I was going to San Bernardino to attend Dreamstate Socal over Thanksgiving.
I was totally not going to be driving to or from LA during thanksgiving. Flying southwest to a nearby Ontario airport was actually a decent option, but I elected to fly my own butt there and fly directly to San Bernardino's now defunct military airport, which therefore has a very nice long runway as well as a great FBO (seriously, awesome FBO, I'm hoping they get enough traffic and customers to sustain themselves, given that San Bernardino is otherwise not really a closeby airport for LA).
It did cost about 2x more to fly my own butt there than flying Southwest at last minute rates, but eh, I got to a closer airport, and I got to leave on my own schedule for both legs :)
The flight there was definitely my best flight to Socal where I got to fly over all 3 of Mohave Spaceport, Edwards Airforce Base (where the space shuttle could land, and X planes are tested), and the unassuming Victorville which has a great collection in its airliner graveyard.
![fly by Moffett fly by Moffett](/blogimg/02/thumb1024_102_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
fly by Moffett
![I don't think it was LA smog, I avoided the LA Basin I don't think it was LA smog, I avoided the LA Basin](/blogimg/10/thumb1024_110_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
I don't think it was LA smog, I avoided the LA Basin
![](/blogimg/17/thumb1024_117_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
![](/blogimg/21/thumb1024_121_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
![Mohave Spaceport Mohave Spaceport](/blogimg/24/thumb1024_124_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
Mohave Spaceport
![](/blogimg/25/thumb1024_125_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
![](/blogimg/29/thumb1024_129_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
![those plane bodies were stripped for parts/skin those plane bodies were stripped for parts/skin](/blogimg/32/thumb1024_132_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
those plane bodies were stripped for parts/skin
![](/blogimg/34/thumb1024_134_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
A cool little racetrack and dragrace strip nearby:
![](/blogimg/38/thumb1024_138_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
![that got me excited :) that got me excited :)](/blogimg/43/thumb1024_143_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
that got me excited :)
Then I made it to Edwards, which is usually closed airspace, but was open during thanksgiving:
![](/blogimg/53/thumb1024_153_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
![](/blogimg/57/thumb1024_157_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
![the runways on the lakebed are my favourite part the runways on the lakebed are my favourite part](/blogimg/58/thumb1024_158_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
the runways on the lakebed are my favourite part
![Left, Center, Right, really? :) Left, Center, Right, really? :)](/blogimg/64/thumb1024_164_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
Left, Center, Right, really? :)
![](/blogimg/65/thumb1024_165_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
![](/blogimg/69/thumb1024_169_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
Then, I made it to Victorvillle, which I circled once at lower altitude to picture all of the many planes parked there:
![](/blogimg/75/thumb1024_175_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
![](/blogimg/77/thumb1024_177_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
![](/blogimg/84/thumb1024_184_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
![southest planes having fun :) southest planes having fun :)](/blogimg/88/thumb1024_188_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
southest planes having fun :)
![](/blogimg/90/thumb1024_190_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
![](/blogimg/92/thumb1024_192_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
![](/blogimg/01/thumb1024_201_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
![](/blogimg/05/thumb1024_205_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
I then finished my flight to San Bernardino, arrived a bit late, but it was well worth it :)
![](/blogimg/11/thumb1024_211_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
![](/blogimg/13/thumb1024_213_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
![sadly the airport is pretty deserted sadly the airport is pretty deserted](/blogimg/14/thumb1024_214_20171124_PAO_SBD.jpg)
sadly the airport is pretty deserted
The flight back was less scenic, the weather got worse (low-ish overcast and rain) as I got closer to Palo Alto. Got to land on runway 13, and no one else was flying with that low overcast and bad weather:
![](/blogimg/00/thumb1024_300_20171126_SBD_PAO.jpg)
![](/blogimg/08/thumb1024_308_20171126_SBD_PAO.jpg)
![](/blogimg/10/thumb1024_310_20171126_SBD_PAO.jpg)
![](/blogimg/11/thumb1024_311_20171126_SBD_PAO.jpg)
![Apple's saucer :) Apple's saucer :)](/blogimg/14/thumb1024_314_20171126_SBD_PAO.jpg)
Apple's saucer :)
![Home, sweet home... Home, sweet home...](/blogimg/17/thumb1024_317_20171126_SBD_PAO.jpg)
Home, sweet home...