Page 22 - Aerospace Valley Heritage - Aerotech News and Review, October 15, 2021

Mojave: From mule teams to space dreams

by Cathy Hansen today, were flown by the U.S. Navy that was successful and well-known
special to Aerotech News at Mojave. Guided missiles were also around the world.
test flown here from 1946 until 1951.
The Mojave Air and Space Port The Marines returned to Mojave New firms come to Mojave
is located in the town of Mojave, in 1951 to provide aviation facilities General Electric flight test
Calif., which was founded in 1876 supporting regular operations of Fleet operations were based at Mojave long
by the Southern Pacific Railroad as Marine Force aircraft, performing before the new district was formed.
a major junction point and servicing rocket, gunnery, bombing and field The company knew the importance of
yard for trains on its original line carrier-landing practice. They stayed the wide open spaces and the value of
from Bakersfield to Los Angeles. until 1959 and then transferred to the airspace above the airport.
Today, trains continue to arrive from Yuma, Ariz. The National Test Pilot School and
Bakersfield via the famous Tehachapi From 1963 to 1965, U.S. Army and Flight Research, Inc. were established
Loop and fan out to Barstow and Los U.S. Air Force had a joint military in 1975 and are anchor tenants that
Angeles. exercise at Marine Corps field and in began their successful tenure when
Mojave is also home to the famous the surrounding desert, called “Desert Sabovich was general manager.
‘20 Mule Teams’ which hauled giant Strike.” Rutan Aircraft Factory began
wagons full of borax from mines in business at Mojave Airport in 1974,
Death Valley to the railroad in Mojave Air races at Mojave developing the VariEze aircraft.
from 1883 to 1889. The wagons Unlimited Air Races thrilled Later, Burt Rutan design’s made first
were constructed and maintained in spectators in the late 1960s until flights at Mojave Airport, including:
Mojave, a fact that is celebrated today Courtesy photograph the 1970s. Famous air racers Darryl the Quickie, Defiant and Long-EZ
with a historic marker along Sierra What is now the Mojave Air and Space Port was built in 1935. In 1942, the Greenamyer, Clay Lacy, O. A. prototypes and the one and only
Highway in Mojave. U.S. Marines arrived. Hayden-Baillie, Howie Keefe, Voyager aircraft. Piloted by Dick
In 1876, the original Southern Sherm Cooper, Chuck Hall, Tony Rutan and Jeana Yeager, Voyager
Pacific Railroad Company, (now by Kern County, as part of the hangars and the tower building still Lavier, “Fish” Salmon, Gene made the epic flight around the world
Union Pacific and BNSF) line from county’s airport system to support the stand today. Akers, Wally McDonald and John in 9 days, 3 minutes, 44 seconds,
Bakersfield, named the township of gold and silver mining industry south The Mojave Elementary School, on Lear competed with high powered beginning on Dec. 14, 1986, and
Mojave. The township was laid out of town. What is known today as O Street, was used by the Marines as warbirds, including: P-51 Mustangs, ending on Dec. 23, 1986.
by the railroad with streets and lots. Mojave Air and Space Port began as a administrative offices until permanent F8F Bearcats, F4U Corsairs and
On Aug. 8, 1876, the first passenger small dirt landing strip and grew into office space was built. Marine Corps Sea Fury’s. In the California 1000, Voyager’s epic flight
train rolled into the little town. In a major aerospace flight test facility, Air Station Mojave was formally there was a DC-7 and a Lockheed When Voyager made its
1899, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa and has played many important parts commissioned on Jan. 1, 1943, Constellation! extraordinary first-ever non-
Fe Railway began operating through in America’s aviation history. and the first squadron to arrive was stop, unrefueled flight around the
VMSB-236, (Marine Scout Bombing East Kern Airport District world, Mojave was suddenly in the
Squadron) flying the Douglas SBD
Dauntless, Dive Bomber.
VMSB-236 moved to Hawaii in
April 1943 for follow on training and
joined the war, landing at Guadalcanal
in September 1943. They were the
first squadron to take part in bombing
strikes against Bougainville in
preparation for the Allied landing in
November 1943.
