The Plight of Hanger 1

The preservation of the Tehachapi area's unique "transportation history" continues to be a priority for some dedicated volunteers. Friends of the Airport has embarked on several ventures intended to ensure that the local community and visitors have access to our city airport and its facilities for special events. Aviator Park has already served our community for several organizational picnics and fly-in events. Last year and this year the Warbird Fly-In, besides offering the public spectacular fly-bys and close up access to several rare aircraft, featured an early morning 5K fun run – ON the runway! Dedicated runners and families pushing strollers all enjoyed a truly unique and rare experience before the arrival of the vintage airplanes.

Much like the Friends of the Depot, who worked tirelessly for years to successfully re-establish the landmark railroad depot at our city center, Friends of the Airport works to preserve and contribute to the ongoing historic legacy of Tehachapi's airports and local aviation activities.

Another important project is the restoration of Hanger 1 at Tehachapi Airport. The hanger was built in 1939 when the airport was known as "Kern County Airport No. 4." Hangar 1 was a beginning in the development of the airport's infrastructure, and helped to establish our airport as an important air transportation link.

Anyone who possesses historical information about Hangar 1 is encouraged to share it with the Friends of the Airport before it is lost forever. The group would like to obtain historical information regarding exactly why the hangar was built, by whom, for what aircraft, and what sort of activities or events occurred there. If anyone has old photographs of the airport and Hangar 1, or any information about the history of this landmark, please contact Airport Manager Tom Glasgow at (661) 822-2220, or (949) 500-7753.

Tehachapi Municipal Airport has developed into a multi-use facility with critical capabilities that provide for timely medical evacuations, vital refueling for fire-fighting aircraft, and economical refueling for transient aircraft. It still serves its original purpose of providing an alternative for transient pilots unable to land in the fog-shrouded San Joaquin Valley.

Nearby Mountain Valley Airport completes the picture of Tehachapi as a key player in aerospace history. Almost every NASA astronaut pilot and most American test pilots have trained here. With our ever-present winds, a number of world soaring records have been set from Tehachapi.

Tehachapi isn't just a "railroad town," it's a California transportation treasure. This includes its stagecoach, railroad, automotive (Tehachapi Blvd. and Tehachapi-Woodford Rd. are in fact Old U.S. Rt. 466), and aviation history. Some of that history is displayed as part of the city's historic mural projects. One example is Mark Pestana's depiction of Tehachapi's first air mail flight in 1938. The mural is located above the Hitching Post Theater building (the old Post Office). The airplane was flown to Bakersfield by BeeKay theater projectionist Harry Beauford, Jr. Tehachapi Museum docent Pat Gracey recalls that event. He was one of the students allowed to skip school so that he could join the crowd. "It took a long time before he flew because there was a lot of posing for pictures with Harry. When he finally took off, the crowd started waving their handkerchiefs and I thought, 'Why are you waving, he can't see you from way up there?' Harry was known to be sort of a local daredevil, into motorcycle racing who also entertained a 4th of July celebration by parachuting from a plane over the airport."

Hanger 1 is a reminder of those by-gone days when a kid could earn his wings by hanging around airplanes and pilots, offering to wash and gas them, asking a lot of fool questions, and showing a lot of enthusiasm. In fact, things haven't really changed that much -- just the price of avgas and the complexity of the aviation environment. But as our machines, regulations and procedures grow more sophisticated, it's important to remember where we came from, because the basics never change. Hanger 1 is a sublime expression of that simplicity.

The Friends of the Airport and the City of Tehachapi want to see Hanger 1 live on as a community asset, perhaps as an aerospace education center. What stands in the way is of course funding. So, we'll be passing the hat and asking you to join our cause.

Almanac

Tehachapi will bear witness to two eclipses this month. On the morning of October 8, we will see a total eclipse of the moon as it passes through the earth's shadow. The moon will begin to darken at about 2 a.m. and will reach totality at 3:25. The eclipse will end at about dawn.

Two weeks later, a partial solar eclipse will occur as the earth passes through the moon's shadow. The eclipse will be at its deepest at about 3:30 p.m. when about 45% of the sun's surface will be obscured. That will leave plenty of sun left, so don't try to view it directly. For safe viewing techniques, go to http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/how-to-watch-a-partial-solar-eclipse-safely/.

Comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring will pass very close to Mars; not only from our viewpoint, but in actual space. It will buzz Mars by a mere 132,000 km (82,000 miles), which is only a little more than a third of the distance to the moon! That's sixteen times closer than any earth-grazing comet (in our short recorded history!)

Closest approach will occur on the evening of October 19. Look for Mars low in the southwest just after sunset. The comet will only be about 9th-magnitude, so a telescope will be needed. On that night, Mars and Comet Siding Spring will easily fall within the same eyepiece field of view. A tail is unlikely to be visible. If we're lucky, one of the "stars" may be fuzzier than the rest. If not, the best way to identify the comet is to draw what you see in the eyepiece; plot each "star" in relationship to Mars. Then come back the next night and check to see which one moved. Good hunting!

The zodiacal light will be visible 80-120 minutes before sunrise through the first week of October, and then again after the 20th and well into November. It looks like a tall triangle of glowing light reaching up from the eastern horizon.

Sunrise: 6:49 a.m./Sunset: 6:37 p.m. (October 1st)