The REAL MIBs and Black Helicopters. Anyone ever seen either of them ?

[Sardondi]

I think you're both right: there's no question the US has a "silenced" rotor capability which is still classified; but the laws of physics mandate that any craft which operates by "lift" must displace a significant amount of atmosphere, which in the case of copters manifests as "rotor wash". So unless and until we have gravity-powered craft, our secret copters may well be functionally "silent", but will still blow a lot of hats off when they hover directly overhead. 

[ziznak]

Well, I think it's safe to assume that with they have now, when certain conditions are met, a helicopter could be seen to have just snuck up on a car silently.

[Falkie2013]

It's nowhere near the same as a silent helicopter, but almost so.

This is kind of gross but ...

In 1962, I was flying on a flight on Lufthansa from London to Frankfurt. I was 10 and traveling by myself, which is something that probably wouldn't happen today.

We took off and the stewardesses started to give out juice; apple, orange and tomato.

We had gotten up to around 22,000 feet and they gave juice to everyone on the plane and even the pilots because I watched them bring the juice to the pilots because they opened the door to the cockpit and brought it to them.

The stews put the cart away and sat down when suddenly the entire plane shook and there was a noise like a big " WHAM ! "

We suddenly found ourselves moving up out of our seats as the plane moved downward.

We couldn't hear the sound of the engines or anything. Just the sound of people yelling and then the cockpit door opening and 2 of the flight crew running out for the bathrooms.

Since everyone had juice, everyone was busy with an airsick bag. Pilots, stews and passengers. I had drank tomato and it was horrible using the bag too.

It took what seemed an eternity to slow/stop the plane from falling but finally the pilot who remained in the cockpit managed to stop the fall and stabilize the plane.

All the while we never heard the engine noise. I found out later by asking the pilot that we had fallen 7,000 feet in about a minute. They thought it was clear air turbulence which was barely understood at the time. I went from NYC to London to Frankfurt to Nurnberg and back all by myself.

I told them it was Germany's revenge for losing the war and the airline was trying to get rid of the American passengers.

They didn't like my joke but ever since I 've never quite trusted the airflow that goes under the plane when it flies.

I've never seen that many people get sick before or since either.

*********

Late in the 1950's my Mother was flying to Germany on TWA's first jet flight ever to London. Somewhere out over the ocean, one of the engines caught fire and they had to land in Nova Scotia or somewhere like that until they replaced the engine. Later TWA gave all the passengers a free ticket and sent them 2 certificates that said they flew the historic flight. The second one was deliberately singed around the edges which showed someone at TWA had a sense of humor. I wish she still had them. They were ornate and cool to look at.

****************

Last flight story.

In 1969, I had gone to an sf convention and had put a phaser and communicator that was used on Star Trek in my briefcase. I had volunteered to take it up to SF for a fashion presentation on the fashions of Star Trek being done by the local Emmy awards. The problem was when I opened up the case to be inspected, the LA Airport guards inspecting luggage thought the phaser was a gun and held me for the police and I spent an hour trying to explain to them what it was. I finally got someone at Paramount to vouch for me but I missed my flight and I couldn't believe I got stopped for a prop weapon.

Not Star Trek watchers I guess.

[Yorkshire pud]

They didn't like my joke but ever since I 've never quite trusted the airflow that goes under the plane when it flies.

I've never seen that many people get sick before or since either.

Sounds like turbulence..Thermal activity can be a blessing or a hindrance, depending on which bit you happen to fly through/use (As gliders do)... Problem is it's a 'best guess' approach to dealing with such a set of conditions; Cloud formations are a good indicator, but back in the 1960's the weather radar equipment wasn't there; and even today it's not perfect. I had a work colleague who flew to Thialand and on this particular flight the aircraft dropped so fast, and unexpectedly the people walking down the aisle flew upwards into the ceiling and overhead lockers! One hit a locker so hard it broke his leg, forcing the pilot to make an unscheduled stop before Bangkok.

