I had the opportunity a couple of weeks ago to visit Edwards AFB in California. Edwards is the home of the Air Force Test Center and USAF test pilot school. NASA's Dryden Research Center is located at the north end of the facility.
Over the years, Edwards AFB has played a role in testing and development of nearly every aircraft in the USAF, as well as many experimental projects. Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier in the Bell X-1 took place there as did many other X plane flights. The space shuttle also landed many times on the dry lake bed there. Needless to say you can practically feel the history as you walk the ramp.
I wanted to share some of the shots I took there.
Walking the ramp
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Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II - lots of activity
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T-38 from Beale AFB
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Local T-38
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Local Vipers
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NASA F/A-18 Hornet
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Edwards based F-22 Raptor
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B-52 Recovering
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FAA Convair
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The Lockheed Martin CATB aircraft used for flight testing the avionics suite for the Lockheed Martin F-35
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B2- launched and recovered multiple times
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KC-10 arrival
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This is the pit where they placed the Bell X-1 with Chuck Yeager in it. They would then taxi the B-29 over it and attach the X-1.
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NF-104 outside the USAF Test Pilot School
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Statue of Chuck Yeager
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Thanks for looking
Isaac
