This is a Jurassic-sized mystery.
The photograph above was taken by commercial satellite cameras sometime in the past six weeks — and look at what it beholds: what appears to be one of America’s premiere military fighter jets, an F-22 Raptor.
Only, this isn’t an image of an American military airbase. Oh no, it’s an aerial capture of Pucheng Neifu Airport … in China. Rural China.
The other aircraft pictured are rinky-dink cropdusting planes.
What in the … ?
This from Popular Mechanics:
Located at Shaanxi province in central China, Pucheng Neifu Airport is not even remotely a military airport. There is no obvious link between it and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). It has the layout of a rural civilian airport found in any country, with a single runway, large tarmac, and control tower. An examination of satellite imagery indicates anywhere from seven to nine civilian planes are parked there at any one time.
It has none of the characteristics of a military airbase such as other (real) military aircraft, hardened aircraft shelters, surface to air missile and gun emplacements, or munitions bunkers. Here’s an example of a typical PLAAF base just outside Weifang for comparison
The F-22 comes and goes depending on the service you’re using to look for it. It is not visible at Pucheng Neifu on Google Maps. However, it is present at liveuamap.com, which also uses Google Maps. Both maps are dated to 2016, which means the “plane” was moved very recently.
According to Bing Maps, (which doesn’t show the plane) the airport is also the location of something called the Xian Aeronautics Flight Experience Center An internet search of the so-called center turned up nothing.
Some say it’s a replica of the real aircraft built by local Chinese businessman to exhibit at a museum or an amusement park. There is one close by called the “Xian Aeronautics Flight Experience Center”. But who knows?
Wait, do you know? If so, please fill us in, in the comment section below. Thanks.