonder if he thrills when he drills a bicuspid.

He's swell though he may be maladjusted.

a reply to: Blackfinger

Or the Lockheed quiet booming test aircraft...

originally posted by: Barnalby
a reply to: Blackfinger

Or the Lockheed quiet booming test aircraft...

Quiet boom would have the engines mounted above the wings, yes?

a reply to: wirehead

Not necessarily. Most of the sonic boom alleviation is going to be the shape of the aircraft itself. Putting the engines above the wing might help, it might not, but it's not a requirement.

a reply to: mightmight

As for the Desert Storm. Boomer gave us nice tidbits...

originally posted by: boomer135
It was posted online years ago. Now the only place to find it is the dark web. But it was recordings between AWACS, F-117s, and a mystery targeting aircraft who was accompaning the stealths. Or our mystery companion aircraft.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Also, it is something that Boomer posted here on ATS... it is Al Udeid and apron position where stealths parked during the first few nights of OIF 2003:


... and do not forget his post in FoxtrotAlpha article:

During this time period I remember a squadron meeting where the Operations Group Commander told us to "be careful what you say over the phone, and pay no attention to the black, pointy shaped aircraft and "others" that were coming to the base."

Pointy shaped aircraft and "others"... Makes me think lol
Also GE screenshot says "Different classified aircraft hanger" - more than one type?

Guess...

a reply to: SpeedFanatic
The picture is from 2013 not 2003, just to clarify. Boomer posted this if i understand you correctly? Where exactly?

Those 'hangars' are a good bet in any case

The hanger (if you can call it that) was directly across from the EARS squadron and everytime we went to work you could see the stealths parked there under cover.

Here's the interesting part, and a story I've told before on ATS. Behind the stealths was a...that's right....a partition! This "curtain" was guarded 24/7 by SF, most of which were forbidden to know what they were protecting. Then on the first night of Iraqi Freedom, some booms got to experience a once in a lifetime joy ride after the bombing raids on Baghdad, catching the F-117's and the "chase" on egress out of Iraq.

a reply to: mightmight

2013 is a year when satellite picture was taken. Ovals on the Boomer's photo are leabled that the "hangars" were for stealths during OIF.

Yes, it was posted by Boomer on his photo upload server. It was a few years ago.

originally posted by: StratosFear

originally posted by: Kurokage
a reply to: StratosFear


The postulated general description says that it's not a full triangle design, has an inward canted tail, and is "pointy".
Being a 70's/80's design could it be faceted? I also wondered if Chris Gibsons' sighted refuelling, along side two F1-11's over the north sea could have been the "companion" instead of the misnamed Aurora.

Well since you brought up the Gibson photo, i was going to post this on another thread but I found this on another website. Its a bit different than the image commonly floating around the A^*(^@ internet topics.

Noticeably longer and sleeker than the other aircraft.

I thought that Chris Gibson sketched his encounter and others tried to make a more realistic looking pic, and the said pic took on a life of its own.

a reply to: Kurokage

Something like that. Either AvLeak or Popular Mechanics did this to show what it might look like on the boom.

a reply to: Zaphod58


As this sighting was over UK waters and not the US, I believe you're not revealing anything by having an opinion. What do you think Chris Gibson saw, was it a "companion" or something else?

a reply to: Kurokage

Where something took place doesn't suddenly mean it's not still classified.

Why would they refuel so close to the ground for someone able to identify different aircraft?

a reply to: Zaphod58


Ah shucks!!!
I was just asking if you had an opinion on what he saw. I was trying to make out if what was seen was supersonic or not. I was thinking that a inward canted tail would help cover heat/afterburner from certain angles, could the "companion" be supersonic.

a reply to: mightmight

He was working on an oil rig in the North Sea when/where the sighting took place.

a reply to: mightmight

They always do. Refueling tracks are always below about 32,000 feet to keep them clear of commercial traffic. They normally run between 27,000 and about 30,000 when they're dragging something.

a reply to: Zaphod58
Well i wouldnt be able to differentiate between an F-111 with swept wings and something else at 10k but then i have bad eyes.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Kurokage

Where something took place doesn't suddenly mean it's not still classified.

I was just hoping that you'd say something along the lines of "that was something else" or " that could have been the "companion"", doesn't mean you're giving away anything, Boomer stated things in some of his replies that had far more info in.

a reply to: mightmight

They normally refueled with them swept forward. They only swept them back for higher speeds. They might have had them partly back, but most likely they would have been forward, which changes their look a lot.

a reply to: Kurokage

He did, didn't he. Too bad he ain't me.

originally posted by: mightmight
a reply to: Zaphod58
Well i wouldnt be able to differentiate between an F-111 with swept wings and something else at 10k but then i, have bad eyes.

Here's an ATS link to his story, he was British Royal Obsever Corps. At the time lots of people said it was Aurora. ATS story