You're not really prepared for it, after all you are in the middle of the desert, but there they are, clearly visible from the highway, just pass a dry creek bed and a sign reminding you to turn off your AC for the next 25 miles ...........airplanes..............rows and rows of shimmering airplanes.
We're ouside Mojave Airport (MHV), which along with being the home airport to 'Space Ship One', is the home to the National Test Pilot School, a large storage yard/graveyard for aircraft and a pretty good place to test a brand new camera. We checked in at the airport administration office (under the old control tower) there's a minimum charge of $10 for the van tour, otherwise its $5 per person. While waiting for the van, we're joined by two aircraft spotters, trust me, these guys were carrying some serious camera equipment. Our first tour stop is just inside the fence at a row of military aircraft, the two spotters, which I now will refer to as Boeing and Airbus, hop out and start picking up trash and snapping photos (no clutter in their "trophy shots"), I on the other hand am just trying to make sure the sun is at my back. http://bestsmileys.com/sun/3.gif
Boeing and Airbus eventually hop back aboard, two happier guys you've never seen.
Next came the commercial area, first up WN. Now the WN planes looked ready to roll, while the ensuing rows of US Fokker 100's and 727's and AA Fokker 100s', with their taped windows, engines and wheels were configured for long-term storage. We finally came to a stop in the midst of several planes in various stages of disassembly. These particular planes were being cannibalized and were destined for scrap and while I would like to believe they'll be recycled into new aircraft, the reality is they'll more than likely end up as aluminum soda cans . Boeing and Airbus think this is all pretty great stuff and are taking pictures like crazy. I on the other hand
am stuck trying to figure out 'panoramic-stitch assist mode'. http://bestsmileys.com/frustrated/7.gif
We park near two of the partially cannibalized planes, a US 727 and a HA DC10, next to them is an enormous decaying wooden boat (uh-huh a boat). Boeing and Airbus immediately start snapping away and speculating on how a boat could end up at a "desert airport", I on the other hand was busy trying to find out the cause of white dots and superimposed images in the viewfinder .........darn 'stitch assist mode'.
Page 192 -Troubleshooting
Back in the van our tour guide tells us the boat story. The boat, a model of the oil tanker Exxon Valdez, was used in the movie "Waterworld". It seems many scenes in "Waterworld", including the dramatic sinking of the ship sequence, were filmed right there at the Mojave Airpport---who knew?
Others movies shot at Mojave Airport
Die Hard-2
Executive Decision
Speed
S*W*A*T
Tuskegee Airmen
TV Shows
Alias
Fear Factor
JAG
Myth Busters
Next we were off to see a group of planes at the far side of the field, along the way we pass a taxiing Virgin 747. This plane was going back into service and if it's possible for a plane to look happy, this one appears to be absolutely beaming. Boeing and Airbus immediately change lens and I start leafing through my camera user guide as Boeing suggested slowing down my shutter speed would get me some really great take-off shots.
Page 88 -Setting the Shutter Speed
At the fence were four silent sentinels, a SR MD11, a KL747, a CO747 and one MD11 with no commercial markings, we called this mystery aircraft "the mystery MD11".
We ended our tour at "the runway to nowhere". There were maybe thirty planes just sitting there gleaming in the desert sun, I got the perfect shot...well perfect enough for me anyway.
The Mojave Airport is located approximately 100 miles north of L.A.
I used a Canon Power Shot A80.
edited for spelling and stuff
