Star Wars canyon flight training area

With the new Top Gun Maverick movie doing great in theaters, I thought this photo series would be very appropriate. We took a trip out to the edge of Death Valley, CA. Just beyond the Panamint Valley, lies Star Wars canyon. Aptly named because the fighter pilots from the local air bases run fighter drills and dog fights up and down this narrow canyon, which dumps out above Panamint Valley.

This is a great area for photos. Very picturesque even if there were not the chance to see fighter jets. Unfortunately, we were pulling up to this area somewhat late in the afternoon. As we were getting close in the car, we witnessed one of these aerial trainings off in the distance in front of us. That’s why the 4 photos are not of the highest quality like the others. I shot these photos thru the front windshield while my buddy was driving. There just wasn’t time to stop and set up. They literally look as if the jets were missiles being launched straight up! As it was, this was the last training for the day and no other jets came through. Definitely will plan to get there earlier in the morning to grab more photo ops.

The canyon itself is pretty narrow and it’s clear the pilots flying trough here are definitely the best of the best! See below for the types of jets that will fly their training through this valley.

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