A pair of Northrop B2 Spirit's arrived in the UK late last night on the first part of their Global Power Deployment, unrelated to any conflict btw.
Call signs Reaper 11 + 12 of the 509th bomb wing at Whiteman AFB flew in direct to the Wainfleet range where they carried out several "hot" runs, with one aircraft encountering a hung bomb which wouldnt release. They then flew on to RAF Fairford where they will be based during the deployment.
Image courtesy of Tony Osbourne http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?photographersearch=Anthony%20Osborne&distinct_entry=true
Serials are 89-0128 'Spirit Of Nebraska' and the second one is possibly 82-1067 'Spirit Of Arizona'.
'Spirit Of Nebraska' is one of the B-2's that flew through during RIAT 2002. I think the last time they attended the show.
Is it a first visit for Arizona?
They are supposedly doing a global power training mission on Wednesday, and whether they return to Fairford or straight back to Missouri following this, I don't know.
One has just departed FFD for a little sortie....