Brian Day
Victorville Daily Press
Many of mankind’s historic achievements in aviation have taken place over a dry lake bed in the Mojave Desert known as Edwards Air Force Base, and continue to this day.
From the first aircraft to carry a human faster than the speed of sound to the first-ever stealth aircraft, the artifacts and history at the United States’ largest airfield could easily fill a palatial museum.
That’s the plan.
Edwards Air Force Base has been at the forefront of military aviation technology since it was established more than 80 years ago, according to retired Air Force Lt. Col. and 412th Test Wing spokesman Mike Paoli.
“The future of the Air Force is flying over Edwards Air Force Base today,” he said.
Air Force Flight Test Museum houses iconic cultural artifacts
To document that history, the Air Force Flight Test Museum currently consists of a 12,000-square-foot building within the security perimeter of the base that houses a collection of trophies of some of the nation’s most significant achievements in flight.
Largely due to its inaccessible location, the museum generally sees about 1,000 visitors per month, according to Director George Welsh. The facility had previously been open to the public without security screening, but that changed along with increased security measures in the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Construction is already well underway to build a new 75,000-square-foot museum to preserve the one-of-a-kind treasures and better share them with the public, representatives said.
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A steel skeleton that will one day house the new museum has already been erected at the base’s Century Circle, which sits just outside the security perimeter and is readily accessible to visitors. But spiking construction costs that came with the onset of the pandemic in 2020 brought progress to a halt.
A small but dedicated team of staff and volunteers of the Flight Test Historical Foundation are working to raise the roughly $1 million needed to complete the first phase of construction, adding walls and a roof to the new museum, explained Board Member and Friendship Committee Chair Rex Moen.
Law prohibits the Air Force, itself, from spending money on a museum, Welsh said. So the endeavor rests on the shoulders of the nonprofit Flight Test Historical Foundation.
“I want to emphasize that the museum buildings are constructed by the Flight Test Museum Foundation and then transferred to the Air Force since the Air Force, by law, cannot build structures for museums,” he explained. “However, we can fill them with airplanes and artifacts and staff the museum to operate it.”
“The mission of the Flight Test Museum is to preserve, display, and educate the public about the more than 75 years of flight tests, aerospace and technological developments at Edwards Air Force Base, NASA Armstrong Research Center, Plant 42, and the entire Aerospace Valley,” Welsh said.
The museum houses more than 80 historical aircraft and thousands of artifacts related to the history of flight innovation, representatives said. Many of the treasures remain hidden from public view in storage due to limited space at the current facility.
The museum also offers educational programs centered around science, technology, engineering and math for students in kindergarten through college, representatives said. Students from 26 regional school districts take part in programs at the museum, but the foundation is hoping to expand the educational outreach to an even wider scale with the new facility, which will include an education center, a library and archive, a research center and meeting rooms.
“A major focus of the museum is to expand knowledge, to inspire, and to motivate future generations using examples of the advancements in aerospace in our collection,” Welsh said. “This will have a unique long-term benefit, and that is improving the human capital of the Antelope Valley fostering a future and continued local aerospace workforce.”
Making history at Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base was established in 1942 at what was then known as the Muroc Dry Lake and has since steadily grown to more than 300,000 acres in size, or 470 square miles, Paoli said.
The base functions as a town with more than 11,000 residents, consisting of roughly 20% military personnel and 80% civilians, he said.
“This secluded site was chosen in the spring of 1942 for testing America’s first jet,” Paoli said. “It was a new, isolated site where a ‘top secret’ airplane could undergo tests ‘away from prying eyes.’ It had good, year-round flying weather, and the risks inherent in the radical new technology to be demonstrated on the aircraft dictated a spacious landing field.”
Edwards Air Force Base was designated as the U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center in 1951. It has been at the forefront of military aircraft innovation ever since, breaking aviation on a regular basis for decades. All of the military’s elite test pilots go through Flight Test School at Edwards.
The long list of historic achievements at the base includes:
- Oct. 1, 1942: The P-59 took off from the base, marking the first official flight of a jet aircraft in the United States.
- Oct. 14, 1947: Captain. Charles “Chuck” Yeager broke the sound barrier for the first time in human history while flying a the rocket-powered Bell X-1.
- Oct. 3, 1967: Major William J. “Pete” Knight reached Mach 6.72, or 5,115 mph, in the modified X-15A-2. The record stands to this day for the highest speed ever attained in an airplane.
The base has been instrumental in the development of every American bomber, Moen said.
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The first-ever stealth aircraft, the F117 Nighthawk, was developed at Edwards, along with modern marvels such as the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 lightning.
Recently, the Air Force’s secretive B-21 Spirit stealth bomber has been spotted taking to the skies over the base.
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‘Sound Barrier Cracked’
As the Foundation continues working toward a new museum facility, the Mohahve Historical Society is working toward moving a state and monument paying tribute to Chuck Yeager from its current position within the secured portion of Edwards AFB base to a new, publicly visible home near the new museum.
A stone monument with an inscription that begins with “Sound Barrier Cracked” commemorates Yeager’s historic achievement, alongside a life-size state of the aviation pioneer.
The monument was first created in 1988 by the MHS, along with the cities of Victorville and Adelanto. The statue was unveiled in 2006 after being donated to the Air Force by Sacramento real estate developer Bruce Fite.
But the MHS is working alongside the Air Force in hopes of moving both historic tributes to a place where they can be better appreciated by the public.
“The Mohahve Historical Society is celebrating the organization’s 60th Anniversary this year, having been formed in 1964,” accoring to President Marcy Taylor. “One of their objectives is to place markers at important historical locations around the High Desert area.
“The first monument placed was the ‘Sound Barrier Cracked’ monument at the now closed George Air Force Base in 1988,” she explained. “Upon Base Closure in 1990, the monument sat near the main gate for a number of years, until then President of MHS John Tie signed it over to Edward Air Force Base in Antelope Valley.”
The MHS meets monthly September through June at the historic Lone Wolf Colony in Apple Valley, as well as hosts monthly field trips and participates in community events, Taylor added. Meetings include presentations by local groups or speakers as well as refreshments.
The MHS is a membership organization, but welcomes guests at its meetings. Guests may take part in two field trips before membership is required. Those seeking more information can reach Taylor at (760) 985-1918.
How to help
The Flight Test Historical Foundation is striving to complete the first phase of the new museum as quickly as possible, representatives said. Future additions are planned, as well, including a covered outside area to store massive aircraft.
Staff and volunteers are running numerous fundraising programs to make the goal a reality.
Those interested in supporting the effort can sponsor the museum as a “Friend of the Flight Test Museum” at multiple price points.
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Benefactors may also “Sponsor an Airplane”, or purchase a personalized brick to be permanently displayed in front of the new museum’s Century Circle.
More information on the Flight Test Museum and the Flight Test Historical Foundation can be found on the organization’s website at flighttestmuseum.org.
