Cool video shows RCAF CF-18 strike fighters passing for the very first time through Mach Loop

Cool video shows RCAF CF-18 strike fighters passing through Mach Loop for the very first time

By Dario Leone
Aug 5 2018
Share this article

The RCAF 2018 CF-18 Demonstration Hornet too has taken part in low level training in Mach Loop

Here’s another cool clip filmed by Dafydd Philips. The video features not only U.S. Navy Boeing F/A-18 Legacy and Super Hornet strike fighters thundering through Star Wars Canyon, California but also for the very first time Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CF-18s passing through Mach Loop Low Flying Area 7 (LFA7), Wales.

The RCAF 2018 CF-18 Demonstration Hornet too has taken part in low level training in Mach Loop.

Noteworthy the first part of this cool footage clearly shows why the Rainbow Canyon, which is tucked in the western edge of Death Valley National Park and is known as “Star Wars Canyon,” is an aviation geek mecca.

Known as the Jedi Transition to the military, the canyon – that was carved by an ancient lava flow – is located near Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake and Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), deep in the California desert. The area has been used for low altitude flight training since World War II, with the narrow rock walls too alluring for fighter pilots to pass up.

This creates the side benefit of giving observers and photographers the unique ability to look down on the jets as they scream by, afterburners lit.

The Mach Loop (also known as the Machynlleth Loop) instead consists of a series of valleys in the U.K. in west-central Wales, which are famous for their use as low-level training areas for fast jet aircraft. The system of valleys lies 8 miles east of Barmouth and is nestled between the towns of Dolgellau to the north and Machynlleth to the south, from the latter of which it takes its name.


Share this article

Dario Leone

Dario Leone

Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Share this article


Share this article
Share this article

Always up to date! News and offers delivered directly to you!

Get the best aviation news, stories and features from The Aviation Geek Club in our newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

Error: Contact form not found.


Share this article
Back to top
My Agile Privacy
This website uses technical and profiling cookies. Clicking on "Accept" authorises all profiling cookies. Clicking on "Refuse" or the X will refuse all profiling cookies. By clicking on "Customise" you can select which profiling cookies to activate. We and our selected ad partners can store and/or access information on your device, such as cookies, unique identifiers, browsing data. You can always choose the specific purposes related to profiling by accessing the advertising preferences panel, and you can always withdraw your consent at any time by clicking on "Manage consent" at the bottom of the page.

List of some possible advertising permissions:

You can consult: our list of advertising partners, the Cookie Policy and the Privacy Policy.
Warning: some page functionalities could not work due to your privacy choices