“Some low level flying in the Panamint Valley…”

With movie turns in Star Wars and famous for it’s record/extreme 53 degree centigrade heat, Death Valley in the Mojave Desert in Northern California is well known as a mecca for low-level flying (and aviation photographers) given it’s unique geography and gorgeous valley vistas.

Dassault Aviation brought one of its Falcon 8X fleet (N8X) to Inyokern Airport (KIYK) in January 2022 to demonstrate the capabilities and agility of it’s ultra-longe range flagship in the harsh environs of a truly unique location by flying through the Panamint Valley, part of the Death Valley National Park.

Even with a range of 6,450 nautical miles and MTOW of 73,200lbs, the 8X handled the task flawlessly.

When an aircraft looks as great as the 8X and can fly through Death Valley in much the same way as an F-15, do you really: “feel the need, the need for speed?” Nah.