Marine Corps Air Station Mojave
| Mojave Air and Space Port | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||
Mojave in 2009
|
|||||||||||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Airport District, | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | East Kern Airport District, Mojave California | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Mojave, California | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 2,801 ft / 854 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 35°03′34″N 118°09′06″W / 35.05944°N 118.15167°W | ||||||||||||||||||
| Website | mojaveairport.com | ||||||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
The Mojave Air and Space Port (IATA: MHV, ICAO: KMHV), also known as the Civilian Aerospace Test Center, is located in Mojave, California, at an elevation of 2,801 feet (854 m). It is the first facility to be licensed in the United States for horizontal launches of reusable spacecraft, being certified as a spaceport by the Federal Aviation Administration on June 17, 2004.
In 1935, Kern County established the Mojave Airport a 0.5 miles (0.80 km) east of Mojave, California to serve the gold and silver mining industry in the area. The airport consisted of two dirt runways, one of which was oiled, but it lacked any fueling or servicing facilities. In 1941, the Civil Aeronautics Board began improvements to the airport for national defense purposes that included two 4,500 foot (1,400 m) by 150 foot (46 m) asphalt runways and adjacent taxiway. Kern County agreed the airport could be taken over by the military in the event of war.
Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the United States Marine Corps took over the airport and expanded it into Marine Corps Auxiliary Air Station (MCAAS) Mojave. The two existing runways were extended and a third one added. Barracks were constructed to house 2,734 male and 376 female military personnel. Civilian employment at the base would peak at 176. The Marines would eventually spend more than $7 million on the base, which totaled 2,312 acres (936 ha).
Many of the Corps' World War II aces received their gunnery training at Mojave. During World War II, Mojave hosted 29 aircraft squadrons, four Carrier Aircraft Service Detachments, and three Air Warning Squadrons. At its peak, the air station had 145 training and other aircraft. Mojave also had a 75 x 156 foot swimming pool that was used to train aviators in emergency water egress and for recreation. The base's 900-seat auditorium hosted several USO shows that featured Bob Hope, Frances Langford and Marilyn Maxwell.
...
Wikipedia