44:
444:. MOAs are used to separate military and non-participating IFR traffic. The marking on aviator's maps (so-called sectionals) also cautions VFR pilots and gives them a radio contact for querying status and traffic information, with the goal of allowing them to avoid intermingling Cessnas and other small general aviation aircraft with high performance fighter jets. Unlike many other locations around Edwards Air Force Base or more secretive airfields nearby, Rainbow Canyon is not part of restricted airspace.
311:. Planes traveled through the canyon at 200 to 300 mph (320 to 480 km/h) and when flying as low as 200 feet (61 m) above the canyon floor were still only several hundred feet below observers on the rim. Observers could even see the pilots' facial expressions, who, aware of the audience, sometime gave gestures or other signals. The training area was most often used by jet fighters such as the
51:
454:
on July 31, 2019. A 1,500 feet (460 m) above-ground-level restriction was placed on the area; it remained in place as of March 2022. The 22 May 2022 version of the R-2508 Complex handbook instructs aircraft: "Maintain a minimum of 1000' above the lip of
Rainbow Canyon."
474:
has made it an attraction with informational signs and a parking lot, though training schedules are not available to the public and flights do not occur every day. The closest store and gas station are
447:
Star Wars Canyon "below-the-rim" activity was suspended in August 2019, after an accident killed a pilot and injured several spectators on the ground following the crash of a
115:
536:
191:
training and was frequented by photographers who, from the canyon rim, were able to photograph jets flying beneath them. The canyon rim can be reached from
1150:
930:
869:
1386:
1302:
997:
662:
43:
573:
844:
1171:
893:
632:
1391:
479:
at the edge of
Panamint Valley. Mobile phone service is not available in the area, and phone-based navigation generally does not work.
1201:
782:
1216:
970:
805:
1396:
429:
1282:
307:
is another) where photographers can see combat aircraft flying below them. Military training flights had used the canyon since
1135:
1090:
962:
433:
284:
507:
1253:
1191:
413:
108:
698:
1292:
1226:
360:
1339:
1334:
1329:
1010:
990:
540:
196:
161:
96:
712:
261:
is also exposed. This variety of material created walls of reds, grey, and pink that are similar to the fictional
1277:
1245:
1240:
1196:
462:
long-range business jet flew through the canyon below its lip, accompanied by another jet equipped with cameras.
421:
1230:
1074:
1064:
441:
730:
1350:
1166:
364:
192:
165:
100:
251:
1365:
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1355:
1221:
1110:
1100:
437:
1105:
983:
818:
471:
417:
1181:
1095:
1059:
1034:
756:
320:
283:
who once inhabited the area can be found in the canyon. Rainbow Canyon drains the west slope of the
1401:
1115:
1069:
451:
398:
324:
1130:
459:
316:
1287:
806:
https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim_html/chap3_section_4.html#paragraph3-4-5
470:
Because
Rainbow Canyon offers the rare opportunity of proximity to military jets in flight, the
904:
1235:
1054:
975:
569:
384:
332:
1272:
1140:
476:
412:
have been photographed or filmed making passes through the canyon. Air bases that conducted
409:
340:
258:
1312:
1267:
1257:
425:
405:
402:
395:
372:
292:
229:
1206:
819:"Military Crash One Year Later - Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service)"
1307:
1297:
1249:
1186:
1176:
1162:
1158:
1124:
1039:
352:
288:
180:
931:"A Falcon 8X Business Jet Just Flew Through Star Wars Canyon Like A Fighter (Updated)"
1380:
1344:
488:
380:
348:
336:
241:
1211:
1006:
308:
219:
602:
563:
328:
280:
188:
173:
17:
757:"Want to See a Fighter Jet Fly Low and Fast? Here Are Some Prime Viewing Spots"
1120:
1049:
607:. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey
344:
312:
276:
870:"This Cockpit View Of A C-17's Wild Ride Through Star Wars Canyon Is Bonkers"
688:, Photos, Advanced search, USA, California, Rainbow Canyon area (off airport)
130:
117:
448:
304:
263:
247:
244:
222:
211:
184:
169:
168:, on the park's western border. It is about 130 miles (210 km) west of
956:
663:"Is Star Wars Canyon, America's Plane Spotting Jewel, At Risk Of Overuse?"
