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Originally posted by gariac
36°35'6.35"N 115°40'22.21"W will get you in the general area. The imagery is dated 5/23/2011. The previous imagery dates back to 10/26/2006.
I checked the TTR and Basecamp. No updates there.
Originally posted by gariac
Not only do they train drone pilots at Creech, but they also operate drones "in theater" (AKA on the foreign battlefield), which makes the facility a target for war protesters, drone protesters, and terrorists.
While I have had run-ins with security at military bases while photographing aircraft, only at Creech did the roll at me code-3. And all I was doing is shooting video of the Thunderbirds. Thus far, if you stay on the other side of the highway, they don't bother photographers.
Originally posted by gariac
reply to post by FosterVS
The deal with UAS (or V if you prefer) is satellite control has a time lag. You can't get around the speed of light. The lag is so much that they can't takeoff or land via satellite. So the ground crew in theater does the launch and recovery. At some point in the flight, the control is handed off to the remote control point.
So to be clear here, there are two RF links. The "in theater" facility has line of sight control. The remote crew only has satellite control. I assume but don't know for a fact that there is no recon/weapons officer that the remote location. There has to be a pilot at the remote faciliity. At Nellis/Creech, there are two guys in the can. One to fly it and one to run the instruments/weapons. I suppose they have satellite control at the remote location too, if they need it.
I think the tall towers around Creech are for the local constrol, i.e. line of sight. That is why they have height. To talk to the bird in the sky, you don't need altitude, but rather a view of the proper spot in the sky..
Since you have done FTA, you probably know that Nellis can't see the bird that relays the signal to the middle east. So I assume there is at least one relay point.
They have some predator control stations on the east coast, namely Fort Drum. But there is no statement saying Fort Drum is running predators in the Middle East Supposedly Fort Drum only works for the CBP.
Originally posted by gariac
I noticed they have some helicopters parked at the base with two blades. I'm trying to think what military helicopter only has two blades?
Go to
36°34'55.18"N 115°40'32.47"W
They are there on 6/20/2011, not on 5/23/2011, but back on 5/2/2011. On that image, the blades are parked in line with the fuselage, so it is hard to tell they are helicopters.
Originally posted by gariac
Reaper in flight:
36°35'2.68"N 115°41'4.29"W