F-117 is leaving the same way it arrived -- stealthily

LA Times ^ | April 22, 2008 | Peter Pae

[jazusamo]

 

 

USAF/ Associated Press

An F-117A Night Hawk during a training mission. The stealth fighter,
which is being retired by the Air Force, took part in the invasion of
Panama and the Persian Gulf and Iraq wars. The planes will be placed
in storage in Nevada, where the first F-117 took to the sky in 1981.

[F-117A]

Just for the record...

I am not leaving!

[jazusamo]

F-117 Ping!

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

So, now the question is, what is taking its place?

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

The last four of the world's first stealth fighters will make their final flights from Palmdale to a secret desert base in Nevada, where they will be locked up indefinitely in a secure concrete hangar.

Groom Lake/Area 51/Dreamland?

[Raymann]

The F-22

[jazusamo]

:-) Glad to hear it!

[Tennessee_Bob]

I was at Nellis when they were still deep black, and the Janet Flights left from a parking spot in front of my shop. A friend’s older brother was uprange, and when I made the mistake of asking what he did, he told me “I play pinochle.” I was still at Nellis when they started coming out into the sunlight, when they flew their first missions (against Panama), and when they deployed and returned from the First Gulf War.

And now they’re going deep black again.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Nah, probably just back to Tonopah.

[jazusamo]

Kind of a top secret area that doesn’t exist. :)

[Enchante]

Well there are the B-2s.... even though we only have 21 of them they can deliver far more payload.

Also, my (limited) understanding is that the F-22 is much more capable and we have more than 100 of them now, so the F-117 has already effectively been replaced. Even though it was designed as an air-superiority fighter the F-22 can also deliver bombs better-farther-faster than the F-117, or so I’m told (but I claim no expertise). I think we should have been building a lot more than the 186 or so F-22s that we are currently committed to (raising the unit cost a great deal by slashing the size of the overall order).

[righttackle44]

“A few aerospace reporters have been invited, but they had to be U.S. citizens.”

Surprised me. I didn’t know there were ANY US reporters who are American citizens.

[jazusamo]

We may not have seen the last of them being used.

[jazusamo]

Yes...I was surprised that ANY were invited, period.

[patton]

Great place to test a UFO, though.

[fish hawk]

I didn’t even know you were here to start with. The shrouding must be working.

[Kenny Bunk]

.......what is taking its place?

We see nothing on the horizon. Hopefully, whomever we're fighting won't, either.

But jas, make sure they don't park them in the sun. UV kills whatever weirdo composite they cooked up to fabricate major F-117 components

[jazusamo]

I doubt we’ll ever see another work horse like the B-52.

[stylin_geek]

Actually, he was on double secret probation. Until today.