Free Republic

LANCASTER [California] - The sharp scent of gunpowder hung in the air with the smoke from a booming cannon shot as a lone trumpeter played the solemn notes of "Taps." This ceremony of remembrance played out twice Saturday afternoon at Lancaster Cemetery... The Civil War mourning ceremony, organized by Friends of the Lancaster Cemetery, honored all five veterans of that war - four Union soldiers and one Confederate - who are buried in the cemetery, but specifically two for whom new grave markers were dedicated. James Madison West was born in Ohio in 1843, and died in Lancaster on Oct....

Mention troops in a combat zone and the first image that generally comes to mind is that of a "GI Joe," a burly man decked out in camouflage and battle gear, the stereotypical warrior. But on today's battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, that warrior decked out in battle gear may just as well be a GI Jane, a wife, mother, daughter serving alongside men. Five such women warriors stationed at Edwards Air Force Base have experienced life in the combat zone in the past year, some making the trip more than once. Tech. Sgt. Shannon Fisk has been in the...

MOJAVE - Businesses at the Mojave Air and Space Port are receiving notices for a tax on their facilities for which they previously had not been billed. Kern County is stepping up its collection of possessory interest taxes, evaluating which businesses at the airport qualify and calculating the value of those businesses. The possessory interest tax applies when a private party is given exclusive use of a publicly owned property for private benefit. Because the Mojave Air and Space Port is government-owned - by the East Kern Airport District - and the hangars and other facilities are leased for the...

When XCOR Aerospace last week unveiled the design of its suborbital spacecraft, intended to offer a glimpse of black sky and the Earth below to space tourists, one of those excited about the opportunity to experience what few have before was Esther Dyson. Dyson, of EDventure Holdings, ... is one of the investors who will help make it possible. Dyson is an angel investor, an individual who provides seed money for a young company, typically bridging the gap between self-funding and the later, larger investment by venture capitalists. "She has a knack for finding what's new and different in technology,"...

PALMDALE - Its exterior bristling with sensors and collection equipment, its interior packed with scientific instruments, NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory is prepared to take off this morning to study the air over the Arctic Circle. The aircraft will participate in the Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites - or ARCTAS - mission, a study of the makeup of the Arctic atmosphere and how it is affected by pollutants. "As of today, we're ready to go. We're really excited," Frank Cutler, Dryden DC-8 project manager, said Monday as researchers completed the final checks on their...

Mojave-based XCOR Aerospace officially joined the quest for space tourists Wednesday when the company unveiled its suborbital spacecraft, the Lynx. The rocketplane, dubbed the Lynx Mark 1, will carry the pilot and a single passenger to the edge of space, high enough to provide passengers a brief period of weightlessness, "a view of stars and black sky above, letting them look back down on Earth and the thin envelope of atmosphere below," XCOR CEO Jeff Greason said. The Lynx will take off horizontally from a standard airport runway under rocket power and quickly climb to 138,000 feet at speeds reaching...

Preparations are on track to demonstrate in flight a high-energy laser, mounted in a modified 747 aircraft, capable of shooting down a ballistic missile shortly after launch. This final test demonstration of the Missile Defense Agency's airborne laser, a program housed at Edwards Air Force Base, is scheduled for 2009. "It's been a tremendous year in directed energy, especially in the airborne laser program," said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems, the prime contractor for the program. "Airborne laser has now demonstrated all the functions necessary to destroy ballistic missiles." The final flight test...

EDWARDS AFB - When the first C-17 aircraft took to the air in September 1991, the airplane was expected to have the typically short life of a developmental vehicle, then retire to a museum or some similar fate. However, some 16 years and 1,000 flights later, the airplane known as T-1 continues to contribute to the success of the cargo aircraft program. "T-1 has really been an amazing test vehicle," said Lt. Col. Robert Poremski, director of the C-17 Integrated Test Team at Edwards Air Force Base, T-1's home since it first flew from The Boeing Co.'s manufacturing plant in...

