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Gothamist reader David Shulman spotted a stealth bomber doing a little recon over Manhattan:
[I] had to write you about this image. I was in Brooklyn Heights this afternoon, walking along the Promenade and saw what I could've sworn was a Stealth Bomber. I knew it couldn't be one, but at the same time realized that it had to be because of its unique shape. Sure enough, as it flew a little closer it came into view. Here are two shots I got.
That's pretty weird, isn't it? Can one of you image-expert types verify if it's real? And did anyone else see it, or know what it was doing here?
Update: as usual, it only took 15 minutes for Gothamist readers to solve the mystery:
This weekend at Yankee Stadium, the stands will be packed and the uniforms of the opposing players will have "Boston" stitched across their chests. Fox and ESPN will televise three of the games. A stealth bomber from the U.S. Air Force will do a flyover tomorrow.
Awesome-- we should really open a community-powered detective agency!
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Yes there was a stealth bomber. I was at the Yankee game this afternoon, and the plane was in New York to fly over the stadium at the end of the Star Spangled Banner.
I saw it at 1:15 PM at 109th and Broadway.
I actually saw it while running along the river from 181-135. It flew in low and turned. That's when I saw it's unique shape. It was huge! At first I thought it was a giant bat, then a UFO and finally it dawned on me that it was the stealth fighter.
This was apparently for the Yankees game earlier today.
B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.
Stealth means a reduced radar signature, not invisible to the naked eye.
Yeah, it's real, I was on the ferry when it flew overhead and got a fantastic view of it zooming over the Verrazano.
I'm more interested in why there were somewhere between six and ten Marine choppers circling the bay for most of the ferry ride. On top of the Stealth, they made me rather nervous.
That would explain the low flying plane noise we heard in our Financial District apartment. I was looking out the window for signs of something bad.
There were multiple Marine choppers over the East River and harbor when Bush's choppers touched down at the heliport on 9/11.
i saw about four of those choppers also. at around 1:15-1:30 they all landed in succession at the downtown heliport on the east river.
My buddy and I were stuck in traffic on the way back from the Red Hook ball fields midafternoon. Dazed by too much traffic jam and too much Latin food we weren't sure what to make of the sleek black object we saw gliding by. Ultralight, hanglider, hallucination!!?? Since the traffic was so bad we both had ample time to realize it was a Stealth Bomber.
I see it now - Gumshoe-IST.com
It's a F-117A fighter.
Actually, the military was busy yesterday.
Navy fighter planes did a flyby in California for the Stanford Navy game -- on both Friday (for practice?) and Saturday (the game).
Having been stationed at Whiteman AFB in Missouri, where all 21 are based, I can tell you that the plane in the picture is a B-2. They aren't too silent most of the time either, it sounds like a thunderstorm is flying over your head.
Wow that explains it. I was at the Yankees game when they did the flyover. I saw it on the big screen but when I looked up in the sky I didn't see it anywhere. I thought i was going crazy.
It is indeed a B-2 Spirit. I am in AFROTC and had to memorize the names and pictures of almost every plane in the Air Force. The F-117 Nighthawk (aka stealth fighter) is a great deal smaller and is not a flying wing like it's goliath bomber counterpart. The shape of the F-117 Nighthawk is also radically different compared to the B-2 Spirit. What is great is the B-2's engines. A Major in my detachment was in formation with his flight when a B-2 Spirit flew overhead. They didn't even know it was there until the B-2 started climbing directly above them. You only hear the plane once it gets really close or has already passed.
It was a good old commie style military parade for the masses...
^^ Witty boy.
It's a NightHawk F-117A Stealth Fighter by Lockheed Martin.
Amazing that these are still around, they've been in service for more than 20 years now. You'd think lockheed would have developed something newer.
Gotta hand it to lockheed, those guys sure do come up with cool names for their aircraft. :D
Crap, ignore my last post. Just read Manguskahn's post and researched the B2-spirit. It is a B2, not a nighthawk.
My bad.
Saw the Marine helicopters flying over the Hudson from Central Park. They were flying quite low.
The other interesting thing I saw today was a proposal in skywriting over Central Park. "Will you marry me, Nina." Everyone was yelling "Nina, say yes!!"
Too bad, I didn't have my camera.
The same B2 did a fly-over at the airshow in Kansas City about 3:00pm CST on Saturday - at least the announcers said the plane that did the airshow fly-by had just come from a Yankee Stadium.....
Just FYI, the F-117 is being retired in the next few years. It's not as stealthy as the newer "F" planes (22 and 35) and it costs a butt-ton to operate. Plus it only carries one or two bombs. It was great for what it was, but it's time has gone.
You know, isn't that too much unwarranted power over civilian population? We are 1984.
The Stealth was designed to get past "enemy" radar. I believe they generally fly them at night (might be partially why it is black) during recon work.
Don't think they were looking to be invisible to the naked eye during the day. Seems that a big black, flat surfaced flying machine wouldn't get past anyone on a clear day.
Any chance of getting some un-modified pics posted?
