Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
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In 2006, I photographed this odd looking helicopter sitting on the ramp at Tehachapi Airport. It was a Kaman K-Max. This odd looking "heavy-lift" helicopter in the photograph was developed by Charles Kaman. The Kaman K-MAX is the first helicopter designed specifically for the external load/lifting market. Look closely at the picture and you will see there is no tail rotor. The K-MAX "aerial truck," a light-weight craft designed to carry heavy cargo rather than persons was originally designed...
This specialized Kaman K-MAX helicopter operated by Rainier Heli-Lift of Kirkland, Washington was based at Tehachapi Airport ten years ago in 2006. The K-MAX is powered with a Lycoming T-53-17A gas turbine engine and develops 1800 shaft horsepower. The rotor system consists of two intermeshing all composite blades; 48-feet, 4-inches total span. The empty weight is 5,100 pounds and its gross weight is 12,000 pounds. Everyone knows that I am a spirit loving person and Charles H. Kaman is a...
As the Erskine fire rages on near Lake Isabella, we are all so thankful for the Kern County Firefighters, Cal Fire and all of the aerial tankers working on this horrible fire. One large aerial tanker in particular does the job of many smaller aircraft. 10 Tanker Air Carrier is a fantastic weapon used in the war of wildfires. The maneuverability of this large former commercial air carrier is impressive. They look for pilots who are comfortable flying low over terrain. The whole area that used to...
I must confess that although I was born in Dayton, Ohio, and I certainly respect the Wright Brothers accomplishments, my true admiration and devotion goes to the aviation genius of Glenn Hammond Curtiss, the Father of U.S. Naval Aviation. http://glennhcurtissmuseum.org/ Both the Wright Brothers and Glenn H. Curtiss had bicycle shops before entering into the designing and building of flying machines. Curtiss was known as the 'Fastest man on Earth,' when he installed his own air-cooled,...
My husband, Al, and I always enjoy learning something new about little known aircraft from the past. Recently I came across a photo that I took at the September 2012 Plane Crazy Saturday Two at California City Municipal Airport of a 1946 Commonwealth Skyranger 185. Originally, this aircraft was built by Rearwin Airplanes and the company manufactured 80 airplanes before World War II stopped production of civilian airplanes. (In all, only 275 Skyranger 185s were built.) Rearwin was reorganized in...
This restored Mosquito DH.98 was essentially built around the data plate by Glyn Powell and Mike Tunnicliff who run Mosquito Aircraft Restoration in Drury, Auckland. The first flight was Sept. 28, 2012 My dear Mother had a saying that has been with me for years – "Where there's a will – there's a way!" Glyn Powell must have lived by this saying. The plane came to New Zealand seven years earlier, after being pulled from a Russian swamp. The Canadian-built Mosquito KA114 was owned by American war...
Thirty years ago, before computers, iPhones and Google, I was a stay at home Mom who enjoyed helping my two sons and their friends with school homework and special projects. Graduation time was approaching and some extra credit was needed for English for a couple of the kids and an essay on a historical person was needed by the next day! I loved research and history, so I assured them that this would be fun and easy! We all piled into the car and headed for the library. On the way, we were...
I wrote this article back in August 2001 about the X-47A Pegasus and the story continues today with the X-47B UCAS. One Saturday afternoon Al and I walked out of a movie theater before the movie ended – we couldn’t stand the images and language. We didn’t feel it necessary to be bludgeoned with Hollywood’s idea of entertainment! We returned to Mojave and headed straight for the airport. It’s a place for us to recharge, to soothe our spirits and focus on what is essential in our lives. Just for...
I support keeping Santa Monica Airport open, as a matter of fact, I support keeping all airports open that are being threatened by encroachment. Santa Monica and other airports have received grant money from the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) for upgrades for runways, taxiways and other infrastructure, which is our tax dollars at work. The growth of the surrounding towns and cities should not have the option of closing the airports that were first attractive, but later fell into disfavor....
In 2012, Mojave Desert Bank, now Mission Bank, commissioned artist Art Siordia to paint a mural that depicted the history of Mojave from the early days of steam trains and the Twenty-Mule-Teams to the present day space programs. This mural was donated to the Mojave Transportation Museum Foundation on December 13, 2012, and it has been copyrighted. A picture truly is worth a thousand words! This mural tells the transportation history of Mojave and so much more. Mojave began in 1876 as a...
The month of May has some significant anniversaries for our World War II Veterans, The Greatest Generation. The 70th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe), was on the 8th of May. The unconditional surrender of Germany took effect ending that portion of World War II on May 7 and was celebrated on May 8. World War II aircraft flew above the National Mall on Friday as part of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the end to World War II. The day started with a ceremony at the WWII Memorial,...
Flora Belle Reece, passed away at UCLA Medical Center on Dec. 1, 2014 after complications from a brain aneurysm. She was a wonderful role model, with a high spirit of adventure, love of aviation and outstanding resolve to accomplish her goals. She was always up and willing to participate in any activities that promoted flying or women in aviation. She was often at Plane Crazy Saturday at Mojave Air and Spaceport and was the featured speaker at Plane Crazy Saturday Two at California City Airport...
Orbital Sciences 'Stargazer' L-1011 launch aircraft was the star of the show at the Aerospace in California Plane Crazy Saturday event held by the Mojave Transportation Museum Foundation on August 16, 2014. This is the last flying L-1011 TriStar in the world and according to officials at Orbital, the plan is to keep her flying until 2020. Special thanks to Ed Dunlap and the Orbital crew for positioning the TriStar on the ramp and setting up informative displays complete with videos of rocket...
After decades of sitting on Reno's Restaurant parking lot, with permission from Reno Riccomini, the classic 1950 Southern Pacific caboose owned by the Mojave Chamber of Commerce has been temporarily moved into storage. Last month the former office of the Mojave Chamber of Commerce was given thirty days to move their caboose off of the property by the present day owner. Mojave Chamber of Commerce hired local general contractor, Al Hansen, to move the caboose to storage until a new location could...
I have met so many people through the years who talk about the history of Mojave – the L.A. Aqueduct, Southern Pacific Railroad, the gold and silver mines and of course, Mojave Airport. It is always fun to share the rich history of Mojave! I have heard comments and questions like: "I didn't know that Mojave Airport had been a Marine Corps Air Station" or "Why don't we hold the air races at Mojave Airport anymore?" Mojave Airport was constructed by Kern County in 1935 and the dirt strip was used...
