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December 17, 2020Rainbow Canyon “Jedi Transition” R-2508 – Spotting Guide
- last modified on January 5, 2022
+++ JAN 2022 IMPORTANT NOTICE! Due tu a crash in 2019, the Rainbow Canyon is no longer in use by the Military as the National Park Service and US Navy decided to close this training area! Some private flights are still tacking place there +++
The Rainbow Canyon, officially called “Jedi Transition” or by the army R-2508 is located at 282km from Las Vegas Int’l Airport so approximately a good 3h drive. You may also come from Los Angels Airport which is 376km so approximately 4h drive.
It is one of the most famous well-known “low-level” flying training area in the world which is mainly used by the United States Air Force. The traffic come from those bases, Nellis AFB, China Lake, Fresno Air National Guard Base, Edwards AFB and NAS Lemoore but other forces may be seen if you are lucky.
The area is open for public at any time however note that it is not guarantee to see any jets, you may see a few or zero. You’ll need to take your chance, stay, hope and wait until something shows up.
Aircraft most seen in the area includes: The United States Air Force – Hornets, Fighting Falcons, Thunderbolt, Harriers, Raptors, Lightning, etc / if lucky some Hercules or Globemaster have been spotted.
Written by Jeremy Denton, Northern Skies Aviation, Pierrick G. & Thomas Schneider. Last Update: October 2020
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| Visitor Rating How was your trip? Rate this airport! |
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| Car/Public Transport | Car is the only option you have to come at the area. |
| Restrooms | Available at the parking for spot 1. |
| Drinks/Food | Not nearby, you’ll need to drive down 13 minutes towards Panamint Springs where a gaz station is available as well as a shop and a restaurant. |
| Hotels | The closest hotel is the Panamint Springs Resort or the Panamint Springs RV Park located at 10 minutes from the spot. |
| Season | We recommend you to avoid high temperatures during summer as not only heat haze may appear on the pictures but you won’t stay long with some crazy +50° temperatures. It can be very dangerous. |
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Spot #1 – Father Crowley Overlook (Main Spot) |
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| WHERE | From Panamint Springs drive on the road “190” “Nadeau Trail” for around 10 minutes until you reach the first road rest on your right with a big parking. Park your car here and you have many options where to stand to make great pictures (see our map). |
| WHAT | Some will be already at a low altitude in the canyon, some a bit higher or some will simply overfly above you. You’ll never know until you see it coming. Just be ready and listen. |
| TIME | All day. |
| MISC. | Nothing nearby unless you drive back down to Panamint Springs to get some drinks/foods. Very important to take a hat as well as enough foods/drinks and be prepared to wait hours. Toilets are available at the parking place. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-400mm depending on how the aircraft come. |
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Spot #2 – The Red Rock |
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| WHERE | From Panamint Springs drive on the road “190” “Nadeau Trail” for around 7 minutes until you reach a huge red rock on your right side. You’ll have a small parking remote location on a dirty land on your left side in the corner of the road. Refer to the map. |
| WHAT | Some will be already at a low altitude in the canyon, some a bit higher or some will simply overfly above you. You’ll never know until you see it coming. Just be ready and listen. |
| TIME | All day. |
| MISC. | Nothing nearby unless you drive back down to Panamint Springs to get some drinks/foods. Very important to take a hat as well as enough foods/drinks and be prepared to wait hours. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | F16: 310-360mm (depending on the angle) FA18: 330-350mm (depending on the angle) C27J: 300mm & 440mm (depending on the angle) |
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Spot #3 – Entry Point |
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| WHERE | From Panamint Springs drive on the road “190” “Nadeau Trail” for around 12 minutes until you reach the first road rest on your right with a big parking continue straight until you see on a corner a small dirty path where you can put your car. Refer to the map. |
| WHAT | Some will be already at a low altitude in the canyon, some a bit higher or some will simply overfly above you. You’ll never know until you see it coming. Just be ready and listen. |
| TIME | All day. |
| MISC. | Nothing nearby unless you drive back down to Panamint Springs to get some drinks/foods. Very important to take a hat as well as enough foods/drinks and be prepared to wait hours. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 200-400mm depending on how the aircraft come. |
I have to say, that I saw F/A-18 last week in the canyon. They fly a little bit higher than before, but they are back.