After his fly-over at the Kansas City, MO air show, the same plane did a fly-over for our air show here in Terre Haute, IN. The announcer told us about his earlier appearances at the Yankees-BoSox game and the Kansas air show. Sounded like a busy day for the pilots.
Comments seem to confirm this is real, but it seems strange that both pictures are lined up to the horizon instead of having the lens pointed at the plane. If I saw one, I would probably instinctively point the camera at the plane.
When the military schedules a Stealth Bomber for a flyover, they pretty much always work 3 or 4 stops into the itinerary. A flyover last Sunday visited Halifax, Virginia Beach, and I think one other place in New England, I think. Next Saturday is Columbia, MO, Rockford, IL, and Lincoln, NE.
He/She probably just wanted to get the skyline in the picture, too, to showcase the fact that it was flying over the city.
Correction Everyone - It's a F-117 Stealth "Bomber" and not a "Fighter". It doesn't have Air-Air or Dogfight capabilites.
Actually, the plane in the pic is a B-2 Stealth Bomber, while the F-117A is a stealth fighter as in strike fighter, IE the F-18, F-111, etc.
The plane in this picture is definately a B2 Spirit stealth bomber, not the F117 Nighthawk stealth fighter. The F117 isn't a true fighter, but that is the official designation of the aircraft.
Also, the planes aren't black because it's the hardest color to see, they are black because it's cool. The best colors (even at night) are more pastel, baby blue is one of the better colors. But, baby blue doesn't convey that 'more firepower than most nation's airforces' image that black does.
I looked at pics of both planes. I strongly beleive that these are pics of the F-117. The angles are too acute for the B-2. F-117 it is.
Sweet! PR stunts have always been my favorite way the gov't spends my tax dollars, especially on all of those douches from Conneticut.
Please...
It shouldn't be surprising to see one. They are only "stealth" to radar coverage.
Not a big deal or out of the ordinary for many people in other parts of the country.
andy - the way i heard it was that the ideal color for night was a pastel purple, rather than baby blue. but no combat pilot ever would fly a pink looking warplane.
those planes are definitely b-2s, and they're big strategic bombers initially designed to ninja through soviet air defenses and drop nuclear weapons. like the b-1s, but stealthier.
the f-117s are much smaller, tactical planes. they would look like little dots in those photos.
Those are pics of the B-2. Those aren't F-117s. F-117s look much, much different. That said, the pics look faked. Apparently they really were over New York, but I don't think those particular photos are real.
The planes are black because of the radar-absorbing materials used. They aren't painted black to be hard to see at night--they're painted black because that's the color of the radar-absorbing paint.
FWIW, a nighthawk -- the actual bird -- is part of the goatsucker family. Yup. These are goofy looking birds that fly through the air catching bugs in their huge mouths. Great name for a warplane (or a commenter here!). Latin name: Caprimulgidae. Check it out. You know I'm right....
I saw the bomber up close near Columbia's law school (where Amsterdam Avenue begins to go downhill). It was, in effect, coming down Manhattan at a 90 degree angle (basically, in line with Amsterdam Avenue). It then resumed a normal flight attitude over Low Library. When I first saw it, at the odd angle, coming right towards my position, I had to pull my car over because I just could not believe my eyes. And then, when it adjusted its angle of flight, what with its size, and the noise of the engines, and the jet fuel smell,it was just incredible. It was mighty cool. And, it reminded me of Col. Kilgore's comment: You know that smell? That gasoline smell? It smells like...victory.
I was on the hudson and saw them overhead. They are B-2's, not F-117's. They did two passovers. the first was at 5,000 ft then second at 12,000 or so ft.
The helicopters today (Monday) were Marine 1 and 2 along with two other hueys for the presidents personel.
I saw the stealth bomber Saturday afternoon between 1 and 2 pm while we were on Randalls Island. Also saw three Boeing Chinook helicopters, in what looked like US Navy livery (grey) flying south along the east river. 10 minutes later saw them flying north again up the Hudson.
A week before that, I was stunned by a very low overflight by a pair of F/A 18s (I think). Only really saw them from behind, but they had the v-shaped twin tail and seemed too small for F-14s or F-15s. (see http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/f-18-pics.htm)
Anybody know what they were up to?
I'm glad the government has found a use for the stealth bomber
saw the bomber while fishing in the bay ,cool sight,bad fishing
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Saw one just last week flying over Poughkeepsie NY...was at most 3000feet up and was deadly quiet...
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I visiting Ground Zero on the day and saw it fly low overhead the site before it turned north.
Yeah... It IS STEATH... it was just FLYING LOW!!! duhhhhhhhh!
i hope it has bombed all you fuckin' yankees, i am russian!!
Didn't ya'lls play with stealth bombers as kids??
Jeez...of course it is a B-2 Stealth Bomber, the only flying wing plane I know...???
I saw a stealth bomber fly over backbay in Boston on Sunday. I almost spoiled my pants. Makes me wonder wonder whats going on in the white house after Russia started flying there bombers over American soil a week ago. hmmmm. can you say cold war part 2!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/09/AR2007080902211.html
I know this is a old thread but it really buggin me , the two pics are fake there doctored :)