MOJAVE - The East Kern Airport District on Tuesday agreed to apply for Federal Aviation Administration grant funds to conduct an environmental impact study for a future runway widening and extension project at the Mojave Air and Space Port, as well as funds to design and construct a new compass calibration pad. The runway project would address Runway 8-26, the shorter of the airport's two main runways, and the adjoining Taxiway C. The project would widen the runway to 150 feet, as well as move the centerline 25 feet to the north. The changes will allow the runway to handle...

The future of the aerospace industry in the Antelope Valley was on display Friday at the Antelope Valley Board of Trade Business Outlook Conference. It wasn't the latest high-tech aircraft, however, that held the audience's attention. It was the intelligence, insight and passion shown by the new generation of aerospace workers, three representatives of the area's aerospace industry giants who gave their take on the industry and working and living in the Antelope Valley. "I feel like I'm here today to tell you how lucky I am to work and live here in the Antelope Valley," said Christy Paino ,...

EDWARDS AFB - It sounds like something out of science-fiction movies - electronic warfare. The name conjures visions of laser beams and killer computers. But the field is very real and very much a part of the high-tech testing that goes on every day at the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base. The 412th Test Wing, of which the Electronic Warfare Group is one subsection, has four main specialties when it comes to flight testing. These include the airframe itself, testing handling qualities and such factors; propulsion systems; avionics, which includes all the electrical systems such...

MOJAVE - The wind farms that dot the hillsides west of Mojave are about to expand, with Thursday's announced start of an 8,000-acre project to provide power to the city of Los Angeles. When completed next year, the Pine Tree Wind Project will be the largest city-owned wind farm in the country, expected to provide enough energy to power 56,000 homes. "Today Los Angeles not only turns a new page in its energy history, we write an entirely new book for a livable, breathable L.A.," said Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa. Villaraigosa joined city and Department of Water and Power officials...

PALMDALE - The tragedy was felt nationwide when the space shuttle Columbia and its seven-astronaut crew were lost five years ago today when the orbiter broke apart during re-entry. The loss was especially acute for the hundreds of people at The Boeing Co.'s site in Palmdale, birthplace of the shuttles and home to their various modifications. From the earliest years of the space shuttle program, the employees of Rockwell International, which later became part of Boeing, have felt a personal connection to the space program and to the astronauts. "I've never seen anything like it. There's just something special about...

EDWARDS AFB - A once-empty school campus at Edwards Air Force Base is home again to the sounds of students and learning, thanks to an all-volunteer effort. In brightly painted classrooms "adopted" and renovated by base organizations, students from nearby Desert High School and Edwards Middle School receive educational enrichment programs provided by volunteer tutors and others, helping to make up for programs and services no longer available after years of school district budget cuts. The Center of Excellence offers tutoring, before-school programs and other educational activities for students and adults, as well. "We have big goals. We've got a...

The Mojave Air and Space Port is bringing in a Washington lobbyist to consult on its efforts to resolve issues regarding its spaceport license with the Federal Aviation Administration. The board of directors of the East Kern Airport District, which governs the spaceport, approved a six-month agreement with James Muncy of Polispace at $1,000 per month. The agreement may be extended if needed. The facility, the first inland spaceport to be licensed by the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation, recently received an amended launch site operator's license after months of discussions regarding the facility's plans for safely storing and...

Pilot Mark Pestana not only sails through the wild blue yonder, but he uses his artistic talents to convey the images to others. Pestana, a research pilot at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center and a retired Air Force colonel, recently won accolades for his work - acrylic on canvas and photography - in Aviation Week and Space Technology's photo and art contests. The contest winners were published in the magazine's Dec. 24-Dec. 31 issue. "It is very exciting to reach that level," Pestana said. His painting, "The Quest for Mach 10," won first place in the space category for aerospace...

Fred Johnsen's new job is really a homecoming, a return to his roots and an interest that began in childhood. Johnsen was named curator of the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum at Edwards Air Force Base last month, taking over the position from the museum's only other curator, Doug Nelson. Nelson retired earlier this year after more than 20 years establishing and growing the museum that chronicles the history of the base and the Flight Test Center, and thus the history of test flight in the jet and space age. "It's very much a feeling of coming home," Johnsen...

