Edwards Air Force Base | |
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Part of Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) | |
Located near: Lancaster, California | |
A 461st Flight Test Squadron F-35 Lightning II, marked AA-1, lands at Edwards Air Force Base
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Coordinates | 34°54′20″N 117°53′01″W / 34.90556°N 117.88361°WCoordinates: 34°54′20″N 117°53′01″W / 34.90556°N 117.88361°W |
Type | Air Force Base |
Site information | |
Owner | United States Air Force |
Controlled by | Air Force Materiel Command |
Condition | Active |
Site history | |
Built | 1933 |
In use | 1933–present |
Garrison information | |
Garrison | 412th Test Wing |
Airfield information | |||||||||||||||||||
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Main base area
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Rogers Dry Lake runways
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Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 2,310 ft / 704 m | ||||||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 34°54′20″N 117°53′01″W / 34.90556°N 117.88361°W | ||||||||||||||||||
Website | www.edwards.af.mil | ||||||||||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||||||||||
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Source: official site and FAA
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Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) (IATA: EDW, ICAO: KEDW, FAA LID: EDW) is a United States Air Force installation in southern California, located approximately 22 miles (35 km) northeast of Lancaster and 15 miles (24 km) east of Rosamond.
It is the home of the Air Force Test Center and is the Air Force Materiel Command center of excellence for conducting and supporting research and development of flight, as well as testing and evaluation of aerospace systems from concept to combat. It operates the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and is home to NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center and considerable test activities conducted by America's commercial aerospace industry.
Previously known as Muroc Air Force Base, Edwards AFB is named in honor of Captain Glen Edwards (1918–1948). During World War II, he flew 50 missions in A-20 Havoc light attack bombers in the North African campaign on extremely hazardous, low-level missions against German tanks, convoys, troop concentrations, bridges, airfields, and a variety of other tactical targets. Edwards became a test pilot in 1943 and spent much of his time at Muroc Army Air Field, on California's high desert, testing wide varieties of experimental prototype aircraft. He died in the crash of a Northrop YB-49 flying wing near Muroc AFB on 5 June 1948.