Flight Test Museum

Tonight's the night! Additional airtimes available too!
KLCS | Tuesday, Mar. 31 at 07:00 pm
KLCS | Wednesday, Apr. 1 at 02:00 am
KLCS | Sunday, Apr. 12 at 05:00 pm
https://klcs.org/flight-test-the-aerospace-valley-story/

Exciting news! The Flight Test Historical Foundation co-produced a new documentary on the Aerospace Valley and Flight Test with KLCS | PBS Los Angeles. Many thanks to all of our friends who contributed and Edwards Air Force Base for your support. A special thank you to the Air Force Research Lab STEM programs for the grant funding to share this story with the world and the students of the Los Angeles Unified School District (KLCS is the PBS station for the LAUSD). Airing March 31 @ 7:00 p.m. on KLCS.

The documentary provides rare access to the engineers, researchers, and test pilots shaping the next generation of hypersonic aircraft, electric air mobility, and commercial spaceflight. From the moment Chuck Yeager shattered the sound barrier in 1947, California’s Aerospace Valley has served as one of the world’s most important proving grounds for aviation and space innovation. Stretching from US A.F. Plant 42 to the Mojave Air & Space Port, this desert corridor has played a pivotal role in the design, development, and flight testing of revolutionary aircraft and spacecraft. Here, experimental programs such as the North American X-15 helped open the door to the space age, while iconic aircraft like the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird demonstrated the limits of speed and altitude.
Today, Aerospace Valley remains at the forefront of aerospace innovation. Companies including Northrop Grumman Corporation, The Boeing Company, Scaled Composites, Pratt & Whitney, and Lockheed Martin continue to advance cutting-edge systems alongside emerging pioneers such as Stratolaunch, Blue Origin, and Joby Aviation eVTOL.
Through interviews with aerospace leaders and flight test professionals, the documentary reveals how this remarkable region continues to transform bold ideas into the aircraft and spacecraft that will define the future of flight. Key Highlights:

• Hypersonic Flight — Civilian and military leadership from EAFB and Plant 42 on the future of hypersonic flight and engineering. A special feature with aerospace engineer Art Thompson discusses the engineering challenges and future potential of hypersonic aircraft.

• Commercial Space Frontiers — Insights into the next era of human spaceflight with Jarred Isaacman and Todd Ericson discussing the goals and implications of the Polaris Dawn program.

• Training the Next Generation — Exploring what it takes to be a flight test engineer and test pilot with JB Brown, President of National Pilot School and Chief Test Pilot from the USAF Test Pilot School

A Flight Test Museum History Moment: On 14 December 1971, a television-guided AGM-65 Maverick missile was launched from a Teledyne Ryan BQM-34A (Model 234) remotely piloted vehicle against an obsolete radar control van (serving as simulated a surface-to-air missile launch site) on the Edwards Flight Test Range. It scored a direct hit and was reported to be the first such launch of a guided weapon from an RPV ever attempted in this country. Visit: https://flighttestmuseum.org

A Flight Test Museum History Moment: On 14 December 1959, with Air Force Flight Test Center test pilot Major Joe Jordan at the controls, a Lockheed F-104C established a new official world record when it became the first jet-powered (i.e., air-breathing) aircraft to climb above 100,000 feet as it soared to a peak altitude of 103,389 feet above Edwards AFB. Major Jordan was subsequently awarded the prestigious Harmon International Trophy by President John F. Kennedy for this milestone flight. Visit: https://flighttestmuseum.org