You Could Have Seen a B-2 Stealth Bomber in Flight on Google Earth
When Google Earth made its first appearance, it shocked and amazed first-time users. Short of military, government, and high-dollar private applications, comparable access to satellite imagery for the masses was simply science fiction. Better yet, Google continues to update its imagery and captured an image of a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber airplane in-flight.
A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is a rare sight, but you can see one in flight on Google Earth
Every year, fans see flyovers at high-profile sporting events. It’s not uncommon for a flight of F-16 Fighting Falcons or F-18 Hornets to shatter the skies above an open-top stadium. However, sometimes the aircrews at Whiteman Air Force Base (AFB) will send one of their out-of-this-world B-2 Spirit stealth bombers over cheering game-goers.
Of course, you could always consult YouTube for footage of the striking stealth bomber taking off, cruising, landing, and even mid-air refueling with a KC-135 Stratotanker. However, if you’d like to see one in a bit more of an unorthodox setting, you can check out Google Earth or Google Maps.
Unfortunately, Google seems to have updated the mid-flight B-2 Spirit right out of its image library. However, before the update, Google Earth or Maps users could have punched in 39°01’18.5”N, -93°35’40.5”W for a spectacular image of a B-2 in-flight. For those who don’t know, the first set of coordinates refers to the latitude, and the second set to the longitude.
It’s not far off Interstate 70 to the East of Kansas City, Missouri. Incidentally, the location isn’t far from Whiteman AFB, where the U.S. Air Force operates many B-2s. Check out the video below to see My Garden Channel zoom into the “Flying Wing” below!
It’s a rare glimpse into one of the most expensive pieces of military equipment in the American arsenal. Each B-2 Spirit cost around $2 billion to field. However, in the case of the stealth bomber, less is more.
