B-2 Spirit Skimming The Miami Skyline Looks Menacing As Hell
The B-2 is back in the air after a months-long grounding and a video of it maneuvering for a flyby over Miami reminds us how unique it is.
A viral video popped up on social media of a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber making a very steep, fast positioning turn low over the Miami skyline. It is a highly dynamic and dramatic-looking maneuver for the big flying wing, and one that reminds us how positively alien it still looks even nearly 35 years after its unveiling.
The video was taken at the Miami Air And Sea Show, which took place along Miami Beach over Memorial Day Weekend. The flyby would have been one of the first major events the B-2 has been able to attend since a safety stand-down left the fleet grounded following the crash of a B-2 in December.
If you have ever seen a B-2 flying low over terrain before, you know it can be a unique and somewhat startling experience. Nothing in aviation, at least that is operating in a disclosed fashion, looks like Northrop's big flying wing stealth bomber, especially when its planform is visible during a turn in the distance. The remarkably steep and speedy repositioning maneuver seen in Miami takes that effect to another level.
The video was shot by videographer Joeseph Levy who goes by @Miamiheaven on Instagram. We talked with Joseph about his now viral clip. He told us that he used his skills gleaned from taking videos of Pelicans in flight around the Miami area to keep the B-2 in frame and was actually working from a tripod with his Sony FX3 mounted on it out in the surf when he captured the video. Make sure to check out all his gorgeous work shot around the always color-rich Miami area here.
Check out the full video, including the first flyby below:
The B-2, of which just 18 are now in the inventory that are not in a state of major repair or damaged, is set to remain operational until the B-21 Raider begins replacing it, which is hoped to begin in the second half of the decade. All the B-2s are planned to be retired in the early 2030s.
Regardless, this video, emerging after the jet was grounded for months, underlines one important fact:
The B-2 is back.
Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com