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center has added two high-flying birds to its flock. The pair of unmanned Global Hawk aircraft, of the type used by the Air Force for reconnaissance missions, will be used to support the space agency's earth science missions. The aircraft will provide high-altitude, long-duration platforms for varied scientific experiments. "We will essentially provide a truck for scientists to put their experiments on," said Chris Naftel, Global Hawk project manager. The aircraft is designed to fly at more than 60,000 feet altitude with a flight endurance of more than 30 hours. "The beauty of the Global Hawk...

PALMDALE - The latest, and largest, addition to the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark at Air Force Plant 42 is readying for its debut. The massive B-52 Stratofortress bomber is undergoing restoration and reassembly at the airpark at Avenue P and 25th Street East. Thanks to mostly favorable weather conditions and speedy work, the project is expected to be completed by next week, about half the originally estimated time, said Tim Hughes, deputy Public Works director. The city hired Oklahoma-based Turnlow Company to complete the project. "They were highly recommended," Hughes said. The company, one of three which submitted bids to...

The Mojave Air and Space Port received an amendment to its spaceport license from the Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday, averting a possible loss of the license. "This came as a pleasant surprise," General Manager Stu Witt told the East Kern Airport District directors during a special meeting Thursday. The district governs the Mojave Air and Space Port. Airport officials still need to analyze the document to determine the full effect on operations at the nation's first inland spaceport. "Some of the terms and conditions have far-reaching operational implications and require mathematical analysis," Witt said in an e-mail to reporters....

MOJAVE - Progress on rocket engine technology continues at XCOR Aerospace, as the company this week announced the successful completion of the first round of testing of its new 56-pound thrust rocket engine, the XR-3E17. The new engine is a direct descendant of the company's first "Tea Cart" engine, which debuted in 2000 and has been used as a demonstration model of the company's capabilities. "We needed a more updated engine," said Aleta Jackson, co-founder of the company, which is based at the Mojave Air and Space Port. The new engine provides nearly four times the thrust of the original...

One of the enduring mysteries of aviation lore is the disappearance of famed aviator Amelia Earhart. Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared with their aircraft somewhere in the Pacific Ocean during their attempted around-the-world flight in July 1937. Earhart's ill-fated journey began in Southern California, where her specially modified Lockheed Model 10 Electra was built. Among those who helped create that aircraft was Don Fowble, a young engineer and mechanic on the Lockheed assembly line. Now 93 and a resident of Arcadia, Fowble's story is one of the first-person accounts of Earhart's attempt and the massive search effort featured...

MOJAVE - The nation's first inland spaceport could lose that designation by the end of the year. The Federal Aviation Administration informed officials at the Mojave Air and Space Port of its intention to suspend or revoke the space launch site operator's license Dec. 31. "I have no reason to be optimistic we're going to keep our spaceport license," said General Manager Stu Witt, reporting on the issue to the East Kern Airport District board of directors Tuesday. The district governs the Mojave Air and Space Port. At issue are questions by the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation regarding...

Flight testing is expected to resume as soon as next week at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center on an unusual aircraft shape intended to provide a more efficient means of cargo transport. The X-48B is a prototype scale model of a blended wing body aircraft - described as a cross between a conventional aircraft and a flying wing - believed to offer greater fuel efficiency by providing more lift and better aerodynamics. The aircraft is shaped as an elongated triangle, with a smooth line from the fuselage extending out into the wings. The shape is "a very efficient way of...

NASA is testing a new synthetic aperture radar that may help unravel the mysteries beneath the Earth's surface, such as earthquakes and volcanoes. "What we're trying to do with this sensor is detect the motion of the Earth at the millimeter level," said Scott Hensley, chief scientist on the project at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The radar is able to detect minute changes in the Earth's surface, used to measure pressure beneath the surface. For example, pressure along a fault line prior to an earthquake may cause a bulge, as would magma buildup before a volcanic eruption, Hensley said. In...

