Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 183
On Oct. 31, 86-year-old Harry Davies moved to Tehachapi from Garden Grove, a community in Orange County where he had lived for over 30 years following his retirement from NASA. He purchased a home here to be close to his son, Tehachapi City Councilman and Mayor Michael Davies and his family. Raised in Los Angeles, Harry said he worked at a stable during his school years. Following high school, he joined the Air Force and spent four years active duty and four years in the reserves. As part of...
A total of $17,300 in scholarships is now available for Cerro Coso students pursuing a cloud-based education in Information Technology (IT) for spring of 2024. Cerro Coso Community College was one of three California community colleges awarded scholarships to distribute from Amazon Web Services (AWS). Amazon Web Services has been a valuable partner to Cerro Coso in preparing students for careers in cloud-based computing, cyber security and information technology pathways. Through their...
Universal Hydrogen's De Havilland Canada Dash-8-300 aircraft was the star of Plane Crazy Saturday on Oct. 21 at Mojave Air & Space Port at Rutan Field. A beautiful, calm and warm day greeted all attendees who were thrilled to see "Lightning McClean" parked front and center on the ramp. The cowling was off of the powertrain so everyone could gather around and ask questions. Universal Hydrogen website states: "Fueling carbon free flight!" Hydrogen is a true zero-carbon fuel. It is made from water...
Andrew Todd Wellner joined the United States Air Force when he was 18 years old. He served a total of 27 years achieving rank as Tech Sergeant, with duties that included ground support operation and radio communications. Andrew was 23 years old when he went to Iraq as part of Operation Desert Storm, where he earned additional awards and decorations for duty performance and operations that he completed. "You never knew what was going to happen next. Quite an adrenaline rush," Sergeant Wellner...
On October 3, Eldon (Don) Kordes peacefully passed at his home in Bear Valley Springs at the age of 98. Don was born in Parkville, Missouri growing up on a farm and working in his dad's mechanic garage. As a senior in high school, he was drafted to serve in WWII. He entered the Navy's V-12 program at Notre Dame University to become an engineer for a battle ship. After graduation from Notre Dame, the war ended and he went on to Purdue University for his Master's Degree where he was noticed by...
Robert G. Myers, “Bob” passed away peacefully at home on Sept. 9. Bob was 88 years old; he grew up in Albuquerque, NM with his parents Nadine and Gearold Myers and sister Betty Lou. Bob graduated from Albuquerque High School and went on to earn a BSME at New Mexico College of Agriculture & Mechanical Arts, now New Mexico State University, Las Cruses, New Mexico in 1958 and an MBA at Golden Gate College, now Golden Gate University, Vandenberg Air Force Base in 1972. Bob served in the United States Air Force, he retired after 27 years in act...
On Sept. 7, Richard Chapman of the Kern Economic Development Council and Christina Scrivner representing the Kern Economic Development Foundation presented a $25,000 check to the Flight Test Museum Foundation at Edwards Air Force Base. For those who may not know, the museum, which is scheduled to open in 2025, will be located outside the west gate of Edwards Air Force Base and will be one of the largest aviation museums in the world. On hand to receive the donation at the existing museum facilit...
When I was asked to do photography for the Flight Test Museum Foundation at our local sailplane airport, I was delighted to help out. I grew up at Mountain Valley Airport learning to fly sailplanes. The owners, Jane and Larry Barrett, treated me like family. Larry gave me my FAA private and commercial flight tests. I was able to amass tons of glider time over 35 years of flying. I did over 1,800 commercial glider rides for the airport and had a blast doing it. I got to meet many famous people...
I always enjoy reading this poem titled "Because I fly" by retired Air Force pilot and Vietnam Veteran, Major Brian Shul: Because I fly, I laugh more than other men. I look up and see more than they. I know how the clouds feel, what it's like to have the blue in my lap, to look down on birds, to feel freedom in a thing called the stick . . . Who but I can slice between God's billowed legs, and feel them laugh and crash with His step? Who else has seen the unclimbed peaks? The rainbow's secret? T...
Inside Edwards Air Force Base, near Rosamond, is a distinctive little Flight Test Museum, preserving the unique history of aviation testing in the Antelope Valley (also known as the Aerospace Valley). The trouble is, because the museum is inside the military base, the public has no access to it. The Flight Test Museum Foundation (also known as the Flight Test Historical Foundation, established in 1983 by General Pete Knight Retired, Carol Odgers, and General Chuck Yeager Retired), chaired...
Let's take a look at the recent Memorial Day event at Mojave Cemetery. Paul Holzer, general manager of the East Kern Cemetery District said, "Remembering those who gave their all is why we are here today." He thanked the many volunteers who helped with the ceremony and Travis Mullins for the preparation of the cemetery grounds. Holzer said, "Tami Kelly organized Mojave High School students to help place American Flags on each grave of a military veteran who served our country. The Mojave...
On April 13, Rex Moen, representing Friends of the Flight Test Museum at Edwards Air Force Base, spoke to Tehachapi Rotarians about the progress made in building a new flight test museum outside the gate at Edwards. The 15,000 square foot flight museum will contain the memorabilia from 75 years of Edwards history, which is currently housed inside the base. Work on the new museum began in 2018. May 1 marks the kickoff of the drive by Friends of the Flight Test Museum to raise the funds needed to...
