Trip Report - Vandyland 2009 This was one of those times when fate put a business trip to a cool location on my agenda. I had to spend two weeks working at Vandenberg AFB. I opted to drive out in my own vehicle, tacking vacation days onto the front and back of the trip to allow some exploration.

Thursday, 4 Jun 2009

I managed to get on the road at 0530, since I had a long day ahead of me.

Hurricane Supersonic Research Site UT (5286) This Air Force site featured a high-speed track, used to test things such as aircraft ejection systems. Just getting to the top of Hurricane Mesa was an adventure--the access road is barely one lane wide, and winds and climbs steeply along the side of the mesa. I stopped twice on this breathtaking ascent to let my overheating Subaru cool down. At the top, I stopped at the keep out signs posted by the current owner.
View from beginning point of access road
Access road winding up the side of the mesa
Elevated water storage tank visible on mesa
Elevated water storage tank visible on mesa
Observation tower visible on mesa
Keep out signs
Elevated water storage tank with modification
Observation tower
General view

I stopped for the night in St. George, Utah, after covering 706 miles in 13.5 hours. This was the longest driving day of the trip (I'm getting too old for this kind of marathon day)!

Friday, 5 Jun 2009

From St. George I headed southwest, passing through Nevada and Arizona before entering California.

Mojave MCAS CA This was a Marine Corps airfield during W.W.II. Road construction kept me from getting a good view of most of the place, and I didn't get any photos.

Wheeler Ridge Comms Site GWEN 648 CA(YVGP) This GWEN site had the typical 299' tower and was operational from the late 1980s until 1999.
Tower
Equipment shelters
Equipment shelters and access drive

Minter Field CA This was an AAF flying school during W.W.II.
Vintage building
Vintage building
Vintage building

Shafter GFA CA (4438) This gap filler, known as P-59A, supported Boron AFS from 1959 to 1961.
View from south
View from west

Shafter Comms Fclty Anx #1 CA (7009, VKRN) This GATR site, known as R-10, supported Boron AFS in the 1960s and 1970s.
View from south
View from west

Rankin Field CA This W.W.II contract flying school was operated for the AAF by Rankin Aeronautical Academy.
Former entry gate
Flag pole
Hangar, east end
Hangar, west end
Historical marker
Historical marker
Building

This was an 11-hour day covering 553 miles. I stopped for the night in Tulare, California.

Saturday, 6 Jun 2009

I got an early start and headed north.

Madera AFS CA (1417) This long range radar site, known as P-74, operated from 1952 to 1966.
Front gate
Gate house
Operations building
Operations building
Operations building
Dormitory
Buildings
Buildings
Buildings
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building

Eagle Field CA This W.W.II contract flying school was operated for the AAF by Coast Aviation.
Gate
Building
Building
Hangar
Hangar
Hangar
Hangar

Moffett Field CA Built as a naval air station in 1931, this installation was an AAF basic flying school for a couple years in W.W.II, before transferring back to the Navy. Three extremely large dirigible hangars are the focal point of this base, which is now operated by NASA. (No photos, active installation.)

Onizuka AFB CA (7025, WMSJ) This base had its start as Sunnyvale Satellite Test Annex, then Sunnyvale AFS. One large building, dubbed the "Blue Cube" dominates the small installation. It became Onizuka AFB in the late 1980s, then was downgraded to air station then Air Force station in the 1990s.

Salinas AAB CA This was an air support base and night fighter replacement training unit in W.W.II.
Hangar
Hangar
Hangar

Tonight's stopping place was King City, California, after driving 424 miles in 10 hours.

Sunday, 7 Jun 2009

From King City I headed south.

Vandenberg AFB CA (5569, XUMU) Part of the Army's W.W.II Camp Cooke was acquired by the Air Force and designated Cooke AFB in 1957. A year later it was redesigated Vadenberg AFB, and remains active.
Minuteman Beach
Surf Beach with Space Launch Complexes in background
Surf Beach sign
Ronald W. Reagan Missile Defense Site
Ronald W. Reagan Missile Defense Site
Ronald W. Reagan Missile Defense Site
Ronald W. Reagan Missile Defense Site
Ronald W. Reagan Missile Defense Site

Vandenberg would be "home" for the next two weeks. This was a short driving day, only 227 miles in 6 hours. Total trip from Denver was 1,910 miles over 4 days.

Saturday, 13 Jun 2009

For my weekend I chose to head south to the Los Angeles area.

