THUNDER IN THE DESERT, The Story of Flight Test at Edwards Air Force Base. Home of the "Right Stuff"

[@Ryan_Christopher]

I uploaded this same video to my old channel 11 years ago. I digitally-converted it from a VHS recording I made from the cable TV broadcast while I was an Airman in the early 2000s. Not three years later it earned me my second copyright strike. Had to take it down, and I never thought I'd see this video again. Thanks for giving it another go.

[@sidneyvanzandt2473]

Awesome video, thank you for sharing it!! I have been to a few of the airshows there. And I was there when Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the F-15. What a awesome day that was. What would have been better is if I was able to shake the mans hand then. But, atlas I was about 10 feet away from him. But, I was able to get a good picture of him. So, I guess that was worth more then a handshake. I was very sad to hear about his passing in 2020 on Dec 7. Anyway, again, thank you very much for uploading this video..

[@timothyosborn1697]

Edwards has sure changed a lot since my dad was stationed there, as an Aerial Photographer, from 1967-1969 (I was 7-8 yrs old then.)

[@Istandby666]

I grew up around Edwards Air Force Base between 1984 to 1992. I talk about this part of my life because life at and around Edwards Air Force Base is beyond the concept of any regular civilian. If you are a military pilot and you're questioning if you've done all you can? You know you've done all you can when you get to Edwards Air Force Base. Edwards Air Force Base is the top one percent of one percent of all aviation. Edwards is the best of the best. The technology is developed at Groom Lake. But being at Edwards gives you the chance and ability to play with such toys so advanced the technology hasn't been released to the public. Groom Lake is the M.I.T. of aviation. Edwards is the Harvard, Cambridge, and Yale of aviation.

[@michaelsteiger8509]

I flew the F-16A. We could also accelerate while going strait up as we had a greater than a 1 to 1 thrust to weight ratio…. Easily turn inside a 15 and just own any version of the F-18 .. The F-18 hornet and the heaver “super” 18 did NOT have a greater than a 1 to 1 thrust ratio. The first Production Jet to have a greater than a 1 to 1 thrust to weight ratio was the AV8 harrier. The US flew it in the late 60s. We also did “spin school” in the 16 at Edwards …. That was way crazier than tail slides…

[@Nautical-g3c]

U think usa is strong, but your country is controlled by another country

[@briancooper2112]

F16A had wiring cover problem that interfered with instruments had display and flyby wire.

[@michaelsteiger8509]

?????????

[@briancooper2112]

@michaelsteiger8509 the wiring cover would come over and the wires would start coming apart. A pilot in s.korea flying a F-16A thought he was upright in a cloud. He went inverted with full after burner into the ground. USAF found alot of vipers with wiring cover coming off and touching the frame causing wires to be cut. F16A

[@curtisr8179]

I was stationed at Edwards 78-82 and witnessed a lot of cool aviation history, The first space shuttles landing, B-1 A prototype development.The Bud rocket car land speed run to break the sound barrier on land.....fun times for an airplane nut !

[@sonnygoc-ong7011]

Must've just missed each other.. got up close and personal, well within at least ten feet from a parked SR-71 stored under hangar used for the annual air show.. Great stories/memories of the earliest Space Shuttle Recoveries and Mojave greens behind straight desert roads leading to Edwards Hospital.. Yep, alot you can do without sitting on a rocket.. HA[HOOYAAH and ALOHA].. PEACE..

[@UAL320]

1:45…….Incorrect statement, of course, but I know what they meant to say….the first *US* jet airplane.

[@geoffreyking1541]

My confidence in the veracity of this documentary took a hit in the first couple of minutes. Both the Germans and the British flew jet aircraft before the Americans did.

[@Pwj579]

The Boeing YAL-1 @52:28 (heavily-modified 747-400F airframe) was cancelled prematurely by the Obama Administration. Now that we've seen further advances in laser technology, they could have revived the prototype. However, looking at recent satellite photos of AMARG, I do not see the YAL-1 prototype in the fields surrounding Davis-Monthan AFB???

[@Istandby666]

The biggest thing I miss about flying. Looking down at all those small cars and those small people. Realizing how small my problems are and thank goodness there's no god ideology to speak of. Pilots are educated they use their education and knowledge to fly, not ride on some back of a deity that doesn't exist. Giving this deity credit for these educated people is removing the heart and character from these pilots.