Edwards AFB

Visited Edwards AFB today. Wow what a difference 10 years makes. I was stationed here for 3 years. At first the desert, the antelope valley, the desert, the desolation really made me wonder if my sanity would be intact. But after spending time here, the area kind of grows on you. The base itself is a living museum. Being a airplane (and space) buff almost every astronaut at one time or another flew something over the lake beds. Really amazing to think how many aircraft first flew (see picture above, taken at the museum, shows every plane that had its first flight here) over the skies at Edwards. Looking at the list, it is pretty amazing. Did you realize the T-38 and X-15 both had their first flights in 1959 about 2 months apart? The XB-70 first flight was in Sept 1964? The F-15 in July 1972 (threw up in one of these bad boys!) B-1 in December 1974 (was't it finally deployed in the 80s after Carter canceled it?) The Enterprise in August 1977. Pretty neat place