Mojave-based rocket developer Interorbital Systems has teamed with a European philanthropic organization to launch a satellite-based camera into space. The joint venture with Vision One is intended to launch "Eyes in Space," a $1.2 million satellite mission which will beam back images of Earth available on the Internet. "We at Vision One feel that this type of project and technology developed by (Interorbital Systems) is a 'must support.' It's an international, independent effort by individuals promoting human ingenuity and creativity, and working outside the usual government/military space agencies," Vision One co-founder Bruce Jessop said in a statement announcing the formation...

PALMDALE - The busy Thanksgiving holiday travel period will be a milestone for L.A./Palmdale Regional Airport, as airport officials expect to hit the 10,000-passenger mark this weekend. The airport renewed commercial passenger service in June with the start of twice-daily service to San Francisco by United Airlines. From there, travelers may connect to other United Airlines domestic and international flights. From the first flight on June 7 through Oct. 31, the terminal adjacent Air Force Plant 42 served 8,479 passengers, according to Los Angeles World Airport officials. The city agency operates L.A./Palmdale Regional Airport, as well as L.A./Ontario, Los Angeles...

A growing lack of highly skilled workers is threatening the health of such high-tech industries as aerospace, a problem that is expected to grow as a large portion of existing workers reach retirement age. The means of addressing the looming shortage is through improved science, technology, engineering and math education, industry officials believe. The trick is gaining and retaining students' interest in these fields, and providing them with the educational opportunities to fulfill their interest. The topic - and those programs that are in place to help address the problem - was highlighted Thursday during the California Space Authority's Transforming...

EDWARDS AFB - A modified U.S. 747 airliner circles near threatening territory, searching for signs of a ballistic missile launch. When a missile is detected, shortly after it leaves the ground, the aircraft's high-tech systems go to work, shooting a high-energy laser from a turret in the aircraft's nose. The laser burns a hole in the ballistic missile, destroying it and raining debris on the territory which launched it. That scenario may sound like a scene from "Star Wars," but officials with the Missile Defense Agency say it is quite close to reality with the airborne laser ballistic missile defense...

PALMDALE - Six years after the contract was first awarded, Northrop Grumman Corp. employees Friday marked another milestone along the path to fielding the nation's next fighter, the F-35 Lightning II. The center fuselage for the first Air Force near-production version of the fighter was unveiled Friday at the company's Palmdale Manufacturing Center. The fuselage incorporates design changes made during development to decrease weight in the final fighter. "This is starting a new phase for what will be a very unique fighter capability," said Air Force Maj. Gen. C.R. Davis, program executive officer for the F-35. The latest - and...

MOJAVE - The seemingly ever-present winds that course down the Tehachapi Mountains and into Mojave have long been known for their air-clearing abilities. Now, however, they are increasingly prized for their electricity-generating abilities. The small army of wind turbines marching down the hillsides just outside of town harnessing that wind power is about to grow larger as alternatives to fossil fuels become more popular for generating electricity. As the operator of a number of those turbines, Oak Creek Energy Systems is "a small company on the verge of making it big in the wind energy business," Executive Vice-President Ed Duggan...

Aside from a few antennas and a small, spinning cylinder on the roof, the black Chevy Tahoe looks about like any other you might find on the road. A peek inside, however, shows this is something completely different. This Chevy is filled with computers, sensors, motors and other electronic equipment to make it a completely autonomous vehicle, capable of safely navigating city streets on its own - braking at stop signs, navigating lane changes and avoiding other cars and objects. The vehicle, the creation of a team of Cornell University students and recent graduates, is one entry in the DARPA...

People driving into Edwards Air Force Base from the North Gate off Highway 58 have a new sentinel to greet them: the historic B-52 bomber that enjoyed a long career as the mother ship for the famous X-15 rocket planes and other flight test programs. Retired in December 2004, the bomber was moved to its new home outside the North Gate early this month after years of storage in various spots along the Edwards flightline. The move is part of an effort to make Edwards' notable history more accessible to the general public, after security concerns following the Sept. 11,...

Pilot Tony Ginn enjoys sharing his love of flying with others, especially the youngsters he takes aloft as part of the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles program. Volunteer pilots in the worldwide program offer free flights to young people, primarily ages 8 to 17, in rallies staged at area airports. Ginn joined the program when it began in 1992 with the goal of flying 1 million youths by the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' historic first flight in 2003. In the years since, he has introduced more than 100 area youths to flying. "I get to see the excitement...

