Articles written by Cathy Hansen
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15 years ago – SpaceShipOne makes history: First private manned mission to space
Can you believe that it was 15 years ago on June 21, 2004, that SpaceShipOne and Mike Melvill rocketed into aerospace history? Mike Melvill piloted SpaceShipOne on its first flight past the edge of...
Memories of Rotary Rocket in the air
Sixteen years ago this month, you may recall seeing a Chinook (CH-47) helicopter at Mojave Airport. That may not sound too unusual to most people, but what was slung under the Chinook was very...
Another World War II Veteran is gone – Dick Cole
Our nation lost another World War II veteran and member of the "greatest generation," on April 9. Lt. Col. Richard Eugene Cole, USAF (ret.) passed away in Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio,...
Stratolaunch – A giant first test flight at Mojave
Saying Stratolaunch, the aircraft with a 385-foot wingspan, is huge is an understatement! I was between some hangars, behind the flightline fence and saw the chase plane take off, shortly thereafter...
Beechcraft Starship 1 at Mojave
In the early 1980s, Burt Rutan was the world's acknowledged expert in tandem wing, all-composite pusher aircraft. He was approached by Beechcraft to build a 62 percent scale proof-of-concept (POC)...
Memories of 'Air Wolf' at Mojave
I recently saw in the news that the good-looking star of the TV show "Air Wolf," Jan Michael Vincent sadly passed away. Memories of how many of the scenes for that show in the 1980s were filmed at...
VariViggen – Burt Rutan's first homebuilt aircraft design
In 1963, at the age of 20, Burt Rutan was inspired to design a homebuilt aircraft after seeing the North American XB-70 Valkyrie and the Saab 37 Viggen. He called his creation a VariViggen and was at...
Adding 'Rutan Field' to Mojave Air & Spaceport name under consideration
At a recent Mojave Air & Spaceport board meeting, General Manager/CEO Karina Drees announced that there was a request for a discussion item to be brought to the attention of the MASP Board. She...
Saying goodbye to a great aviation couple Phil and Elle Coussens
Such sad news for family, friends and patients of Dr. Phil Coussens and his RN wife, Ellen Coussens, who both passed away within days of each other during Christmas week. They often attended Plane...
Becoming an astronaut – a dream come true for Mark Stucky
Exciting dreams come true at Mojave Air & Spaceport! Dec. 13 produced a calm, crisp morning and there was excitement and an edgy sense of accomplishment hanging in the air around the Virgin...
Unexpected encounter at the North Pole
At the December Plane Crazy Saturday, Dick Rutan, described his unexpected North Pole adventure with our good friend, Ron Sheardown and his Antonov AN-2 biplane. We also saluted the Voyager crew and...
Remember December 7 and the attack at Pearl Harbor
As December 7 approaches, I am reminded of how some people think we should push the memories of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor out of our minds and just get on with our lives. I totally...
EAA Friendship Tour with Mike Melvill and Dick Rutan
I was reminded recently of the exciting and terribly hazardous trip that Mike Melvill and Dick Rutan undertook in 1997, flying their homebuilt Long-EZs around the world with the EAA Friendship Tour....
Clarence 'Kelly' Johnson's Skunk Works Chief Test Pilot – Bob Gilliland
Robert J. 'Bob' Gilliland has logged more experimental supersonic test flights above Mach 2 and Mach 3 than any other pilot. He was the SR-71 project test pilot for and personal friends with Kelly...
Double Korean Ace – Frederick 'Boots' Blesse
During the Korean War, comparisons between the F-86 and MiG-15 were always made by the pilots on both sides. The MiG was able to fly higher and always had the advantage for the start of battles. The...
Saluting a gathering of Test Pilot Schools
The United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) Class #154 from Patuxent River, MD; The U.S. Air Force TPS Class #18 from Edwards AFB and the National Test Pilot School Classes 18A and 18B...
Brig. Gen. Robert L. Cardenas, USAF
Do you know the feeling of meeting a person and instantly there seems to be a connection? That often happens to me when meeting folks from the aviation community. In 2005, at the Aerospace Walk of...
I'm dreaming of a Beaver on floats!
I think the heat is getting to me as I find myself longing for a little cool! I am daydreaming and looking at all of our photos that we took when we visited Alaska. Ooooo, the image of a Beaver on...
Flying in a rare Fieseler Storch
Steve Ericson gave a great presentation at Plane Crazy Saturday last month. He spoke about new aircraft he had designed and old aircraft he had restored. One of the historic aircraft he used to own...
If we could go back in time
Have you every wished you could go back in time? I have heard several people say they wished they could go back to the days when the air races were held at Mojave. Great sounds from magnificent warbir...
Racing warbirds – F4U Corsairs
As I get older, I find myself remembering wonderful and crazy things I did in my younger days. Like the time I towed an F4U Corsair fuselage behind a pickup truck from Lancaster Fox Field to Mojave...
Greatest Generation WWII Navy Veteran – Cal Emerson
Our good buddy at Bakersfield Council Navy League, Cal Emerson, passed away Wednesday morning, June 13, 2018. He was 91. His daughter Sandy believes it was a heart attack. Please keep her in your...
A NASA test pilot at Mojave
Isn't it funny how we can witness history in the making and not realize at the moment how significant it is? Mel Langford, Construction Manager at Mojave Air & SpacePort, and I were discussing...
A 1942 Stearman in the Vintage Air Rally
Living and working around Mojave Air & Spaceport is always exciting! We feel so fortunate to be surrounded by a community of aerospace design engineers and home-builders at our home field. There...
Flying B-17s in World War II
Doug Clipperton, Mojave Chamber of Commerce President, has shared some exciting war stories about his father, Eldred N. Clipperton, U. S. Army Air Corps B-17 pilot. Recently, Doug's brother came...
