Edwards Air Force Base - West Gate (Century Circle) and North Gate

Located approximately 100 miles north of Los Angeles in the western portion of the Mojave Desert, Edwards Air Force Base is the home to the Air Force Flight Test Centre and Test Pilot School, NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Centre and the Air Force Material Command Centre.

Developed adjacent to the Rogers and Rosamond Dry Lakes which act as natural landing areas, Edwards has been the home to significant aviation firsts. It was here that Chuck Yeager in October 1947 was the first pilot to break the sound barrier in the Bell X-1 and where the rocket-powered North American X-15 conducted research flights throughout the 1960‘s. It was at Edwards where the Space Shuttle was extensively flight tested and where in April 1981 it landed after its first orbital flight.

Click on a Photo to activate the link. All photographs open in a new window.

Edwards Air Force Base - Century Circle Exhibits

Date of visits: October 2014, February 2017, November 2018.
Located outside the West Gate of Edwards Air Force base, Century Circle exhibits a restored control tower and a group of six aircraft that formed the Century Series of United States fighter aircraft of the 1950‘s and 1960‘s. A un-related YC-15 Advanced Medium STOL transport aircraft is also exhibited.

Opened in 2007 by the Air Force Flight Test Museum (AFFTM) Century Circle is located ten miles east of Rosamond, on Rosamond Blvd, accessed by taking exit 55 (Edwards AFB) off Highway 14.

Edwards Air Force Base - North Gate Exhibit

Date of visits: October 2014, February/November 2017, November 2018.
On display outside the North Gate of Edwards Air Force Base is the Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress (BuNo. 52-0008) known as “Balls 8”, which was flown by NASA for nearly 50 years. “Balls 8” was one of the motherships for the X‑15, X‑38 and X‑43A programmes. The aircraft was retired from service in December 2004.

The exhibit is accessed by taking exit 186 (Edwards AFB) off Highway 58.