Aviation News - June 2016

The history of Edwards AFB and the

military’s use of Rogers and Rosamond

date back to the early 1930s when US

Army Air Corps aircraft from what is now

March Air Reserve Base in California  ew

over the lakebeds for bombing and gunnery

practice.

During World War Two, facilities were

established northwest of Rogers dry lake

and the area was given the name Muroc

Army Field. It was ideally suited for year-

round  ight-testing because of its excellent

weather and the dry lakebeds.

In the post-war years, operations at

North and South bases were combined.

The latter – the old main base – became the

site for one of the major events in aviation

history. The sound barrier was broken on

October 14, 1947 when Capt Charles E

Yeager piloted the Bell X-1 to a speed of

Mach 1.06.

http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 43

Above: A Royal Netherlands

Air Force KDC-10 over part

of Edwards AFB with a Dutch

Lightning II on a test mission

to certify the tanker for air-to-

air refuelling with the F-35A.

USAF/Chris Okula

Left: A Raptor assigned

to the 411th FLTS. All photos

Erik Bruijns and Mark de

Greeuw unless stated

42-47_edwardsMFDC.mfDC.mf.indd 43 04/05/2016 22:26