Page 24 - Aerospace Valley Heritage - Aerotech News and Review, October 15, 2021

MOJAVE, from 23
aircraft, before transitioning into a position The foundation hopes to build a world-class
which included aviation management. destination transportation museum on airport
The new MASP CEO has managed planning land adjacent to Highway 58.
and development, grants and environmental The proposed museum campus will include:
programs, and a wide variety of responsibilities • Wall of Donors
at the Cecil Airport, and other locations in • Gift Shop
several states, and is a commercial pilot. • Museum Theater
Lindner is a Certified Member of the American • Main Display Area that can also accommodate
Association of Airport Executives. Also, he Banquets and Special Events
is an accredited member of Airport Council • Transportation History Research Library
International – North America, American
Institute of Astronautics and Aeronautics, and • Mojave Chamber of Commerce Office
serves on the Executive Committee of the (Santa Fe caboose)
Commercial Spaceflight Federation Board of
Directors. The Mojave Transportation Museum’s
Also new to Mojave Air and Space Port’s Strategic Plan is built around five key priorities:
management team is Matthew Nelson. As a • Make Museum an intellectual destination for
retired major airline pilot, he brings a wealth of travelers and nearby community schools
experience of what is needed to his new position • Present compelling displays and seminars on
as airport operations manager. the history of the railroad, Borax 20-mule-team,
He is a former Assistant Chief Pilot, check gold mining, Mojave Airport, Edwards AFB,
airman, and training captain for a regional and NASA; and the future of our embryonic
airline, with experience as a liaison between Spaceport
management and the pilot group. He earned • Cultivate our unique resource base
a BA degree in Political Science from the • Promote external partnerships, i.e.: East
University of California at Santa Barbara and Kern Airport District, U.S. Air Force, NASA,
an Air Transport Pilot’s license. He lived in The Mojave Chamber of Commerce, L.A.
Pacific Grove in Monterey County for more than Live Steamers, and the Antelope Valley Model
24 years and is fluent in Spanish. Railroad Club.
Previously, Nelson worked as a senior
project manager for ADK Executive Search, • The Plan also seeks to foster the development
a firm specializing in searches for the airport of new audiences in Mojave and beyond. It
and aerospace management community. ADK encourages the pursuit of a historical research
Executive Search is the firm that helped the library, Multimedia Theater and creative
Mojave Air and Space Port board of directors intellectual collaborations.
in their search for a new CEO.
He served as a publicly elected board member In the meantime, there are static displays
to the Monterey Regional Airport District, around the Air and Space Port, as well as a
having served twice as Chairman. Additional virtual tour via the museum’s website: http://
work history includes flying as a captain mojavemuseum.org/.
qualified pilot on the Boeing 737 for Southwest Additionally, the museum hosts a monthly
Airlines and previously as a regional chief pilot gathering at the Air and Space Port — Plane
with Mesa Air Group. Crazy Saturday.
On the third Saturday of each month, aviation
Mojave Transportation Museum enthusiasts gather for a day of family fun,
The goal of preserving this history, from historic aircraft, an aircraft fly-in, and guest
mule teams to space flight, falls to the Mojave speakers from the world of aviation. The event Courtesy photograph
Transportation Museum Foundation. is free, but reservations are encouraged for the The Rotary Rocket Roton is on display at Legacy Park along with the SpaceShipOne and Voyager
The goal of the foundation is to establish replicas. Roton was an uncompleted project by a company that ultimately went bankrupt. It is on
a museum to preserve Southern California presentation part of the program. For more display as a daily reminder to pursue your dreams without fear of failure.
aviation, railroad, automobile and animal information, visit http://mojavemuseum.org/
transportation history and culture. This will be plane-crazy-saturday/.
accomplished through a variety of one-of-a- Visitors to the Air and Space Port can also
kind and hands-on, indoor and outdoor exhibits. visit the Legacy Park, located at 16999 Airport
The museum will be home to a large number Boulevard. The park includes a Convair
of completely unique aircraft and ground Coronado 90, a McDonnell F-4C Phantom II,
transportation that showcase the history of a Rotary Rocket Company Roton ATV, and a
Mojave and the surrounding area. replica of Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne.

Courtesy photographs
Left: The Draken can be found at the airport entrance. It is on loan for display by the National Test
Pilot School, one of Mojave Air & Space Port’s tenants. Above: At the airport entrance is one of
only a handful of surviving Convair 990 Coronados. This aircraft last flew with a NASA program
that tested the Space Shuttle’s wheel and brake system. F-4D: Also at the airport entrance is a
McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom. This aircraft, serial 64-0741 (N403FS), was formerly used as
a flight test aircraft in the early stages of BAE/Flight Systems’ QF-4 modification program.

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