Thirty-two STEM students from Cabrillo High School in Long Beach visited Mountain Valley Airport on Friday, April 14. The students are a junior/senior aeronautics class from the high school. Their visit included much more than just a glider ride. These students were analyzing flight data supplied by the engineering students in the air to the students on the ground who were compiling data. Just a few of the studies involved analyzing individual air speeds at take off and landing as well as the ti...
Our next quarterly meeting will be on Tuesday, April 25 at 7 p.m. at Golden Hills Elementary School cafeteria, 20215 Park Rd. Karen Pestana will present Tehachapi Audubon's on-going, 23-year western bluebird nest box program including instructions on how to become a citizen science nest box monitor and set up a nest box in your yard. Her talk will included a 10-minute nest-cam video that captures western bluebirds in the nest box, from laying eggs to young birds fledging. Secondly, she will...
Even as a former employee, it will always be an interesting experience to visit Edwards Air Force Base. I was recently invited for a VIP tour at Edwards, which was held to get the word out about funds needed to complete projects and the new museum outside the west gates of the base. Rex Moen is the force behind a new fundraising plan called the "Life Friends Campaign," which is set to kick off May 1. Moen has been on the Flight Test Museum foundation Board of Directors for over 23 years....
We at Mojave Air & Space Port have the wonderful opportunity of knowing so many unique individuals who make a big impression in the aerospace community. Our friend William "Bill" Scott is one of those people. He is currently a full-time author and consultant but has a long history in this area. He served in the U.S. Air Force and is a Flight Test Engineer graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base. He also served as aircrew on classified airborne-sampling missions...
"Governor Newsom is trying to put the oil industry out of business in California," said Second District Supervisor Zack Scrivner at the Feb. 21 meeting of the Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce. The industry has faced a 50% reduction in property tax revenue since 2014 and the state of California now uses 1.8 million barrels of oil a day that comes from countries that have poor human rights. California uses 50% of the oil that is produced in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador, a practice that ultimately...
According to a press release by the National Test Pilot School, exciting news was announced at Mojave Air & Space Port at the end of 2022. The release stated, "On behalf of the NTPS Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors of Flight Research, Inc., we are pleased to announce the acquisition of Flight Research, Inc. assets and the creation of a new NTPS not for profit Business Unit, Flight Research International LLC (FRI)." According to the release, "NTPS is The World's Test Pilot School....
Terri McKeehan moved to Tehachapi in July 2022 to marry her high school sweetheart, Sam, who works at Edwards Air Force Base and is commander of a local VFW chapter. Her parents and her sister are also nearby so she was familiar with the area from family visits over the years. Terri was born in Upland, California and lived there through high school. She remembered Sam from the first time he winked at her in high school. They married other people but kept track of each other over the years. She...
Kip and Laurie Herrington arrived in Tehachapi in August, just in time to prepare for their new teaching positions at Edwards Air Force Base. Kip is teaching science and biology at Desert Junior/Senior High School. Laurie is teaching first grade at Bailey Elementary School. Their daughter, Olivia, is a nurse at Edwards, and with her husband Billy, is the mother of Kip and Laurie's first grandchild and the primary reason for their move to California. They moved here from Mississippi where they...
As everyone knows, the Reno Air Races, held each year in September, is a gathering of veteran aircraft and the elite pilots of the ages! When Dick Rutan sent this photo to me this year, my mind started racing with memories of these great men of aviation. I must confess that the HU-16 Albatross in the background stirred recollections of times with my husband, Al Hansen, too. Clay Lacy Everyone recognizes Clay Lacy's name and connects it with Lacy Aviation, LearJets and Van Nuys Airport. When I th...
I had a fantastic experience at the Aerospace Valley Open House, Air Show & STEM Expo, the first air show at Edwards Air Force Base in over 13 years. I have been around aviation most of my life as a pilot and big aviation fan. So you would think my story would be all about the mighty aircraft I saw in action at Edwards. But the highlight of this air show experience is the great security troops, pilots, crews and support people at Edwards AFB. Security was at a very high level but getting on...
Chris Buckley moved into his new Stallion Springs home in August when he arrived back in the United States from Japan for his new assignment at Edwards Air Force Base. Chris is an analyst for the Air Force. As part of the Air Force Test and Evaluation Squad, he is actually based in New Jersey but has spent most of his career in the Air Force traveling around the world. Chris said he expects the assignment at Edwards to last about four years. Chris was born in Fort Worth, Texas and is one of...
The USAF Thunderbirds Demonstration Team was in Mojave on Aug. 30 to check out the airport as a possible training location. The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron performs precision aerial maneuvers, demonstrating the capabilities of Air Force high performance aircraft to people all over the world. A Thunderbirds air demonstration displays formation flying and solo routines. The four-aircraft diamond formation demonstrates the training of Air Force pilots, while the solo aircraft...
Mojave Airport starts to grow in the 1970s and 1980s - Several small businesses were already established at Mojave Airport, but the major lessee was the General Electric Engine Test facility. They had recently moved from Edwards Air Force Base to Mojave Airport and they employed 100 people. One of GE's first engine flight test programs in 1971 at Mojave was a North American Sabreliner fitted with GE engines that provided 200 pounds more thrust than the original engines. Later they used a Boeing...
