Jet Archives - Bliss Photographics

Posted on January 2, 2020December 29, 2019 by Frank Bliss

B1B Lancer Circling Flags

Being under the US Air Forces Powder River Training Complex has it’s benefits. I could hear the roar from inside the house. The B!B is many things but it isn’t quiet. B1B’s can be faster than the sound (probably close to light speed) but I haven’t heard a sonic boom for the 20 years I’ve lived here. If nothing else the Air Force is polite. There is nothing like maybe 100,000 horse power flying overhead. I’ve had the fly 500 feet off the deck directly over head. It’s a real punch in the adrenal gland.

I’m thinking someone forgot their extra Skoal can in their locker then had to head back. In training, they are probably stacking spirals to gain altitude.. The sky was perfect to preserved the trail through the big strategic bomber moves pretty quickly. I’m thinking he pulled some “G’s” around that pretty tight loop at 450 knots. 🤔

Strategically these fellows have a low radar cross-section to make detection considerably more difficult. Their ability to fly lower and faster than the B52, while carrying a larger payload makes this a heck of a plane. Advanced electronic countermeasures to enhance survivability makes it a two way trip.

This guy is out of 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. They have a fairly large around of southeastern Montana and North Eastern Wyoming along with a Bunch of the Dakota’s as fly over. We unfortunately had one crash about 50 miles from here about 5 years back.

Using a WIDE angle fisheye lens I corrected significantly for lens distortion. There is still a little down angle on the log ranch lodge but it corrected fairly well.

Location: Bliss Dinosaur Ranch, Wyoming/Montana borderlands.

Title: B1B Lancer Circling Flags

Posted on December 26, 2019December 19, 2019 by Frank Bliss

B1B Lancer Strategic Bomber

This 200 million dollar, international range, multi-role, long range bomber, built to combat targets across the world. They overfly our ranch irregularly (which I truly appreciate pilots!). We are that BIG white barn over the Montana/Wyoming border, you know it as an easy landmark. Sunset and Sunrise is a good time lolol. Come on over twice, let me get my camera out and my shoes on….😂😂

This happened just as the sun was going down over my shoulder causing a vibrant “Belt of Veuns” back show. I was photographing the sunset standing literally in the middle of nowhere when this big jet flew over at 450 knots or so.

Stratigically these fellows have a low radar cross-section to make detection considerably more difficult.
Ability to fly lower and faster than the B52, while carrying a larger payload makes this a heck of a plane. Advanced electronic countermeasures to enhance survivability makes it a two way trip.

Here this plane has it’s wings forward. This is a higher lift configuration. Usually used for fast tactical takeoffs and landings from airfields under attack. If he was interested in opening it up. Just sub light speed, the wings would be swept to the rear. There is nothing like maybe 100,000 horse power flying overhead.

Location: Bliss Dinosaur Ranch, Wyoming/Montana borderlands (Wyotana)

Title: B1B Lancer Strategic Bomber

Posted on October 30, 2019November 16, 2019 by Bliss

Fly Jet Blue to the Moon

Fly Jet Blue to the Moon but can you imagine a primitive Amazonian Tribe looking up and see this…. An arrow penetrating the moon….. Traumatic to say the least…. They would probably change the course of their society based on this happening over their head 😂 I bet there are some strange stories to explain the technology they see overhead mixing in with the lore and stories about the sky handed down by their ancestors. Someone would be making it up and others would be believing it (shaking head side to side).

Leading up to Click…

Me on the other hand saw this happening about 30 seconds before it occurred. I had my trusty 800 mm lens handy on the seat next to me. Unfortunately I had to start that camera up from a cold OFF setting… focused, setting tweeked and waiting for the click. Had about 5 seconds to spare as it turned out. Most of that seemed like I was waiting for the camera to go through its 3 second cold start window lolol. Like watching water warm up in a tea pot…time slows down when your ready for something to happen lol. I wasn’t far off, I was doing landscapes before with this camera, Already set for an infinite focus which is what this is so I was “close”. Working on Manual takes a little more time occasionally.

Stuff like this doesn’t happen every day lolol. I only see jets a few times a day period as we are off the main routes here. Random lucky occurrence and actually looking up now and then. I was driving working light out in the backcountry and looking up is not something I do every minute. . I have a few other images like this but from other close encounters that will slow work their way into my workflow and get posted. 🙂

Location: overhead, Bliss DInosaur Ranch, Wyoming/Montana borderlands.

Fly Jet Blue to the Moon

Posted on October 23, 2019November 16, 2019 by Bliss

Contrail at Sunset

Sometimes…a contrail from a passenger jet will light right up with color during a good sunrise/sunset. I actually don’t see a lot of jet traffic up here but when I do, I love it when the contrail lights up.

I will delete and block anyone that makes ANY comments about chemtrails as I find them so don’t go there :(. .

This jet is way high and this is a 1200 mm telephoto shot which is about as close as you can get with a handheld lens to a 35000 feet and 10 miles out object moving at 400 mph.

Location: south of the Bliss DInosuar Ranch, Wyoming/Montana borderlands.

Posted on October 11, 2019October 5, 2019 by Bliss

Bear Claw Scratch in the Sky

Here is an image that must be a Bear Claw Scratch in the Sky. It’s actually 5 fighter jets in formation over the Powder River Basin Training Complex for the US Airforce. Tip of the spear really 🙂 Probably in route from A to B and a random overflight.

If I post it here (for the last month anyway),…Landscape aspect images like this print up to 3 feet x 2 feet at high resolution.

Best way to check out a lot my art/photography from our Wyotana borderlands universe is in my ever-growing photo gallery at:

Bliss Photographics.com

Location: overhead, Bliss Dinosaur Ranch, Wyoming/Montana borderlands.