604:
Geology and Ore
Deposits of the Darwin Quadrangle, Inyo County, California
268:
254:
226:
959:: Edwards Air Force Base information about Rainbow Canyon pilot training
1026:
356:
233:
225:, which last erupted between two and four million years ago during the
215:
237:
208:
568:(Third ed.). Boulder, Colorado: University Press of Colorado.
1044:
1022:
1018:
713:"Aviation Photo #5444785: McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B Hornet - NASA"
387:
376:
368:
979:
257:
occur below the lava in the deepest parts of the canyon. Other
383:
jets through the canyon. Foreign combat aircraft such as the
699:"A Rare F-117A Stealth Fighter Flies over 'Star Wars Canyon'"
633:"Fighter jets put on show in Death Valley's Star Wars Canyon"
685:
295:. The steep walls are up to 1,000 feet (300 m) tall.
179:
From World War II until 2019, it was commonly used by the
537:"Rainbow Canyon Petroglyphs (Death Valley National Park)"
845:"Inside a fatal Super Hornet crash in Star Wars canyon"
303:
Rainbow Canyon was among the few places in the world (
187:
as well as by other military aircraft operators for
1321:
1149:
1083:
1017:
107:
92:
87:
79:
71:
32:
565:The Explorer's Guide to Death Valley National Park
783:"Navy names pilot who died in Death Valley crash"
656:
654:
27:Canyon in Death Valley National Park, California
367:military transport aircraft. In addition, the
991:
731:"Here's an Air Force C-17 Threading a Canyon"
631:Margot, Ben; Watson, Julie (April 11, 2017).
562:Bryan, T. Scott; Tucker-Bryan, Betty (2014).
8:
781:Shalby, Colleen; Fry, Hannah (2019-08-02).
508:"Feature Detail Report for: Rainbow Canyon"
998:
984:
976:
347:, electronic warfare aircraft such as the
29:
601:Hall, Wayne E.; MacKevett, E.M. (1962).
375:stealth jet in the Rainbow Canyon area.
335:, but also by attack jets including the
499:
271:. As a result, the canyon is nicknamed
808:Explanation by the FAA on its website.
724:
722:
596:
594:
592:
50:
894:"R-2508 User's Handbook, 22 May 2022"
729:Mizokami, Kyle (September 15, 2016).
530:
528:
172:and 160 miles (260 km) north of
7:
963:R-2508 User's Handbook: May 23, 2022
626:
624:
622:
440:. The area lies within the Panamint
363:military transport jet and also by
63:Location in the state of California
25:
843:Ziezulewicz, Geoff (2020-05-22).
1387:Canyons and gorges of California
430:Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
203:History, geology, and topography
49:
42:
1136:Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad
1091:Amargosa Opera House and Hotel
434:Fresno Air National Guard Base
1:
929:Rogoway, Tyler (2022-01-04).
903:. 23 May 2022. Archived from
868:Rogoway, Tyler (2021-03-16).
343:, training jets such as the
761:Air & Space Smithsonian
661:Demerly, Tom (2017-11-17).