As a training base, the clear skies
and desert visibility at MCAS Mojave
made more training flights possible,
far exceeding flights accomplished at
El Toro or Santa Barbara, in spite of
the wind conditions that persisted!
Other aircraft to fly at Mojave
included the Chance-Vought F4U
Corsair fighter, the Grumman TBM
torpedo bomber, various light trainers
and the Douglas R4D (Navy and
Marine designation of the DC-3).
Courtesy photograph In the spring of 1944, the runways
U.S. Marine Corps aircraft sit on the flightline at Marine Corps Air Station were upgraded, widened from 50-feet Courtesy photograph
Mojave, Calif., during World War II. to 150-feet and the east-west runway Unlimited Air Races thrilled spectators at the Mojave Airport from the late
was extended from 5,000-feet to 1960s until the 1970s.
5,900-feet.
trains from Needles to Oakland via The 1930s was an exciting time in A total of 1,056 enlisted men and
trackage rights on the Southern Pacific aviation and the era was filled with 115 officers reported for training at Formed in 1972 international spotlight. This year, we
over Tehachapi Pass. many record breaking flights. Names MCAS Mojave in the fall of 1944. Early in 1972, Congressman Barry will celebrate the 31st anniversary of
The twenty-mule teams were like Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Women Marines operated the control Goldwater, Jr. suggested that Dan that flight at Plane Crazy Saturday on
actually teams of 18 mules and two Earhart, Wiley Post, Roscoe Turner, tower. Sabovich visit Santa Maria Airport Dec. 16 at Mojave Air and Space Port.
horses attached to huge wagons that Howard Hughes and Jimmy Doolittle On Sept. 11, 1944, the Bob Hope and learn how to form an airport Numerous test flights, plus a
were built in the town of Mojave. energized the spirit of aviation. Show came to Mojave and singer district. A campaign was started to flight to Oshkosh, Wisc., to attend
They traveled from mines across the Gen. William J. Fox (Fox Field Frances Langford entertained the create the East Kern Airport District. the annual Experimental Aircraft
Mojave Desert to the nearest railroad in Lancaster named in his honor) troops. Charles Lindbergh visited The voters approved the “airport Association’s fly-in, led Dick and
spur, 165 miles away in Mojave. chose the Mojave airstrip as one of the Marine base on April 15, district” designation by a landslide Jeana to the edge of entry into aviation
There is a historical marker in front five auxiliary air stations for the U.S. 1944. Lindbergh’s wartime journal and a five member board was elected history forever.
of the Wienerschnitzel restaurant in Marine Corps in May 1942. The site documents that he landed at 12:40 in 1972. Burt Rutan, famous aircraft
Mojave that marks the terminus of included a little over 1,546 acres and p.m., had a conference with Marine Sabovich had a vision to make designer and former CEO of Scaled
the twenty-mule team route. construction began the first day of officers regarding their Corsair Mojave Airport a ‘civilian flight test Composites, created Voyager for
It is interesting to note that the July. The five Marine Corps auxiliary operations and then took off at 16:11 center,’ much like the U.S. Air Force maximum fuel efficiency. Crew Chief
giant wooden wagons were built less air stations included: Santa Barbara, (4:11 p.m.) for MCAS Santa Barbara. had done at Edwards Air Force Base. Bruce Evans and a host of volunteers
than a mile from where Burt Rutan’s El Centro, El Toro, Miramar and On Feb. 7, 1946, the Marine Corps Sabovich served as general manager built this graceful design at Mojave
company, Scaled Composites, built Mojave. base was disestablished and in its from 1972 until his retirement in 2002, Airport in Hangar 77.
SpaceShipOne. The Marines increased the place a U.S. Naval Air Station was with an easygoing “can-do” spirit The circumnavigation flight was
number of runways, added taxiways, established on the same day. Some that allowed fledgling businesses to 26,366 statute miles, which more than
Mojave Airport Built in 1935 constructed large wooden hangars of the first pilotless aircraft, called expand. He was able to grow a former doubled the previous record set by a
Mojave Airport was built in 1935 and the tower. Two of the original UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) military installation into an airport See MOJAVE, Page 23
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