All of my life, I've wanted to be an Engineer. Well, except for that time when I was four, and I told my Mom I wanted to be a trash truck - not the trash man, but the trash truck. But I think that I embody what my wife refers to as endless curiosity, and as she says, I never stop dreaming. Some of the things I dream about I fully well realize that I will never see them in reality. Flying through the sky in a glider that can takee off with little more than a skateboard push towed by a Killer Whale, I never fully expect to see. There are some dreams, however, that while I never expect any kind of realization of them, throw me for a loop if and when they do come true.
Friday, May 4th 2012 I got to go to the Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California - a dream come true.
Just being on base, in the same place where history took place as far as aviation is concerned was enough, but it got so much better from there, and in this series of posts, I will attempt to show you just how.
How did...
First off, you're probably wondering (either as a lay-person like me who never had a hope, or as someone who has had to jump through a lot of hoops to do so) just how it was that I was able to get on base. Well, as part of an effort to increase awareness through social media, NASA has been inviting its social media followers from Twitter, Facebook and Google+ to take part in rare and exclusive opportunities to be able to join in all of the fun and science, and see just what is going on behind the scenes to make what reaches the public stage a reality. I know, that when you think of NASA, you predominantly think of the Space Shuttle, and launching rockets, and space stations like ISS and all, but bear with me - there is a connection: NASA is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Aeronautics comes first. It had to come first to develop many of the systems that we now largely ignore as standard, and as you'll see in the next couple of installments, there is a lot of active aeronautics research that is continually going on at NASA, and most of it takes place at the Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) in California.
Announcements went out that NASA was going to be holding a #NASASocial at DFRC over Twitter, Google+ and Facebook, and on their website (for future reference, and announcements of other social media events, you can look here). As soon as I heard about it, I was foaming at the mouth, ready to submit my entry. When they made their selections, and I got an e-mail saying that I was in, I was over the moon. Immediately, my mind started racing about all of the things that I hoped to see, and what I would love to hear more about.
One of the coolest things about this event, was that from the very beginning, as people started turning up on Twitter with their exclamations over being selected, we all used the tag #DrydenSocial to be able to kind of find each other. Someone started a Facebook group, and we immediately began making travel plans, organizing carpools, and to meet up afterward for more rucus over dinner. Right away the group was sociable, and friendly, and everyone went over and above to make one feel welcome, and to get to know their fellow participants. I have to say that I was impressed, and found several people with whom I would love to stay in touch with for a long time.
The morning of the event, I got up at 0-Dark:30, and picked up my two awesome carpool buddies for the ride up there. The drive really wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I drove up once before to try to see me a Shuttle when one was in town, but with no traffic, despite a couple of construction zones, we were actually making up time all the way there. A quick stop for breakfast, and off to the front gate.
I'm one of those obcessive people that when I know that I'm going to go somewhere, or if there's a chance that I might be going somewhere, I research it like crazy. A couple of reasons: You can see 'stuff' everywhere. Some of it is meaningless. Some of it is cool to look at. But most of it has a history, and if you know that history, then you are better able to fully grasp the magnitude of its importance in history. I like to grasp the magnitude of the stuff that I'm looking at had on history. So, one of the places that I insisted we stop is Century Circle, just outside of the West gate - a collection of the "Century Series" of aircraft on display along with the control tower that served Edwards AFB until 1998. I remember very distinctly, the smell of the air as we got out of the car to look around at Century Circle - it was the smell of history.
Enjoy some photos of Century Circle while I prepare my next installment.
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| One feature that is accessible to the general public outside the gates of Edwards AFB, is Century Circle. The control tower in the middle is what served the base until 1988 until it was replaced. The aircraft featured here are part of the "century series" of aircraft. LtoR: F-102, F-100, F-101 |
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| F-102 Delta Dagger |
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| F-102 Delta Dagger |
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| Another odd shape in the wing of a TF-102 trainer. |
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| F-104 Starfighter |
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| YC-15, a STOL prototype intended to replace the C-130 first flown in 1975. The first of two airframes built. |
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| This shouldn't require explanation |
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| F-104 Starfighter |
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| TF-102 Trainer |
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| F-101 |
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| F-100 |
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| We literally got here before the sun came up. It had been ages since I had actually seen a sunrise. Usually, I'm still awake, but this time I actually beat the sun up. |
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