Message posted by RickB on March 23, 2012 at 20:59:31 PST:
Some observations on the most recent 12/3/11 Google Earth Edwards AFB shot: 1) Seems to be a lot of construction activity and other stuff going on at the NASA facilities to the north of the main base around the Space Shuttle dock and just to the east around the taxiways and other areas nearby. Interestingly, when I moved my Google Earth viewing arrow a little ways in either direction around Edwards, the image date changes quickly to an earlier date. The 12/3/11 image date appears to be the most current date in the area, and is located directly over Edwards. Edwards AFB - always a fascinating look!
2) There are eight NASA jets lined up and parked just to the east of the Space Shuttle dock. I believe five F-18's, two T-38's and one jet on the far left of the line-up which I can't identify. What is this jet? Some things also seem to look odd about the appearance from overhead of a couple of the F-18's. One F-18 doesn't have tailwings.
3) Why are these NASA jets all parked outside like this and lined up in a kind of half-hazard way? Just looks and seems odd to me (see comment below on the aircraft parked at South Base).
4) Boeing Phantom Eye (mentioned in thread below) just to the east of the eight NASA jet line-up.
5) Possibly three UAV "somethings" parked directly across from the eight NASA jet line-up?? What are these?
6) The one and only F-16XL on a ramp a little further south towards the main base, just north of one of the hangers. We are still flying this jet for testing of some sort? Probably flown recently based on the ramp location where it is parked.
7) Three Predators or Reapers parked on the tarmac just south of the two NASA 747's.
8) The one and only F-15 STOL/MTD parked in front of the huge maintenance hanger near the southeast corner of the big east-west tarmac of the main base. Also probably been flying recently.
9) Planes and jets, including a number of the rare Edwards aircraft, parked on the south tarmac of the south base, and as before, still parked in a half-hazard sort of way. Why is there no better alignment and organization to the way that some of these aircraft are parked??! Almost looks like the sloppy organization of the aircraft parked on many of the Soviet bases I have seen in the past (and present).
10) Two B-1's and a B-52 parked just north of the south base hangers. There always seems to be at least two or three B-1's or B-52's parked here.
11) There are at least 60 fighter jet canopies in place.
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