Crowds will have to wait at least two years before their next opportunity to see the latest in Air Force technology at Edwards Air Force Base's open house and air show. Base officials decided not to have the popular event this year or in 2008 due to construction of a new runway for the base. The base had previously decided to forgo the semi-annual event for this fall, due to construction and other mission concerns. "With all the construction going on, they wanted to postpone the air show another year," said Edwards spokesman Lt. Brad Kimberly. The base this summer...

MOJAVE - Nearly three months after the fatal explosion at a rocket test site at the Mojave Air and Space Port, the investigation into its cause continues while the facility and its tenants have instituted new safety procedures in hopes of preventing such an accident - or at least lessening its impact - in the future. The July 26 explosion occurred during what was described as routine cold-testing of a nitrous oxide propellent system for Scaled Composites' SpaceShipTwo, a suborbital spacecraft under development for space tourism company Virgin Galactic. Scaled employees Eric Blackwell, 38, of Randsburg; Charles "Glen" May, 45,...

Sixty years ago today, the first sharp crack of a sonic boom echoed over the Mojave Desert, signaling man's successful assault on the sound barrier. At the controls of the pumpkin-orange Bell X-1 aircraft, dubbed "Glamourous Glennis" after his wife, sat Capt. Charles E. Yeager, a West Virginian with a high school education, a dozen enemy kills in World War II and a growing reputation as a top-notch test pilot. The flight marked a milestone in aviation history, ushering in a new era of supersonic flight and putting the remote flight test facility at what is now known as Edwards...

The oddest-looking member of the Edwards Air Force Base test fleet is about to leave after successfully completing its test and evaluation program. The CV-22 Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft, a cross between a helicopter and a fixed-wing airplane. The hybrid aircraft is in a class by itself, combining the small-field landing and hovering capabilities of a helicopter with the speed and distance of an airplane. "At this point the CV-22 program is graduating from the test and evaluation phase to the operational test phase," Steve Sisterman, director of the integrated test team, said Wednesday, as the CV-22 made one...

MOJAVE - One of the best parts of being an astronaut- aside from flying in space - is traveling the country to meet the thousands of people who make that spaceflight possible through their contributions to NASA's space program, astronaut Jim Dutton said... to some of those contributors at PPG Aerospace. The facility produces the epoxy primer used on the space shuttles' external fuel tanks. The primer is applied before the foam insulation and ensures the foam adheres to each tank. ... The foam insulation has been the subject of much scrutiny ever since a suitcase-sized piece broke off during...

Record-setting aviators Dick Rutan and Steve Fossett are forever linked in the record books as holders of historic nonstop around-the-world flights. Last week, Rutan joined in the exhaustive - but so far unsuccessful - search for his one-time competitor. Fossett went missing Sept. 3, when he took off in a single-engine airplane from a private airstrip at the Flying M Ranch, about 80 miles southeast of Reno. The massive search effort ... entered a second week Monday without finding any sign of the experienced pilot and survivalist. Rutan spent 3½ days flying search missions over the rugged Nevada terrain, returning...

EDWARDS AFB - The airborne laser ballistic missile defense system has successfully completed flight testing of its beam control and fire control systems and now moves on to installation of the destructive high-energy laser in preparation for airborne test firings in 2009. A Missile Defense Agency program testing for the airborne laser - in flight and on the ground - is housed at Edwards Air Force Base in the former B-2 stealth bomber facility. Flight tests are conducted over the Pacific Ocean off the California coast. A high-energy chemical laser, fired through a rotating turret on the airplane's nose, is...

The latest display chronicling the rich aviation history of Edwards Air Force Base opened to visitors Monday. The display will make the base's history more easily accessible to the general public. Dignitaries welcomed the completion of the Century Circle, just outside the base's West Gate on Rosamond Boulevard. The exhibit features six "Century Series" fighters: F-100, F-101, F-102, F-104, F-105 and F-106. These aircraft, some which have not been on display before, are arrayed around the top portion of the base's old control tower, first used in the testing heyday of the 1950s and continuing until 1988. "Welcome to our...

