F-117 Flying Again!!

[stuntmanmike37]

So which tail number was this? \:) Eh? Come on, you can tell us.

[Megalodon64]

The F-117 was an epic fighter. Until it took a missle to the wing

[pkscolax]

@Megalodon64

I'm sure nobody in the air force gets that reference at all XD

[kissit22uk]

... Oh and it's shape that helped its stealth, hindered its manouverability and speed, it was just a small bomber that couldn't defend itself

[kissit22uk]

So far as I was aware most of these were scrapped due to their lack of air to air capabilities, it was originally built with just a ground targeting system, at the time an air to air radar would have given it away to anyone watching, stealth was in its infancy too. Fantastic plane, but as either a bomber, fighter or both, it got muscled out by the b2 and f22.

[Ecurrie84]

Thanks. I remember reading somewhere that they was using the parts from them to make newer Stealth aircrafts at TTR! How true that is I don't know but it wouldn't surprise me!

[Ecurrie84]

They were all supposedly destroyed, not kept in storage, destroyed! Maybe that is just what they said. You can easily google F-117 being destroyed to see one being taken apart.

Great video and capture. ;)

[MrGeforcerFX]

@Ecurrie84 one was taken apart, the info was posted on wikipedia finally, but it was posted on some military forums a few years ago, they destroyed one to test a good way to destroy a f-117, but the res are and have been kept in a storage, something tells me it would be cheaper to just upgrade them instead of wasting them away.

[HooshIsASoup]

You know, I can't help but wonder if the whole F-117 retirement was an intentional fake-out so that everyone would think any reappearances were "obvious fakes."

These planes worked best when no one even knew for sure they were real; "telegraphing" their use lent a major hand in the one that got shot down in Serbia. What better way to bring that belief back then to pretend to retire them for good?

[Joesolo13]

Cool. Dosn;t mean it's back, but there smart enough to keep them ready, just in case. Im sure China would be surprised...

[CosmincjdrGaming]

wow you are crazy? 0 dislike ? lol congrats!!!

[kofinp]

FAKE, you took that video, and then waited a while before you posted it on youtube.

[JBtheProducer]

cool, now find an sr71 lol

[DasShurikenRoy]

damn that thing is quiet!

[alexiandy2002]

This is my favorite Plane. I stop what I'm doing when I see it fly over the Antelope Valley, Love it.

[Piddlepack]

I have one issue with this video, you never see a clear image of the jet the moment the mountains come into view. My opinion is that the initial video comes from an airshow or spotting etc and it's spliced into some desert scenes. The audio sounds fake also.

[stuntmanmike37]

Have you had any phone calls or visits from the G-men or Men in Black yet?

[grnmtnboy00]

I knew my baby was still in the air. Now I've gotta figure out how to get back on it. Test guys, are you listening???

[XanderCage416]

I never doubted they had a few still flying (which this vid, if legit and taken when you claim, proves), but it's likely as test platforms for future technologies of whatever sort they come up with rather than performing air strikes or any other kind of front line combat tasks. The AF's job in Iraq and A-Stan today is CAS, which the ultra-stealthy F117 wouldn't be very efficient at with no Taliban radar sites to avoid and a full load of *two* bombs. Still, cool vid, though.

[hgrgic]

They are probably kept in airworthy reserve status

[bpoostrander]

From what I know about "Black Projects" (Not very much), they use cover up techniques to drive attention away from the REAL project.

[afk218]

@bpoostrander F-117 watching the sky of the usa 24h/2h4

[fungusuarus]

Yes it has been retired. Still the planes are still kept in warehouses and in a major conflict with Russia or China, were gonna need all the stealth weve got!

[Rijelthelovefool]

@fungusuarus Yes, dont believe it when the government says they "scrap" aircraft, you know almost all our bombers can be fully operational in 15 hours?, we also have 2600 fighters, incase of war, apparently all of the navy aircraft can be operational in 5 hours, All this just incase china, Iran or north korea attack, I also heard we have 35 B-2's fully operational, but the government say 21 lol, i dont know where they keep them but lol..let's see iran attack us now...

[Rijelthelovefool]

@Rijelthelovefool Correction 10 hours for the navy

[tannerwaterbury]

I've been hearing rumors that the F-117 hasn't REALLY been retired. I guess this confirms those rumors.

[hgrgic]

@tannerwaterbury They are retired but probably kept in climatized hangars to preserve stealth coatings, and can be made ready for flying in a very short time. Few are kept in flying condition probably for pilot training purposes.

[animalpolice]

Ohmygod. It's one of my dreams to see a Nighthawk!

[PlaneBrain1JB]

Nice catch!!! Thanks for sharing.

[redrumm101]

Wow great video. Thank you for the upload.

[RedundantAssassin]

Shortly after this was "retired" I did read that they were going to keep at least two in service. Glad to see it flying.

[dutchfett]

A T-38 Jet trainer has been spotted with Nighthawks on the stripe of the tails where normally F22 would be painted. Hopefully We'll see it back in action.

[ExploreDestination]

I trust your vids! your very good at your work,I had the biggest suspicions about this during 09.

[backintack]

Amazing!!! it would be awesome if they brought it out of retirement

[1965JLO]

They are all retired. My ex- husband was a F-117 pilot during the late 80's through the early 1990's. I wonder what's up ? Trying to take the heat off the other plane that is uprange now? That is definitely a Nighthawk

[1965JLO]

They are all retired. My ex- husband was a F-117 pilot during the late 80's through the early 1990's. I wonder what's up. Trying to take the heat off the other plan that is uprange now?

[TheViper2142]

i was wondering do you work at nellis?

[AV8R4HM]

Nice catch!!!

