Mojave Air & Space Port

While coming home from an Adventure up north, I was driving home on the 14 freeway. I spotted a large collection of airplanes, parked and unattended in the desert. Curious, I made a mental note, and journeyed my way home. After some research later on, I discovered the existence of this place. I tacked it onto my already planned Antelope Valley Adventure, and waited for a time to go. Recently I took a spontaneous adventure, and made my way up to Mojave.

An hour or so in the car got Schoolteacher and I up to the Space Port. I was excited to be here, and really hoped there was something cool to see and experience. Turns out there’s not actually that much here. A small park, and broken visitor information screen are all that wait for travelers coming here. The park is fairly small, but does seem to be still under construction. Located within the park there is a MineCart, replica of SpaceShip One, a one quarter scale model of the Rutan Voyager, and a Rotary Rocket. Mind you, all very cool items made famous in the local area.
The idea of this place is absolutely unfathomably cool. This is the veritable first stepping stone into the next frontier. To boldly go where no man has gone before actually happens right here in this very location. Unfortunately, in actuality, it’s an airport in the desert with a small restaurant. Their refrigerator magnets aern’t even that cool. There is also an airplane graveyard out by the runways, and they’ve also got days during the week where events happen. Mayhap I’ll come back for one of their events.
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I am the first reviewer to give the Mojave Airport 3 stars. Maybe that’s because I’m reviewing an aspect of it — «the graveyard» — and not the sum total of what is there.
Having driven from Bakersfield down into the Antelope Valley on CA 58 several times, I have passed through the towns of Tehachapi and Mojave en route. (Yes, Virginia, there IS a Tehachapi). Tehachapi is actually a nice little town nestled in oak and pine studded foothills. Mojave is where CA 58 meets CA 14 and one goes through the speed zone with the chain motels and chain fast food restaurants.
The penultimate time I drove this way, the hump of a 747 was staring at me over the top of a fast food restaurant. Therefore, I drove down the road behind the fast food place and was able to get a closer look. Closer to the fence and larger than the other planes, a Virgin 747 – 200 was parked there and its 4 engines were covered. Near it was a DC-​10 in a similar state. Beyond these two, there were many mothballed planes.
It is worth noting that the planes are retired or stored here, or in other very dry places in the Southwest, because they fare better over the long haul than where it is humid. Also, some planes are, or have been, stored here with the intent to operate them later or sell them to another entity.
If you love aviation, you might give Mojave Airport 4 or 5 stars. If you just want to look at some airplanes, you’d probably concur with 3 stars.

UFO, Privateers, Pilots. land land land…
its a regular airport with so much more to offer, including jet research, parts, bone yard jet part pickings, dry air storage and so much more.
There is here a lot more to meet the eye. The only problem is how to view the place, and the best I could see it is from outside a 10′ cyclone fence. I took a bunch of photos, but to protect plane owners, I am not sharing them. Just kidding, it seems nobody cares… I just don’t see how to get inside.

Okay, I must have driving nearby this place 100 times on my way up to the Eastern Sierra! Always from afar and I’ve always been curious, so this time, we ventured into the public area where we found a lot of old planes, rockets, and aerospace stuff. Much of it propped up along the streets for you to check out. Obviously, no longer in operation, but pretty interesting nonetheless.
Nearby is the «graveyard» as many call it, but from my understanding a lot of these planes are either in transition or are used parts. What fun it would be to do the old «pick-​a-​part» hunt trying to find that gun turret or an ejection seat to use as the centerpiece in your man cave! Looks like there’s a lot more to do around here, but it’s already too hot and windy, so maybe I’ll be back another day with the family. Roger this!

Mojave airport is the new Edwards AFB for exciting flight testing. It’s the Silicon Valley of the New Space industry. It’s heaven for dreamers builders pilots and rocketeers.
Come here every third Saturday of the month to see plane fly-​in and displays. Have lunch at the voyager restaurant and watch planes taking off and landing. I heard there are more actions going on on weekdays. Take a tour in the aerospace junk yard where you have all the big Boeing jets parking there…
I love this middle-​of-​no-​where!

Orion, won’t you make me a star sign.
Orion, get up on the sky-​line.
I’m high on your love and I feel fine.
Orion, let’s sip the heaven’s heady wine.
—
Mojave Airport is the womb where the birth of commercial space flight took its first steps. What a wonderful place, full of history, commerce, genius and dark skies. I hover over it like the mother ship whenever I drive to Vegas. There is a force that will come through if you open your mind.

Lovely staff. Such a neat slice of Americana.
Saturday mornings is a super neat «fly in». A variety of private, military, and other planes are on display on the grounds. The local booster club is very welcoming, provides tours, and has neat memorabilia for sale.

most californians probably have no idea this place exists. we just stumbled upon it. its called a «space port» because some testing of space planes have been/​are being done here. i didnt see any of that stuff, but we did get a tour of the plane boneyard which is on the property. really interesting stuff. all types of commercial planes in various stages of deconstruction. its basically an airplane pick n’pull. at that time, there also happened to be 10 or so newer Southwest planes being stored there during the travel off-​season.

First went to this airport years back for CQB training using the aircraft bone-​yard there. If you drive by today the planes are still lined up. Some just parked and «mothballed» while others being disassembled for parts. Some movies are shot there as well. Voyager and Virgin SpaceShipOne are from here. This airport is registered as a «Spaceport». There are some cool «fly-​ins» too. Great restaurant too.