Is there any new information as of June 2023? Is the restriction still in place?
Seems like it. Here is the info from EAFB R-2508 Handbook dated May 8-2023 page 25: JEDI TRANSITION: At Point C proceed east to Point C1 and to Point J. Avoid Overflight of Father Crowley Lookout (N36 21.12 W117 33.05 – Rainbow/Star Wars Canyon). Maintain a minimum of 1000’ above the lip of Rainbow Canyon. CAUTION: Possible merging Sidewinder traffic from the north via Point I. Jedi users offset west of Point J for de-confliction. Jedi users make mandatory radio call approaching Point J “Call sign, Jedi Transition, approaching Point Juliet”. Make calls on 315.9
can we pls get more info on where the new spot is along the Kern River?
Thanks
there’s a bunch of spots at the Kern. Near Johnsondale Bridge and up waaay past Johnsondale too. The downside is it’s not a busy as SW Cyn was, and the flight paths vary a lot more, so there’s no guarantee of getting the classic canyon photos. We just had 10 civilian jets go through SW Cyn last Sat (Jan 28). I have an album of photos posted on Flickr.
I was planning to visit the USA to see low level flying.
It seems like we cannot see low level flying in Jedi Transition anymore.
Is there any place we can see low level flying in the USA?
I remember there is a place in the state of Washington but I don’t really know the name. There is low level flying but the place is far from civilization.
-Julian
I was up there in Jun 2021 and got buzzed by four F-18s under the 1500′ agl restriction, so they still will fly over the parking lot and dirt road occasionally. I went again yesterday – Feb 7. 2022, and was shut out completely. Hardly anything on the scanner. Couple of pilots called for “Jedi Transition” but never showed up. The training area is NOT closed. They just can’t go below the canyon rim anymore. New hot spot is Kern River Cyn. I’ve been up to the new spot (again Jun 2021) and it’s great – busy just like the old days at Crowley Pt – however the hike is 1.5 miles, all uphill, though it’s not too steep. You’ll need a 600mm lens here. Supposedly there is a new route 3 miles north of Crowley Pt, but I haven’t seen any photos yet.
Hi Brian, can you give me some more details about the new Kern River Canyon by using this link:
https://www.spotterguide.net/missing-photos-location/
Thanks, Julian
On Friday, February 5th, 2021, I spent 4 hours (10:30/14:30) along the dirt road below the Father Crowley Lookout. Saw and heard several F-18s and F-16 flying high over the Canyon during my stay. About an hour or so into observation, one lone Super Hornet did complete a low level (below my vantage point) run through Rainbow Canyon.
I’d read that, since a crash in 2019, there’s no low-level activity in the Jedi Transition. Do you know if that’s true?
VERY MUCH TRUE. The military placed a 1500′ AGL restriction on Star Wars Canyon until further notice. Recent documents published by Edwards AFB prove it is still in place. That being said, they’ll still fly in the area, but they’re no longer allowed to go below the cyn rim. The crash involved an F-18 from NAS Lemoore, tragically killing the pilot and injuring (an unconfirmed rumor says killed) several foreign tourists. Panamint Valley and Saline Valley are both options for seeing them fairly low. Eureka Dunes, Lone Pine area too. The “NEW” Star Wars Canyon is to the west, along the river. Specific viewpoints are currently being kept secret by the photographers who know them. Panamint Springs Resort and the Nat’l Park Service have both recently (May 2021) made claims that Star Wars Canyon has ‘reopened’, but most of us believe they are just trying to drum up business for themselves, and it’s not true until we begin to see photos. I believe SWC will eventually reopen, but we may be kept waiting a long time. There is a place in Washington state, near a lake, where low level flights take place. Other than the famous Mach Loop overseas, these are the only options to see low level flying, other than an airshow.
Is there any newer information about resumption of flight below the canyon ridge as of December 2021?
Hello Timothy,
Sadly we don’t have any information in regards to the resumption of flights.
Kind regards,
Jeremy