[PortlandDangler]

I was in the 101st airborne div. and the helo's are BLACK. Blackhawk aka uh-60 anyone?

[ChewMouse]

The B2 Stealth has made a couple of passes over the outskirts of Topeka during the last half-hour; the second time I'm pretty sure it was super sonic. I know, I know, but it's such a wonder of technology; I have four or five little Stealths that have been given to me over the years.

Nevertheless, I just wanted to report.

This picture is from Google images. It's just amazing in real life.

[ItsOver]

Chew... have you noticed more B-2 activity in your area since North Korea has started saber rattling?

[ChewMouse]

Chew... have you noticed more B-2 activity in your area since North Korea has started saber rattling?

No, this is the first. Likely they are coming out of Whiteman AFB in MO. But I've been very much on the alert since the North Korea stuff began; I wonder if they are flying overhead to Fort Riley, KS, and doing whatever maintenance is required to go overseas. It's unusual for them to fly over Topeka.

[ItsOver]

Interesting.  A fascinating aircraft.  I've only seen one once, when it flew over an airshow.  I wouldn't want to be it's target.  I wonder how many UFO reports it's caused over the years.  Even with it now being a known stealth aircraft, I could still see it causing some puzzled sighters, especially at a distance.

I've always loved the story of the B-2 being shown to Jack Northrup.  His dream of a fully successful flying wing finally realized after years of frustation, with such craft as the B-35.

From Wiki:
"Almost three decades after he retired,in 1980, Northrop's dream was achieved as the military revealed the new B-2 Spirit. This new bomber was based after Northrop's "Flying Wing" B-35, and is the biggest stealth aircraft used by the military. When Northrop saw the new plane unveiled in 1980 he stated that, "Now I know why God has kept me alive for the last twenty-five years." Northrop lived for one more year and in 1981 he died in Glendale, California."

[Yorkshire pud]

The B2 Stealth has made a couple of passes over the outskirts of Topeka during the last half-hour; the second time I'm pretty sure it was super sonic.

It doesn't fly supersonic. It deliberately doesn't fly supersonic because if it had been designed to do so, it's stealth remit would be dead and buried as it broke the sound barrier. As Scotty said "Ye canna change the laws of physics C'pn". It's not a perfect weapons delivery system though, as it has to be escorted by fighter bombers on every mission. Their purpose is to destroy it if it happened to be lost or shot down. Not only but also, the paint that is applied to it has to be applied on a very regular basis in special hangers, which effectively puts it out of action. Still at a $billion per unit, you can't really say later "Maybe there's another way".

[ChewMouse]

It doesn't fly supersonic. It deliberately doesn't fly supersonic because if it had been designed to do so, it's stealth remit would be dead and buried as it broke the sound barrier.

The radar-resistant paint on the B2 is a story in and of itself. It does indeed require a lot of maintenance.

The B2 flies at sub-sonic speeds to its target but once the weaponry is dropped and half the fuel is gone, it could  easily top 760 mph. I don't know if it does so during war maneuver retreats and you seem to know that it stays sub-sonic, so that's fine. But I have seen it at supersonic speed at least once, while it was involved in training exercises. That was outside of Wichita, KS, some miles from McConnell AFB. And yesterday...I'm unsure. It was stormy here but the sound of the Stealth filled the sky.

[ziznak]

One morning we're going to wake up, or be still up as is the case with me at the moment, and be greeted with new shiney FLIR videos of North Korea getting it's arms, eyes, and ears shit on.  My money says they don't get a missile off the ground.

I wonder... do the North Koreans still name their missiles "dongs?"

[ItsOver]

....I wonder... do the North Koreans still name their missiles "dongs?"

Don't know about their missiles but apparently they've taken over "Ding Dongs" from Hostess.