Rocket builder XCOR Aerospace has made Inc. magazine's list of the top 500 fastest-growing private businesses. The Mojave-based company came in at No. 446 on the list, which ranks companies based on the percentage increase of revenue over a three-year period. XCOR, founded in 1999, has seen its revenue grow 646% from 2003 to 2006. "The men and women of XCOR Aerospace are proud that their efforts have earned the company a spot on the prestigious Inc. 500 list," said Jeff Greason, founder and company president. "It shows we are moving in the direction we have been aiming for all...

PALMDALE - Sen. Dianne Feinstein toured Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Palmdale Manufacturing Center on Thursday, learning of projects from upgrades for the proven B-2 stealth bomber to the company's latest endeavor, a demonstration version of an unmanned aircraft capable of operating from an aircraft carrier. snip Feinstein visited the site during production of the B-2s in the early 1990s, and praised the bomber for its successful operations since that time. snip Among the programs Feinstein learned about Thursday is the company's newest, the X-47B. Earlier this month, Northrop Grumman was awarded a $635.8 million contract from the Navy to demonstrate an...

Mojave Air and Space Port officials are seeking a means of properly balancing the civilian flight test facility's traditional freedom for a variety of test activities with its responsibility to be prepared to respond should something go wrong during that testing. The issue has come to the forefront following two accidental explosions in the past few months. The most recent explosion resulted in three deaths. The first accident, in early June, was in an explosives storage area and did not directly involve any test activities. No one was injured in that blast. The second occurred in late July, when three...

EDWARDS AFB - NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, the space agency's primary flight test facility, historically has been a key component of the first "A" in National Aeronautical and Space Administration. But as NASA priorities shifted over the last three years to focus more on spaceflight, and aeronautical research declined, Dryden was seen as in danger of losing its mission. Now, however, Dryden's outlook is greatly improved: The center has broadened its reach, added to its stable of research aircraft and is trying to hire engineers to handle the increased workload. After offering buyouts and early-retirement incentives to workers just...

More than 50 years ago, Robert G. "Bob" Hoey embarked on a career that would eventually include many of aerospace's most historic flight test programs: The X-15, space shuttle and SpaceShipOne, to name a few. This month, Hoey's half-century of engineering experience earned him the Society of Flight Test Engineers' Kelly Johnson Award, given "for recognition of excellence in flight test engineering and significant contributions to the society." Previous award recipients include its namesake, Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, known for development of such high tech marvels as the SR-71. "Bob has continuously provided outstanding leadership in the development, test and evaluation...

As an already active fire season in the West heats up, a new aircraft at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center is preparing to test a new tool for the firefighters' arsenal. Ikhana, a civilian version of the unmanned Predator-B aircraft, will be used to test an infrared sensor to map hot spots within a fire. That information will be overlaid on a map of the area to aid firefighters in determining where and how to use their resources. The sensor, developed at NASA Ames Research Center in Northern California, detects heat from the fire and maps the hot spots. These...

EDWARDS AFB - While many of their classmates are spending their summer swimming and playing video games, 26 middle school students are spending this week planning trips to the moon and Mars. The students are part of the first Expedition-1 BaseCamp, a weeklong, hands-on science camp in which participants learn about NASA's aeronautical and space activities. During the daily workshops at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, they learn about space flight - past, present and future, aeronautical flight research, rocketry, the moon and Mars. "Most kids don't get to do this. I thought it would...

Day-to-day operations resumed at Mojave Air and Space Port on Friday as state officials arrived to begin their investigation of the explosion that killed three Scaled Composites employees and seriously injured three others. Eric Blackwell, 38, of Randsburg; Charles May, 45, of Mojave; and Todd Ivens, 33, of Tehachapi were killed Thursday during what was described as routine cold-testing of a nitrous oxide propellent system for the company's latest spacecraft, SpaceShipTwo. The names of those hospitalized were not released. "We are doing our best to take care of the families of the deceased as well as the injured and their...