The Aero Club of Southern California Toured – Mecca (Edwards AFB)
Brig. Gen. Douglas Wickert
Brig. Gen. Douglas Wickert, Commander of Edwards AFB and the 412th Test Wing, and ACSC’s host Col Robert Ettinger (USAF, Ret.), former Vice Commander of Edwards AFB in the 1980s (Photograph by Paul T. Glessner)
by Paul T. Glessner, M.S.
Twenty-two people and I enjoyed a tour of Edwards AFB June 11th. I met the beautifully air-conditioned coach bus hosted by American USAF hero, (ret.) Col. Bob Ettinger and his lovely wife, Kathryn, on behalf of the Aero Club of Southern California (ACSC) at the visitors center outside of the West Gate at 10am and off we went. We were joined by Mr. James P. Stossel, Deputy Director of EAFB’s Public Affairs, onboard the bus to administer the – fun and education about to abound.
Firstly, let me tell you about (ret.) Colonel Bob Ettinger having served 27 and a half years in the United States Air Force as a fighter pilot, combat pilot, experimental test pilot and flight test manager. His last position in the USAF was Vice Commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) at Edwards AFB, CA. As a test pilot, he was the first USAF pilot to fly the F-16 Full Scale Development aircraft. The Colonel has over 6,600 hours in more than 100 different types of aircraft. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master of Science Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Ohio State University.
ACSC’s Howard Hughes Memorial Trophy
Secondly, the history of the Aero Club of Southern California goes back to 1908. The Club sponsored the 1910 Historical Air Meet Show at Dominguez Hills in Los Angeles, which featured aircraft from the U.S. and Europe to educate the public about the new technology of flight. The ACSC has sponsored the annual Howard Hughes Memorial Award since 1978 to honor individuals with outstanding career achievements in the realms of aviation and aerospace. The honorees include a Who’s Who of leaders in these fields, and the award is one of the most prestigious of its kind. I remember attending the 2000 award dinner where my good friend, Willis Hawkins, retired senior vice president and director of Lockheed Corporation and principal designer of the C-130 was featured. Yes, everybody who mattered, was present.
Historical Information
In the early 1980s, the ACSC successfully campaigned to save Howard Hughes’ famed HK-1 Flying Boat, then and now the world’s largest aircraft, from being scrapped. For more than a decade, the ACSC worked with several commercial exhibitors to show the airplane — fondly nicknamed “The Spruce Goose” — to the public in a huge, domed facility at Long Beach. When that facility closed in 1992, the ACSC arranged for the Flying Boat to be moved to McMinnville, Oregon, where it is the centerpiece of a major aviation history museum today. Imagine if we did not have the Flying Boat to forever gawk at? Thanks, ACSC. Please learn more and join ACSC at - www.aeroclubsocal.org
Well, everyone was bright eyed as we made our first stop at building, err, hangar 1600. This is definitely one of the world’s largest hangars that can fit four B-52s in it and still have plenty of room. There were two B-1 Bones, a few T-38s and prop trainers in there and echoes could almost be heard. As the coach stopped, I noticed the base commander pull up and park in his prescribed parking slot and entered 1600. Like a well-oiled machine, Brig Gen Douglas ‘Beaker’ Wickert, Commander of Edwards AFB and the 412th Test Wing was at the door welcoming each guest. First class. Ha, I was the "caboose" and when he saw me, he bellowed, “They will let anyone in here.” and gave me a man-hug. [Back story, he and his family and well as the previous commander, MGen Evan ‘Weed’ Dertein’s, enjoyed Nick Spark’s DVD of The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club; a 2009 American documentary film that chronicles the life of aviation pioneer Florence Lowe "Pancho" Barnes that I gave to the Major General when he attended my birthday gathering in March of 2024. Beaker was off doing F-35 training but received it weeks later. Besides knowing I worked F-22, F-35 and MQ-9A].
Brig. Gen. Wickert presenting to the ACSC (Photograph by Paul T. Glessner)
The general gave an incredible visual PowerPoint overview of EAFB and the various missions and programs they administer besides all of the players: civilians employed and contracting companies utilized. General Wickert was so engaging and affable. He answered our sporadic questions in detail as they arose with no issues. Literally, we could have stayed there in awe for more than the allotted hour. We were at the Mecca of US Air Force aviation. Period.
Members of the Aero Club of Southern California listen intently to Brig. Gen. Douglas Wickert, Commander of Edwards AFB and the 412th Test Wing.
After taking in the breadth of the 1600, we climbed onboard the coach to go to the F-35 compound. I had worked the same program back in 2010-11. We left our iWatches and iPhones on the coach and were met by BANDYXXXX, F-35 test pilot, at the man gate and shortly thereafter gave an impressive overview of the F-35. Aside from the external cameras
The F-35B guards the lucky 23 folks that toured Edwards AFB on behalf of the Aero Club of Southern California. (Photo courtesy of the USAF)
F-35 Gen III HELMET and HMDS. Cost ~$430,000 (Photo courtesy of Collins Aerospace)
-that feed the pilot’s helmet with views as if one can look right through its structure, we were told of the various differences of the C model made for carrier landings. The wing area is increased aside from much, much beefier main and nose landing gear. One point I found new per the pilot was that in the early phase of its development, they put children in a cockpit mock-up to learn the intuitive ways to convey information. Neat and novel, per se.
We headed to Club Muroc for a delicious, per usual, lunch and conversation and some ACSC administrative updates to the group. The group saddled up and launched off to the USAF’s new T-7A trainer hangar; replacement for the supersonic Northrop T-38 Talon. On 21 September 2023, the first Red Hawk (tail number APT-2) was shipped to the US Air Force.
The first T-7A Red Hawk flies over Edwards Air Force Base. (Photo courtesy of Boeing)
The new USAF Trainer T-7A Red Hawk is the backdrop to the Aero Club of Southern California’s tour group. (Photo courtesy of the USAF)
The lovely aerospace day ended with a grand visit to Edwards Flight Test Museum. There so many historical artifacts and aircraft that are presented both indoors and outdoors. While the museum has always been on the base, its vision is to create a phenomenal experience more easily accessible outside of the West Gate on Rosamond Blvd. Please see https://flighttestmuseum.org to join and learn more about the museum and its great future. Also, Mr. Stoussel invites all to sign up for EAFB’s emailed Newsletter at www.edwards.af.mil/News/412TW-PA-Updates/
Twenty-five lucky participants thank Brig Gen Wickert, 412th Test Wing staff, the Aero Club of Southern California and our gracious hosts, Kathryn and Bob Ettinger. Sleep well; our US Air Force is dutifully at work.