[Yorkshire pud]

One morning we're going to wake up, or be still up as is the case with me at the moment, and be greeted with new shiney FLIR videos of North Korea getting it's arms, eyes, and ears shit on.  My money says they don't get a missile off the ground.

I wonder... do the North Koreans still name their missiles "dongs?"

At this very moment, Bruce Willis and Steven Seagal are in N K mingling in and going deep cover. They're planning to disable the entire missile launch sites thus preventing WW3.. Meanwhile, Up in space, satellites armed with laser death rays are awaiting any projectile that looks suspicious breaking through the stratosphere; The satellites will power up their high energy death ray and will cleave it's warhead in twain.

[FightTheFuture]

The B2 Stealth has made a couple of passes over the outskirts of Topeka during the last half-hour; the second time I'm pretty sure it was super sonic. I know, I know, but it's such a wonder of technology; I have four or five little Stealths that have been given to me over the years.

Nevertheless, I just wanted to report.

This picture is from Google images. It's just amazing in real life.

She`s a beauty. What`s really fascinating to consider is that`s nearly 40 year old technology.  It makes one  wonder what is being tested in the desert skies these days.

[ItsOver]

...It makes one  wonder what is being tested in the desert skies these days.

Oh, man, that reminds me of Art being in "the high desert," not far from Area 51.  It was as if he was at ground zero for high strangeness.  A much better location to broadcast C2C from, versus a hole in St. Louis or "The Land of Lindsay Lohan." :

[FightTheFuture]

Oh, man, that reminds me of Art being in "the high desert," not far from Area 51.  It was as if he was at ground zero for high strangeness.  A much better location to broadcast C2C from, versus a hole in St. Louis or "The Land of Lindsay Lohan." :

Yes, there was something magical about those late nights with Art.


I keep telling myself I should take a jaunt out to the desert and  hike up Tikaboo peak to check out that "not-so-secret" dry lake bed  [size=78%]http://withoutbaggage.com/essays/area-51-tikaboo-peak/[/size]


Hell, maybe I will this year...

[ItsOver]

Yes, I can hear Cusco, followed by "Midnight in the Desert" playing now.  I don't think Noory's ever played "Midnight in the Desert," fortunately, so it's remained uniquely Art.  One less thing for The Nooron to screw up.

[West of the Rockies]

I concur, FTF & It'sOver... I thought I was maybe the only one who thought the show was diminished when it left "the high desert" for La-La Land, of only because of the coolness of the show coming from such a remote area.  Well, Noory is a plastic character, so it fits that he's in the so-called City of Angels. 

(Disclaimer/explanation:  I grew up in SoCal and left in the early 70's.  I have some relatives who are still there.  Clearly, not everyone who lives in SoCal is plastic.  But a lot of them are partially composed of silicon and collagen!)

[Insanity]

The B2 Stealth has made a couple of passes over the outskirts of Topeka during the last half-hour; the second time I'm pretty sure it was super sonic. I know, I know, but it's such a wonder of technology; I have four or five little Stealths that have been given to me over the years.

Nevertheless, I just wanted to report.

This picture is from Google images. It's just amazing in real life.

In semi related news, we've had fighters and military helo's flying around here the last few days.

[NowhereInTime]

I've seen black helicopters (with no running lights) at night that make little noise.  They fly in triangular formation fairly low (within 2000 ft) of the ground.  How did I "see" them at night?  I live in Waterbury, CT which is nestled toward the top of the Naugatuck River at the Litchfield foothills.  I live in an apartment building on 8th floor facing due south into the valley within a mile either way of two major medical centers. I-84 and RT-8 intersect in the city and there must be a thousand different lights per square mile in the area.  I can read a book at 2 am with my lights off.  You see them, but barely hear them and if there's wind or traffic on I-84 forget it.  There are no markings on them and, as I said, no running lights.  They usually come up the valley, hover from west to east, then return down the valley. In full disclosure, Sikorsky has two plants along the CT coast in New Haven and Milford, so these may be R&D craft.