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Does anyone know this small airstrip in Ca?

kaweeka

Well Known Member
When I fly to San Diego from LHM, I pass over this small (looks too small for aircraft) airfield about 20mi east of Gorman at coordinates

34.92690944026549
-118.53101444963691

I've asked ATC and they don't seem to know. It looks like it could be used for drones? Just curious of anyone knows what this is. You can get a good look http://www.shortfield.com .
 
using Google Earth

By using Google Earth with the search term "Avangrid Renewables - Manzana Wind, LLC," and then scrolling due west about 5 miles, Google shows three runways, one of which is closed. Several buildings in the vicinity, but no further information. I imagine Paul Rosales would know what it is since he lives nearby in Rosamund.
Leland
 
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Flew over it many times when I lived in SoCAL. Back when I worked in the Aerospace Industry, it looked like a range to do radar cross-section testing of objects to me. Do NOT know the name or who owns it.
 
Probably the old McDonnell Douglas Grey Butte Radar Cross Section Range

Tejon

The Tejon RCS test range is owned and operated by Northrop-Grumman (previously Northrop, before the merger). Located 35 miles west of Edwards AFB, the Tejon RCS range consists of two separate, co-located facilities. The older, larger north complex features an antenna array and four target positions, while the newer south complex features two separate antenna-target combinations.

http://geimint.blogspot.com/2007/08/us-restricted-and-classified-test-sites.html




Here is a facility with similar features:

http://www.otherhand.org/home-page/...ojave/lockheed-martin-helendale-rcs-facility/


Some things out in the Mojave desert have no windows and no doors and we just ignore their existence.
 
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Tejon closed down in 2010 due to SoCal Edison installing huge numbers of windmills in the area which cause electromagnetic disturbance. Since there are no more RCS pylons in the way, don't see why you couldn't land there. Beware there's a fairly significant slope on the Northern "runways".
 
You might want to check out the National Geographic Channel episode called "Hitler's Stealth Fighter." Northrop Grumman did the RCS at what definitely appears to be the Tejon range.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.c...942_hitlers_stealth_fighter-01_04700300-3747/

That Horten was indeed "tested" at Tejon, a couple years before we closed down the range (see post above).
Here's a pic in our shop where it was built, with me and my dad standing at the LH inlet:

30slid1.jpg


Much of the filming was done in an ancient hangar at Inyokern airport. I flew up and watched all the hoopla.

That model is now hanging in the San Diego Air and Space Museum.
 
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That Horten was indeed "tested" at Tejon, a couple years before we closed down the range (see post above).
Here's a pic in our shop where it was built, with me and my dad standing at the LH inlet:

30slid1.jpg


Much of the filming was done in an ancient hangar at Inyokern airport. I flew up and watched all the hoopla.

That model is now hanging in the San Diego Air and Space Museum.

You sir, win my award for the coolest post ever! That's one heck of a piece of history.
 
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There was this one other time back in the eighties that facility became noticed...when it shouldn't have been. Ah, but that's another chapter (non-RV).

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IIRC the Mojave desert glider pilots called that the "CIA strip". :)

It also appeared briefly on a video clip created by GM-Hughes, shortly after GM bought Hughes Aircraft. It was of heads-up display - and IR video - in a corporate jet and the clip was of an approach into that strip.

The project went nowhere when I guess GM decided not to use Hughes technology to get into the avionics business. A simpler HUD version did go into a few GM vehicles at that time though.
 
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