Oxnard AFB CA 1489, SQUA) This field saw limited Army use during W.W.II as Oxnard Flight Strip. It then served the USAF from 1951 to 1969 as an ADC base. Note: I revisited this installation on 13 Jun on my way back home, but I've included all the photos here in one place for convenience.
ADC fighter alert hangar
ADC fighter alert hangar
ADC gate house
ADC gate house
Hangar
Hangar
Hangar
Hangar
Hangar
Hangar
Hangar
Hangar
Elevated water storage tank
Elevated water storage tank
Water storage tank
Water storage tank
Munitions storage igloo
Segregated storage magazine
Dormitory
Dormitory
Dormitory
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building

Lookout Mountain AFS CA (1019, NQUH) This facility was built during W.W.II as a fighter control center. From 1946 to 1949 it was used by the Atomic Energy Commission, then it transferred to the Air Force as Lookout Mountain Laboratory. This was home base to the crews who filmed the atomic bomb tests, and the processing location for the films. In 1958 it was redesignated Lookout Mountain Air Force Station, and it was inactivated in 1969.
View from road
View from road

Grand Central Air Terminal CA This airfield supported both a contract flying school, No. 2 British Flying Training School operated by Polaris Flight Academy, and also a Fourth Air Force subbase during W.W.II.
Hangar with control tower
Hangar with control tower
Hangar with control tower
Hangar detail

Nike Site LA-43L CA This Nike launcher site wasbuilt on the White Point Military Reservation.
Missile assembly and test building
Missile assembly and test building
Missile assembly and test building
Missile assembly and test building
Missile assembly and test building
Warheading building
Warheading building
Warheading building
Warheading building
First launcher elevator
First launcher elevator
First launcher elevator
First magazine primary personnel entry
First magazine secondary personnel entry
Second launcher elevator
Second launcher elevator
Second launcher elevator
Second launcher elevator
Second launcher elevator
Second launcher elevator
Second magazine primary personnel entry
Second magazine secondary personnel entry
Building
Building
Gate house
Gate house
View of buildings from hill
View of first launcher area from hill
View of second launcher area from hill

Fort MacArthur Housing Annex CA (HHEK) This was formerly the Fort MacArthur Middle Reservation, transferred from the Army to the Air Force in 1982. It had been declared surplus by the Army in 1977. Many Army buildings and structures remain, others (including a Missile Master building from the Nike years, and Battery Irwin that had two 14" railway guns) were destroyed to build new Air Force housing.
Flagpole at Patton Quadrangle
Cannon at Patton Quadrangle
Sign with cannon
Gazebo near former site of Battery Irwin
1918 building now used for lodging

Fort MacArthur Lower Reservation CA The Army declared this property surplus in 1977; it was soon razed and dredged and is now Cabrillo Marina.
View from Fort MacArthur Housing Annex
View from Fort MacArthur Housing Annex

This was short day, only 248 miles in 9 hours.

Sunday, 14 Jun 2009

After a restful night I headed out on my return trip.

Battery Paul D. Bunker CA My knowledge of coast defense locations is limited, so I was surprised when I looked up on the hill behind LA-43L on Saturday and saw this, which I recognized as a W.W.II-era 16-inch gun position. So on Sunday morning I hiked up the hill to the battery, which was on the White Point Military Reservation.
General view of both 16-inch gun positions from the access road
Front of first gun position
Front of first gun position
Front of first gun position
Front of second gun position
Front of second gun position
Front of second gun position
Area behind gun positions
Side view of gun position showing overhead protection
Interior of gun position
Interior of gun position
Interior of gun position
Interior of gun position
Rear of second gun position
Feature between gun positions
Rear of first gun position

San Pedro Hill AFS CA (UUMY) I didn't drive up the hill, but I saw the radomes of this former long range radar site in the distance from Fort MacArthur Upper Reservation ad also from Battery Paul D. Bunker. The Air Force operated this site from 1960 until the late 1980s, when the FAA took over full operation of the facility.
Distant view
Distant view
Distant view

Los Angeles AFB Area A CA From 1961 until a few years ago, this was one of two components (across an intersection from each other) of Los Angeles Air Force Base. Construction fences shielded most of the property from view, but I got some glimpses of new construction underway.
New development
New development

Ventura County Airport CA This was a contract flying school in W.W.II, operated by Mira Loma Flight Academy for the AAF until 1944. At that time the Navy took over the base and operated it as NAAS Ventura County through the end of the war.
Hangar
Hangar

Then I headed back to Vandenberg AFB, making this a 9-hour day covering 223 miles. This weekend trip covered 461 miles.

Thursday, 18 Jun 2009

Santa Maria Airport CA Another W.W.II contract flying school, this one was operated by Allen Hancock College of Aeronautics.
Former hangars
Former hangars
Former hangars
Former hangars
Former hangars

Saturday, 20 Jun 2009

Essex Comms Site GWEN 871 CA (GEKJ) A typical relay node site with 299' tower, operational from the late 1980s until 1999 and sometimes known by the name Fenner. I was pleased to note that it is located directly off the old Route 66.
Equipment shelters
Equipment shelters
Equipment shelters and access drive
Tower support
Tower
Tower
Tower

I made it as far as St. George, Utah, after driving 644 miles in 10.5 hours.

Sunday, 21 Jun 2009

The drive from St. George to Grand Junction, Colorado was 416 miles in 8.25 hours.

Monday, 22 Jun 2009

This was a short drive of 273 miles in 5 hours. The return trip from California to Denver was 1,333 in 3 days. The entire 19-day trip covered 3,992 miles.