[killjoy270]

umm i wonder if there doing new test on it at area 51 or somthing

[Wes91793]

wouldn't that suck if they were using nighthawks as drones to test missiles?

[BNL2001]

Sweet!!! The comment on the video at the end made me laugh because it's the exact same thing I was thinking!!! Nice catch!

[ThomasDuongT]

So much for stealth, if you were able to capture it. LOL

[Chrislaz]

Where were you guys camping that you saw this? it's hard to read the sign...

[TheophilusPWildbeest]

Maybe just one more mission....we will see.

[Markymarkus060994]

AWESOME,I never thought I would see it fly again!!

[birdinator2]

Wow, I winder how long they've been flying them behind the peoples backs. I knew hterre was no way that they could "retire" them. My best guess to why they were out, is that the airforce is working on a new fighter, either manned or unmanned, and it is comparable or part of it is like the f-117, so they pulled one of the ones out of storage, (I don't believe that they ever disassembled or got rid of any) and are now using them again.

[longsweep1]

well done buddy!!

[gilh1986]

Nice catch

Next time,take a still camera with a Telephoto lens and take closer snapshots.

[8081rt]

@gilh1986 We did. Those shots are not going up.

[gilh1986]

@8081rt

You did?

You can make some nice cash if you'll sell them to a leading aerospace magazines such as Airforces Monthly or Combat Aircraft

Think about it it.

[SoaringEagle2005]

@8081rt Wha, why not?

[SkateDesrtGuy]

@8081rt lol calm down, its ok if you do. Check our up close pics of the F117

[spins321]

There's been alot of footage of nighthawks floating about. The most recent I know of is from Oct.

[TalTxD]

SWEET

[3IDLukeK]

maybe it saw that you spotted it and came back to take picture of you, watch out for FBI comin to knock on your door haha

[WardogOtter]

Dude, your vid is causing a heck of a stir...nice catch...props. 

[lst1195]

Wild..when you say "Again" were they retired for awhile?

[RaiderDestroyer]

@lst1195 the entire F-117 fleet has been retired

[lst1195]

@RaiderDestroyer Aging airframes? Or can modern radar see them?

[RaiderDestroyer]

@lst1195 mainly because the F-22 and F-35 can do the same thing but much better

[lst1195]

@RaiderDestroyer Ah, yeah that makes sense.

[viperq]

awesome

[utubeghans]

I guess you should of had the date stamp on. But I believe you.

P.S Watch out for the men in black.

[dutchfett]

Thanks so much for uploading this! the Nighthawk is back!!

But why haven't you uploaded this back in july, why let us wait? haha

[ironfalcon100]

This F-117 was formerly attached to the 49th FW @ Holloman AFB, NM.

Now it would be spending its life in a hangar...except for this one.

[jim0axaca]

Nice catch, guys.

Rank speculation follows: There is no operational, combat-related need to put any 117s back into service. The B-2s and F-22s can handle the job quite nicely.

But there are not enough of those airframes around to dedicate some to RDT&E. So if you need a very LO airframe for testing some muntion or EW system , why not pull one or a few of the 117s out of the mothballs.

Make ya wonder what the new gizmo might be...

[drexeldrax45]

OMFG the nighthawk has returned!!!!!!!

[kraemer5000]

Its because the Chinese made a full size mock up to test new missiles against. So the air force drug it out of storage to test against new seekers.

just google luoyang nighthawk.

[CrazyPotatos]

Wait was it shot in july or now?

[8081rt]

@CrazyPotatos July, I had the date in there.

[SoaringEagle2005]

@8081rt Why wait so long to post it, dude? This was a major scoop!

[zildjiandrummr12]

@SoaringEagle2005

Exactly. Either way, crazy catch!

[lamedude2]

i miss u nighthawk

[rampking1]

You guys hit a home run here...

thanks for posting.

I can imagine you being out in the desert for hours, if not days and then you spot this F-117.

NICE !

You guys sound a lot like my brother and I. They're over at China Lake, but do you ever see those RAF Eurofighters?

[8081rt]

@rampking1 Actually this was day one of our 3 day camping trip. The second day sucked so bad, it was so dead and quiet that we left in the afternoon. This made the trip worth it! And yeah, actually those Eurofighters were just here the past 2 weeks. Im not sure if they're still here.

[mikezc128]

@8081rt I think i know where is was taken! Would like to see one someday!! Want to camp by where you did and visit TTR.

[mikezc128]

@8081rt I think i know where is was taken! Would like to see one someday!! Want to camp by where you did and visit TTR.

[mikezc128]

@8081rt I think i know where is was taken! Would like to see one someday!! Want to camp by where you did and visit TTR.

[RazyKrandomGuy]

Haha, 0:42, my thoughts exactly! xD That's so awesome! Does anyone suppose that its being used for training?

[YZach]

Why did they stop using the F-117? Is it because it's stealth technology is out-dated?

[RazyKrandomGuy]

@YZach I think it was that they were too expensive to maintain, and with the more versatile F-22 and F-35 coming into service, it was kind of made obsolete. Still an amazing aircraft! :D

[rampking1]

@RazyKrandomGuy F-35 is a LONG ways off.

[RazyKrandomGuy]

@rampking1 Right right, but I suppose its close enough to be time to retire the aging F-117. Isn't the F-35 supposed to be introduced in 2014 or so?

[rampking1]

@RazyKrandomGuy The Marine Corps is still talking about a few years, but the Navy and Air Force are now talking at least 6-7 years...minimum! (major delay! and over-budget)

I am not sure if you are aware, but many F-15's and F-16's will be reaching max airframe lifetime within the next 5 - 10 years.

Two Gulf Wars and the Afghan war are aging these aircraft quickly

One thing about the Nellis Test Range / Area 51...you never know what you'll see.