B-2 first flight July 17, 1989
On July 17, 1989, Bruce Hinds, Northrup Grumman chief test pilot, and Col. Richard Couch, B-2 combined test force director, flew the first B-2 mission in the skies above California. The two-hour, 20-minute flight took both pilots on a mission from Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, to Edwards Air Force Base. Pictured here is a right front view of a B-2 bomber aircraft taxiing during its first test flight at the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California. In December, 1993, the first B-2, the "Spirit of Missouri," was delivered to Whiteman Air Force Base. (photo by Rose Reynolds)