Houses in the Wherry Housing area at Edwards AFB

Houses in the Wherry Housing area at Edwards AFB, in the mid-1950s, having been completed and leased to military and civilian personnel in February 1951. (Courtesy Photo)

Heritage Wall Photos

Maj. Frank K. “Pete” Everest appears wearing the official desert uniform, and what looks like an Indian headdress. (Courtesy Photo)

Enterprise arrives at Edwards

The first Space Shuttle orbiter, Enterprise, arrived at Edwards AFB on January 31, 1977. It had been moved via road at 3 mph from Rockwell International’s assembly facility at Palmdale aboard a 90-wheel transporter. The unpowered version of the Shuttle was housed at Dryden Flight Research Center in preparation for a series of ground, captive- and free-flight tests prior to the space launch program. (Courtesy Photo)

Naming Edwards Air Force Base

On January 27, 1950 a ceremony was held in connection with Armed Forces Day to rename the base in honor of Capt. Glen W. Edwards, a crewmember killed in the YB-49 flying wing crash the previous year. The plaque unveiled that day, misspelled his first name as Glenn, and was later corrected. The base of the plaque reads “A pioneer of the Flying Wing in the western skies, with courage and daring unrecognized by himself.” (Courtesy Photo)

Lt. Col. Frank K "Pete" Everest in the Bell X-2

Lt. Col. Frank K. “Pete” Everest, Chief of the Flight Test Operations Division at Edwards from 1950-1956, shown here in the rocket-powered Bell X 2 research aircraft. Colonel Everest made the first powered flight of the X 2 on November 18, 1955, and completed eight of the nine total powered X-2 flights. Everest’s status as the “Chief” of Air Force flight test was denoted by the headdress painted on his helmet. (Photo courtesy of AFFTC History Office)

History

B‐47B Pilots’ Evaluation Program: From left to right, Maj. Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager, Capt. Joseph E. Wolfe, Maj. Jackie L. Ridley, and Lt. Col Frank. K. "Pete" Everest, Jr. (Air Force photo)

B-47

The B‐47 Stratojet, the first swept-wing jet bomber built in quantity for the Air Force, taking off from Edwards. (Air Force photo)

B-36

Consolidated Vultee (later Convair) designed the B‐36 Peacemaker to meet the Air Force’s requirement for a strategic bomber with intercontinental range. (Air Force photo)

YF-22 COMES HOME TO ROOST

Fourteen of the 22 Airman who were hands-on in the process of bringing the first YF-22 Raptor prototype built, pose in front of the aircraft with Mr. David Ferguson (blue shirt), first Raptor test pilot, Mr. Tom Morgenfeld (tan shirt), last Raptor test pilot and Mr. Fredrick Johnsen (white shirt), Air Force Flight Test Center Museum director, that were instrumental in bringing back to Edwards, its flight-test home.

Col. Jackie Ridley

Col. Jackie L. Ridley, while stationed at Edwards in the 1940s. (Official Air Force photo)

Century Circle welcomes YC-15

The YC-15 was welcomed to the Century Circle display at the West Gate on Rosamond Boulevard during a dedication ceremony July 8. The YC-15 will be an addition to six Century Series aircraft already on display. (Air Force photo by Senior Airman Stacy Sanchez)

Century Circle welcomes YC-15

Maj. Gen. David Eichhorn, Air Force Flight Test Center commander, welcomes attendees to the dedication ceremony of the YC-15 to the Century Circle display at the West Gate on Rosamond Boulevard July 8. The aircraft flew for the first time over Edwards on Aug. 26, 1975. (Air Force photo by Senior Airman Stacy Sanchez)