Aviation question, Hopi Prophecy, and Kansas

I was originally going to put this in the aviation forum, because I have a specific question for experts, someone like Zaphod who knows their stuff. Question down below ***

If you saw some of my recent posts you may remember I was taking a cross-country driving trip from the West Coast to Midwest. My entire drive was a little under 3,000 miles, but I diverted myself to see some sights.

I drove south through the Nevada desert through Las Vegas. I even picked up a squirrely hitchhiker that looked a little like Toby Maguire. Got the fear and loathing!

I went through to see The Four Corners as my family is Native/ Hispanic. My grandfather was born in Durango then moved to New Mexico. I have a lot of memories of driving the same route on summer trips with grandpa as a kid, so it was a reconnecting experience for me. Would love to consult with Lumenari on Hopi prophecies someday, as The Four Corners is a very powerful Native symbol and related to their prophecies. I felt drawn to it.

I can't say there was anything to see in Kansas. I was miserable the whole time and glad to be out. Next time I'm just taking I-80 through Chicago because Kansas was a whole lot of bland.

I came up through Missouri and Illinois. Been there done that but it's a lovely little drive.

Then kept going up north to Michigan. Wow these Michiganders really ride your ass! Even when the passing lanes are clear! Makes the Chicago Loop seem gentle.

*** Anyways let's circle back to Nevada. From Tonopah to Vegas you'll see signs in the desert notifying of low-flying aircraft. I got lucky and had a fighter jet dive bomb me then swoop off into the horizon kaboom kapuyah!

It was quite a thrill!

But why do they do this? Is it training maneuvers? Pilots just showing off? I couldn't find any info on this.

In all my trips down to Vegas I never actually saw any craft, but what a sudden, random spectacle in the middle of nowhere.

a reply to: AlroyFarms

I have heard of a few pilots that will do that just for fun because they know it scares the absolute #e out of the people driving out there in the middle of nowhere. But as far as I know, that is the only reason they do that, boredom and entertainment.

There was a standup comedian, I believe it was Bill Engvall, that had gone on a fly along with a Blue Angel and they did that maneuver on a loan mini van out in the middle of death valley.


And good job planning to avoid Kansas in the future, you were correct for feeling miserable the entire time. My grandpa always told me "The best thing to come out of Kansas is I-70", and he was correct.

originally posted by: PorkChop96
a reply to: AlroyFarms

I have heard of a few pilots that will do that just for fun because they know it scares the absolute #e out of the people driving out there in the middle of nowhere. But as far as I know, that is the only reason they do that, boredom and entertainment.


And good job planning to avoid Kansas in the future, you were correct for feeling miserable the entire time. My grandpa always told me "The best thing to come out of Kansas is I-70", and he was correct.

Yeah it felt like when someone buys a motorcycle and they just want to do donuts in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Total showoff move.

That's funny about Kansas! Even better I had GPS zig zag me around. Go east, then north, then east, then north, then east, then north ad infinitum.

Yeah never doing that again

a reply to: AlroyFarms

I'm pretty sure the place you're referring to is called Rainbow Canyon (also known as "Star Wars Canyon"). It's a canyon that intersects State Route 190 on the Western edge of Death Valley National Park. It has been used as a low-level training route over the years, where military and civilian pilots can get practice flying fast in proximity to rugged terrain features. The canyon starts at an altitude of around 4,500 feet above sea level and snakes Eastward and downhill until it dumps out at the dry lake bed at Panamint Springs. The idea is to fly the twists and turns of the canyon below the canyon rim at jet speeds until you get to the dry lake bed. At that point, the aircraft will be a couple of hundred feet off the deck and crossing Highway 190. That's where they put the traffic signs to warn motorists that there can be low-flying jets buzzing the highway.

There's an observation point on Highway 190 overlooking the canyon entrance and people go there to get up close and personal with the jets, which might be only a few hundred feet away as they enter the canyon.

Lots of YouTube videos of the action. For example:

www.youtube.com...

a reply to: AlroyFarms

Hi nice post! Kansas is the worst drive!

I am from Michigan and the tailgating is super bad all over!

a reply to: AlroyFarms

fighter jet dive bomb me

While camping in the hills of Idaho hubby and I went for a ride in the Rhino and it started making the most gawd awful noise! We stopped and turned the engine off but the noise was still there and growing louder!
We looked up to see two fighter jets coming low over the tree tops (no doubt from Fairchild AFB) and when they were directly above us they turned on the after-burners.

It was quite the experience and took my heart some time to return to a more normal rhythm.

originally posted by: JJproductions
a reply to: AlroyFarms

Hi nice post! Kansas is the worst drive!

I am from Michigan and the tailgating is super bad all over!

I also went into a Meijer for the first time

They have em in Wisconsin and Illinois but I thought it was strictly a grocery store so I went to closer places instead.

It's Wal-Mart without the grimy feeling. Good egg prices. Fun place.

Target sucks, too full of faux snooty hipster weirdos.

a reply to: AlroyFarms

lol! Meijer is better thank Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is yuck feeling! Haha. Sounds like you had a nice trip!