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Comment by DanCarvajal | Hacker News Reader

Got to see one in person at an airshow with my dad back in the late 90s. It was in an random hanger we were checking out. The main door was opened maybe five feet with a gate in front of it and guards were supervising people looking in. We had no idea what to expect. I will never forget looking around the door and there it was, gave me chills. It was the coolest thing I have ever, or will ever see.

As is hackernews tradition, I will now recommend "Skunk Works" by Ben Rich, fantastic book.

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I saw one at EAA Airventure 1991. It was flanked by armed guards and, if I recall properly, portions were covered with tarps. It was quite a thing to see. The guard detial definitely made for a vivid memory.

I was at the big RIAT air show in England earlier this month and the pair of USAF F-15s had armed guards whereas the Special Operations Wing Herk, Osprey and Pave Hawk were open for public viewing. That seemed somewhat back-to-front.

I went to an airshow in Oklahoma in 1995 or 1996 while I was still in the Air Force (it was a civilian airshow at Will Rogers airport, not a military airshow) and they had one parked out on static display. I walked under the wing, even touched the bottom of it. We also got a B-2 flyover, land, take-off, flyover, the same year. It was a great show.

It was actually the Oklahoma airshow where this happened, so odds are we could be talking about the same plane. My dad was at Tinker back then.

Seriously those were phenomenal shows back in the day.

Until reading this I had completely forgotten that back in the late 80's during an airshow at Homestead AFB, I walked into an "open" hangar (door was open just enough for me to wiggle through) and climbed up onto an F-16 while my friends were frantically trying to get me to come back out before I got my ass hauled off by the security that for some unknown reason wasn't anywhere nearby.

When I got back out my answer to their "are you nuts?" remarks was "well, they left the door open, what do they expect?"

And, yes, I'm also going to recommend Skunk Works I loved the quote from one of Kelly Johnson's engineers, "that man could see air."

I got to see one in the lates 90s at an air show in Montana. It was the only plane guarded (was also a B1 present) by at least 6 guards with SMGs.

Still, was amazing. I didn't get to see it fly; it didnt fly during the show, only for delivery and departure.

Also, +1 for "Skunk Works". Great read.

Yeah, they're quite something. They had one on display at one of the Miramar Airshow a few years back and it's really a unique airframe in person.

Saw one at RIAT in the UK as recently as 2007. Again it was flanked by armed guards, and had the pilot standing in front of it sharing some stories.

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