1418:
1392:Death Valley National Park
1011:Death Valley National Park
416:at Rainbow Canyon include
287:and the east slope of the
197:California State Route 190
162:Death Valley National Park
97:Death Valley National Park
1055:Death Valley monkeyflower
686:https://www.airliners.net
422:Naval Air Station Lemoore
37:
1075:Saratoga Springs pupfish
1065:Death Valley June beetle
637:Las Vegas Review-Journal
442:military operations area
207:The canyon was cut from
1397:Geography of California
477:Panamint Springs Resort
365:Lockheed C-130 Hercules
193:Father Crowley Overlook
166:Inyo County, California
101:Inyo County, California
83:5.5 miles (8.9 km)
75:1,854 feet (565 m)
639:. The Associated Press
438:Edwards Air Force Base
131:36.36250°N 117.52000°W
1217:Death Valley Junction
1106:Death Valley Railroad
472:National Park Service
418:Nellis Air Force Base
414:low-altitude training
359:and at least once, a
160:) is a canyon inside
1202:Cottonwood Mountains
1060:Death Valley pupfish
1035:Amargosa springsnail
321:F-16 Fighting Falcon
136:36.36250; -117.52000
1222:Devil's Golf Course
1116:Harmony Borax Works
1101:Death Valley '49ers
1070:Devils Hole pupfish
458:In January 2022, a
452:F/A-18 Super Hornet
399:Eurofighter Typhoon
325:F/A-18 Super Hornet
127: /
460:Dassault Falcon 8X
317:F-15E Strike Eagle
1374:
1373:
1236:Funeral Mountains
787:Los Angeles Times
755:Rosenberg, Zach.
735:Popular Mechanics
575:978-1-60732-340-2
512:geonames.usgs.gov
385:Israeli Air Force
371:has operated the
333:F-35 Lightning II
147:
146:
16:(Redirected from
1409:
1283:Saratoga Springs
1254:Panamint Springs
1141:Twenty-mule team
1000:
993:
986:
977:
945:
944:
942:
941:
926:
920:
919:
917:
915:
909:
898:
890:
884:
883:
881:
880:
865:
859:
858:
856:
855:
840:
834:
833:
831:
830:
815:
809:
803:
797:
796:
794:
793:
778:
772:
771:
769:
767:
752:
746:
745:
743:
741:
726:
717:
716:
709:
703:
702:
701:. 19 March 2020.
695:
689:
683:
677:
676:
674:
673:
658:
649:
648:
646:
644:
628:
617:
616:
614:
612:
598:
587:
586:
584:
582:
559:
553:
552:
550:
548:
543:on 13 April 2017
539:. Archived from
532:
523:
522:
520:
518:
504:
410:Sukhoi Su-30 MKI
361:C-17 Globemaster
341:A-10 Thunderbolt
285:Santa Rosa Hills
273:Star Wars Canyon
259:pyroclastic rock
232:. Formations of
154:Star Wars Canyon
142:
141:
139:
138:
137:
132:
128:
125:
124:
123:
120:
53:
52:
46:
30:
21:
18:Star Wars Canyon
1417:
1416:
1412:
1411:
1410:
1408:
1407:
1406:
1377:
1376:
1375:
1370:
1317:
1313:Zabriskie Point
1293:Stovepipe Wells
1288:Scotty's Castle
1268:Racetrack Playa
1258:Panamint Valley
1192:Black Mountains
1172:Ash Meadows NWR
1145:
1079:
1013:
1004:
953:
948:
939:
937:
928:
927:
923:
913:
911:
910:on June 4, 2022
907:
896:
892:
891:
887:
878:
876:
867:
866:
862:
853:
851:
842:
841:
837:
828:
826:
825:. July 31, 2020
817:
816:
812:
804:
800:
791:
789:
780:
779:
775:
765:
763:
754:
753:
749:
739:
737:
728:
727:
720:
711:
710:
706:
697:
696:
692:
684:
680:
671:
669:
667:The Aviationist
660:
659:
652:
642:
640:
630:
629:
620:
610:
608:
600:
599:
590:
580:
578:
576:
561:
560:
556:
546:
544:
534:
533:
526:
516:
514:
506:
505:
501:
497:
485:
468:
426:NAWC China Lake
406:Panavia Tornado
403:Royal Air Force
396:Royal Air Force
373:F-117 Nighthawk
301:
299:Flight training
293:Panamint Valley
205:
158:Jedi Transition
135:
133:
129:
126:
121:
118:
116:
114:
113:
72:Floor elevation
67:
66:
65:
64:
61:
60:
59:
58:
54:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1415:
1413:
1405:
1404:
1399:
1394:
1389:
1379:
1378:
1372:
1371:
1369:
1368:
1363:
1358:
1353:
1347:
1342:
1337:
1332:
1325:
1323:
1322:Transportation
1319:
1318:
1316:
1315:
1310:
1308:Ubehebe Crater
1305:
1300:
1298:Telescope Peak
1295:
1290:
1285:
1280:
1275:
1270:
1265:
1263:Rainbow Canyon
1260:
1250:Panamint Range
1243:
1238:
1233:
1224:
1219:
1214:
1209:
1204:
1199:
1194:
1189:
1184:
1179:
1177:Badwater Basin
1174:
1169:
1159:Amargosa Range
1155:
1153:
1147:
1146:
1144:
1143:
1138:
1133:
1128:
1125:Badwater Basin
1118:
1113:
1108:
1103:
1098:
1093:
1087:
1085:
1081:
1080:
1078:
1077:
1072:
1067:
1062:
1057:
1052:
1047:
1042:
1040:Badwater snail
1037:
1031:
1029:
1015:
1014:
1005:
1003:
1002:
995:
988:
980:
974:
973:
967:
966:
960:
957:R-2508 Complex
952:
951:External links
949:
947:
946:
921:
901:edwards.af.mil
885:
860:
835:
810:
798:
773:
747:
718:
704:
690:
678:
650:
618:
588:
574:
554:
535:Mattern, Jim.
524:
498:
496:
493:
492:
491:
484:
481:
467:
464:
379:also flew its
355:as well as by
353:EA-18G Growler
300:
297:
289:Inyo Mountains
275:. Hundreds of
204:
201:
181:U.S. Air Force
150:Rainbow Canyon
145:
144:
111:
105:
104:
94:
90:
89:
85:
84:
81:
77:
76:
73:
69:
68:
62:
57:Rainbow Canyon
56:
55:
48:
47:
41:
40:
39:
38:
35:
34:
33:Rainbow Canyon
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1414:
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1400:
1398:
1395:
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1384:
1382:
1367:
1364:
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1359:
1357:
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1348:
1346:
1345:Trona Railway
1343:
1341:
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1333:
1331:
1327:
1326:
1324:
1320:
1314:
1311:
1309:
1306:
1304:
1301:
1299:
1296:
1294:
1291:
1289:
1286:
1284:
1281:
1279:
1278:Saline Valley
1276:
1274:
1271:
1269:
1266:
1264:
1261:
1259:
1255:
1251:
1247:
1246:Panamint City
1244:
1242:
1241:Furnace Creek
1239:
1237:
1234:
1232:
1228:
1227:Eureka Valley
1225:
1223:
1220:
1218:
1215:
1213:
1210:
1208:
1205:
1203:
1200:
1198:
1197:Chloride City
1195:
1193:
1190:
1188:
1185:
1183:
1180:
1178:
1175:
1173:
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1168:
1164:
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1099:
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1088:
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1076:
1073:
1071:
1068:
1066:
1063:
1061:
1058:
1056:
1053:
1051:
1048:
1046:
1043:
1041:
1038:
1036:
1033:
1032:
1030:
1028:
1024:
1020:
1016:
1012:
1008:
1001:
996:
994:
989:
987:
982:
981:
978:
972:
969:
968:
964:
961:
958:
955:
954:
950:
936:
932:
925:
922:
906:
902:
895:
889:
886:
875:
871:
864:
861:
850:
846:
839:
836:
824:
