Not really a ride report, but I posted this on another site, thought some of you might enjoy this.
Like most, I have always been fascinated with planes, a jet flying overhead is always worth a look. My dad was a fighter pilot in the R.C.A.F. so growing up on Air Force bases probably adds to the interest. An exciting yet dangerous profession, in war and in peacetime.
Living in Los Angeles, the high desert is an hour and change away, with lots of good desert riding around the Edwards A.F.B. area. Long known for test pilots and experimental planes, also the location for quite a few crashes.
The X-15 Memorial a few miles north of Randsburg is a popular spot to visit -
Google photo
A little more off the beaten path is the B-24 Memorial -
Unlike the X-15 Memorial, the B-24 Memorial is more somber due to the fact that after almost 70 years, the scorched earth and some debris is still visible
A few weeks ago, I read about the YB-49, the Flying Wing and the crash north of Edwards. The Flying Wing is considered the predecessor to the stealth fighter style of jet.
What I found interesting is the fact that I ride the area a lot, and didn't know about the crash site, and had never seen it. So, I had a mission, find the crash site, and pay my respects.
Last Saturday, the weather was fantastic, normally well over a hundred degrees this time of year, temps only reached the high eighties with light wind. Off I went, a rough idea of the location in my mind.
It all looks the same out here
I knew I was in the general area, swept back and forth, but no luck
It didn't make sense, it had to be here somewhere. Taking a chance, I went north an eighth of a mile, crossed a trail I have rode dozens of times, down a small hill, and there it was.
Nothing fancy, no concrete marker or plaque, just a stake in the ground, a fresh American Flag, and a few laminated pages explaining what this spot was all about.
Like the B-24 Memorial, the area is covered with pieces of melted aluminum
As I stood there out in the desert, no sound but the breeze through the scrub, I thought about the crew, the last moments, the sacrifice. The joy of finding the site tainted with the fact that men died on this spot. Getting up in years myself, it made we wonder about my mortality. I paid my respects, looked around, fired up the bike and left.
We come from the Earth and some day it takes us back, all we can do is enjoy the time we have.
Like most, I have always been fascinated with planes, a jet flying overhead is always worth a look. My dad was a fighter pilot in the R.C.A.F. so growing up on Air Force bases probably adds to the interest. An exciting yet dangerous profession, in war and in peacetime.
Living in Los Angeles, the high desert is an hour and change away, with lots of good desert riding around the Edwards A.F.B. area. Long known for test pilots and experimental planes, also the location for quite a few crashes.
The X-15 Memorial a few miles north of Randsburg is a popular spot to visit -
Google photo
A little more off the beaten path is the B-24 Memorial -
Unlike the X-15 Memorial, the B-24 Memorial is more somber due to the fact that after almost 70 years, the scorched earth and some debris is still visible
A few weeks ago, I read about the YB-49, the Flying Wing and the crash north of Edwards. The Flying Wing is considered the predecessor to the stealth fighter style of jet.
What I found interesting is the fact that I ride the area a lot, and didn't know about the crash site, and had never seen it. So, I had a mission, find the crash site, and pay my respects.
Last Saturday, the weather was fantastic, normally well over a hundred degrees this time of year, temps only reached the high eighties with light wind. Off I went, a rough idea of the location in my mind.
It all looks the same out here
I knew I was in the general area, swept back and forth, but no luck
It didn't make sense, it had to be here somewhere. Taking a chance, I went north an eighth of a mile, crossed a trail I have rode dozens of times, down a small hill, and there it was.
Nothing fancy, no concrete marker or plaque, just a stake in the ground, a fresh American Flag, and a few laminated pages explaining what this spot was all about.
Like the B-24 Memorial, the area is covered with pieces of melted aluminum
As I stood there out in the desert, no sound but the breeze through the scrub, I thought about the crew, the last moments, the sacrifice. The joy of finding the site tainted with the fact that men died on this spot. Getting up in years myself, it made we wonder about my mortality. I paid my respects, looked around, fired up the bike and left.
We come from the Earth and some day it takes us back, all we can do is enjoy the time we have.
i would love to go down there and check all that out, still havn't even been to any of the monuments down in the dez yet...
You got a rare "doable" dez day in the summer and were obviously paying close attention to the weather. Good stuff as always.
It is truely amazing the amount of men that slammed into the ground over the Mojave.
