Page 4 - Aerospace Valley Heritage - Aerotech News and Review, October 15, 2021

MUSEUM, from 3
of what is known is surrounded by myth and legend because of the
secret nature of the work,” said Thompson “The new Flight Test
Museum and STEM center will make that history accessible by
literally bringing it outside the Edwards Gate.”
The inventory of the Air Force Flight Test Museum includes more
than 80 historic aircraft.
Exhibits inside the museum cover such diverse subjects as the
formation of the ancient lake beds, early homesteading in the area,
the first military use of Edwards, breaking the sound barrier, and
flight test from World War II to the present. Artifacts in the collection
include aircraft propulsion systems, missiles, hardware, life support
equipment, technical drawings, test reports, personal memorabilia,
photographs, and wind tunnel models.
With the global COVID-19 pandemic, even the on-base museum
was closed. However, the museum staff continued in its critical
mission of preservation and education.
“The museum is very much ‘alive and well’ as we’ve been non-
stop busy over the last several months,” said George Welsh, museum
director. “Where we have lost [civilian] restoration volunteers due to
COVID restrictions, active duty Air Force personnel have made up
the difference by performing general aircraft maintenance, corrosion
control, aircraft movement and helping us with various museum
projects.”
Supporting that mission is the Flight Test Museum Foundation, a
non-profit 501(c)3 organization.
The foundation funded the construction of a 12,000-square-foot
museum facility on base. However, the increased security that
followed the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks meant that access to the
facility became limited to people with base access.
As a result, the foundation is raising funds to build a new facility
outside the controlled-access area of the base, at the West Gate on
Rosamond Boulevard.
The ‘new’ museum will be co-located with Century Circle. On
March 23, 2018, ground was broken for the museum, and on June
25, 2020, concrete was poured at the site. Photograph by Evelyn Kristo
The Century Circle includes a restored 18-foot-high and 28-foot- Students in the Junior Test Pilot Summer Program sponsored by the Flight Test Museum Foundation take a tour of the Joe Davies
wide control tower, and six Century Series aircraft — the F-100, Heritage Airpark in Palmdale in 2019. The foundation is expanding its educational programs at Blackbird Airpark, an annex of the
Flight Test Museum that is adjacent to Joe Davies Airpark in Palmdale.
See MUSEUM, Page 6

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