Page 5 - Aerotech News and Review, April 16, 2021

On this date ...

April 20, 1962: During re-entry from 207,000 April 20, 1987: The new Edwards AFB control April 22, 1962: Jackie Cochran set
feet in X-15-3 (56-6672), Neil Armstrong tower was officially opened with the takeoff in an 18 Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
inadvertently established a positive angle of F-15. The new facility, stressed to withstand an records in one day flying a Lockheed
attack during pull-out, and overshot Edwards 8.0 earthquake as well as 120-plus mph winds, L-1329 JetStar, construction number 5003,
AFB, heading south at Mach 3 and 100,000 feet replaced the 10-story red and white structure FAA registration N172L, and named The
altitude. In this photograph, Armstrong poses that had been a landmark since 1956. Today, Scarlett O’Hara. The route of her flight was
with the X-15A, number 56-6670, on Rogers Dry the cab of the old tower is at the Century Circle New Orleans–Boston–Gander–Shannon–
Lake after a 1960 flight. His right hand is resting exhibit outside the West Gate entry point. London–Paris–Bonn, with refueling stops at
on the rocket plane’s ball nose sensor. Gander and Shannon. The Lockheed L-1329
JetStar was the first in a category of small-
to-medium-sized jet transports that would
become known as the “business jet.” Like
many Lockheed airplanes, it was designed
by a team led by Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson,
April 17, 1970: Apollo 13 splashed down and he retained the first prototype as his
in the Pacific Ocean southwest of American personal transport.
Samoa. The landing was just 4 miles from
the recovery ship, USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2).
With their spacecraft crippled by an internal
explosion on 13 April, the planned lunar landing
mission had to be aborted. Astronauts James
A. Lovell, Jr., John L. Swigert, Fred W. Haise, April 20, 1964: The longest ever first flight
Jr., worked continuously with engineers at was made by the Lockheed Model 3e82, serial April 22, 1960: Capt. James A. McDivitt
Mission Control, Houston, Texas, to overcome number 2946, the commercial version of the became the first graduate in the history of the
a series of crises that threatened their lives. military C-130E. The aircraft took off from Experimental Test Pilot School at Edwards Air April 23, 1956: The first flight of the Douglas
Marietta, Ga., and flew for 25 hours and one Force Base, Calif., to win all three of the school’s C-133A Cargomaster took place. It was flown
minute. The flight crew, led by Chief Production outstanding performance awards. He went on to from Long Beach to Edwards Air Force Base,
Pilot Joe Garrett, flew the Hercules in a racetrack become a NASA astronaut in the Gemini and Calif., by Douglas test pilot J.C. Armstrong.
pattern over Georgia and Alabama. Apollo programs.

The Birth Place – Coming soon!

Discover

Where Love Is Born

The Birth Place at Palmdale Regional will arrive soon! This brand-new,
33,000-square-foot OB and maternity unit will feature:

• A highly skilled staff • Two surgical suites
• All private labor, • Easy drop-off and parking …
delivery and recovery suites and more.

Learn More at palmdaleregional.com/ob

38600 Medical Center Drive | Palmdale, CA 93551

Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Palmdale Regional Medical Center. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or
treatments provided by physicians. For language assistance, disability accommodations and the non-discrimination notice, visit our website. 210010-0499 4/21

Aerotech News and Review
April 16, 2021 www.aerotechnews.com ........ facebook.com/aerotechnewsandreview 5