820:
814:
811:
807:
802:
799:
788:
784:
777:
774:
762:
758:
751:
748:
736:
732:
725:
723:
719:
714:
708:
705:
700:
694:
691:
687:
682:
679:
668:
664:
657:
655:
651:
638:
634:
627:
625:
623:
619:
606:
605:
597:
595:
593:
589:
577:
571:
567:
566:
558:
555:
542:
538:
531:
529:
525:
513:
509:
503:
500:
494:
490:
489:Saline Valley
487:
486:
482:
480:
478:
473:
465:
463:
461:
456:
453:
450:
445:
443:
439:
435:
431:
427:
423:
419:
415:
411:
407:
404:
400:
397:
393:
389:
386:
382:
381:F/A-18 Hornet
378:
374:
370:
366:
362:
358:
354:
350:
349:EA-6B Prowler
346:
342:
338:
337:AV-8B Harrier
334:
330:
326:
322:
318:
314:
310:
306:
298:
296:
294:
290:
286:
282:
278:
274:
270:
266:
265:
260:
256:
253:
252:calc-silicate
250:), including
249:
246:
243:
242:metamorphosed
239:
235:
231:
228:
224:
221:
217:
213:
210:
202:
200:
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186:
182:
177:
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112:
110:
106:
102:
98:
95:
91:
86:
82:
78:
74:
70:
45:
36:
31:
19:
1328:California:
1262:
1212:Darwin Falls
1207:Dante's View
1007:Death Valley
938:. Retrieved
934:
924:
912:. Retrieved
905:the original
900:
888:
877:. Retrieved
873:
863:
852:. Retrieved
848:
838:
827:. Retrieved
822:
813:
801:
790:. Retrieved
786:
776:
764:. Retrieved
760:
750:
738:. Retrieved
734:
707:
693:
681:
670:. Retrieved
666:
641:. Retrieved
636:
609:. Retrieved
603:
579:. Retrieved
564:
557:
545:. Retrieved
541:the original
515:. Retrieved
511:
502:
469:
457:
446:
391:
309:World War II
302:
272:
262:
220:Darwin Hills
218:beds of the
206:
178:
157:
153:
149:
148:
823:www.nps.gov
466:Photography
329:F-22 Raptor
281:Coso people
277:petroglyphs
189:fighter jet
174:Los Angeles
152:(nicknamed
134: /
122:117°31′12″W
109:Coordinates
1402:Low flying
1381:Categories
1121:Lake Manly
1111:Greenwater
1050:Chuckwalla
940:2022-06-04
879:2022-06-04
854:2021-05-01
849:Navy Times
829:2022-06-04
792:2019-08-03
672:2019-08-03
495:References
345:T-38 Talon
313:F-15 Eagle
212:lava flows
119:36°21′45″N
971:AP Images
935:The Drive
874:The Drive
449:U.S. Navy
305:Mach Loop
291:into the
279:from the
264:Star Wars
248:limestone
245:Paleozoic
223:volcanoes
185:U.S. Navy
170:Las Vegas
88:Geography
1349:Nevada:
1273:Rhyolite
1182:Ballarat
1096:Badwater
1027:minerals
766:13 April
740:13 April
643:13 April
611:13 April
581:13 April
547:13 April
517:13 April
483:See also
408:and the
339:and the
269:Tatooine
255:hornfels
227:Pliocene
93:Location
1084:History
914:June 4,
357:bombers
267:planet
234:granite
216:lapilli
143:
1366:SR 374
1361:SR 373
1356:SR 267
1340:SR 190
1335:SR 178
1330:SR 127
1187:Beatty
1167:Valley
1151:Places
1131:Skidoo
572:
238:marble
209:basalt
103:, U.S.
80:Length
1351:US 95
1303:Trona
1231:Dunes
1163:River
1045:Borax
1023:flora
1019:Fauna
965:(PDF)
908:(PDF)
897:(PDF)
230:epoch
1025:and
1009:and
916:2022
768:2017
742:2017
645:2017
613:2017
583:2017
570:ISBN
549:2017
519:2017
436:and
392:Sufa
388:F-16
377:NASA
369:USAF
351:and
331:and
236:and
214:and
195:off
183:and
156:and
164:in
1383::
1256:/
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