AP PHOTOS: Jet pilots put on thrilling show at remote canyon
DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — Inside California's Death Valley National Park is a narrow gorge nicknamed Star Wars Canyon where military pilots train and test jets — and put on a thrilling show.
Photographers and aviation enthusiasts travel from around the globe to stand on the rim of the deep, craggy canyon and watch the aircraft streak through the passage below.
The gorge got its nickname from its rocky, colorful landscape, which resembles a planet featured in some of the "Star Wars" movies. Some scenes from the first "Star Wars" film, released in 1977, were shot in a different part of Death Valley National Park.
The park is a four-hour drive from Los Angeles. Lately it has been drawing fans celebrating the 40th anniversary of "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope."
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