Observing Site In California

Hi Spiros,

I have Edwards AFB just to my north. I worked there for many years as a civilian contractor. I have a nice collection of aviation photos and a few shuttle landings-did get one on video from a good location. It was the first shuttle mission after the Challenger accident back in 86. I also have many military aircraft fly over the house B1, B2, B52, C17, helicopters and other odds and ends. That gives me a few nice photo opportunities. Sometimes I get four Marine helicopters fly over and the house shakes-these are those big bad boy helicopters. If you have noticed some of my past postings to this site, I also have a good view to the west to observe missle launches from Vandenberg AFB and have posted a few photos of launches. So my location is pretty good for aviation and astronomy enthusiasts.

The SR71 takes first place, but my little house is down there. -Fred

Just like an American movie... a small town in the middle of the desert..

Nice location Fred, there must be excellent viewing conditions.

OK Foxmoor,

Ah-hah!

Movies!

You had to remind me.

Once I had to drive through the Saddleback Butte State Park, which is the hills and property to the left of the houses, because at the end of the dirt road they were shooting a movie. The CHP (California Highway Patrol) cruiser had blocked the road to traffic. The next paved road, a mile to the West, has a built diner and motel for a movie shot some time ago. They didn't tear it down and it has been used in many movies and commercials. I see the area from time to time on tv here in Athens and say to myself "hey, I know that location". If it is a night shoot, the sky above the area is all lit up with their bright lights. Always something interesting happening.

The area around my home and Edwards can be explored with Goggle Earth if you don't have anything better to do on a cold, windy and rainy night.

-Fred

Hi Fred,

What a photo!

The area where your house is situated is perfect in every aspect.

The only drawback I can find -if any- is that it is 660 miles south of the 2017 eclipse track!

Clear Skies,

Vagelis

What!

I'm gonna miss the eclipse?

I want my money back.

Oh well, we can't have everything. Driving to the eclipse will be easy.

The house is at 2,600-foot elevation (792 meters) and the snow topped mountain just above the SR71 is Mt. San Antonio (Old Baldy Peak) at 10,064 feet (3,067 meters). Saddleback Butte just next to the house is at 3,651-feet (1,112 meters).

So much for the intro geology course.

-Fred

Well, when the LA basin is all fogged in, the Milky Way is just great. Mind you this site is not a pristine dark sky site, but it is good enough for astronomy and ccd astronomy. To the west is Palmdale, Lancaster and the community of Quartz Hill. Their combined population is about 250,000 and it creates some glow to the west. I am stituated 17 miles to the east so that helps by having some distamce between us. Lets see, that's about 27 kilometers. I honestly can't recall the magnitude, but the Pleiades is very easy to view with ones eye. San Diego is to far south to cause any interference to the night sky at my location.

I never figured one photo would have me writing all these replies. But, that's ok, it is a lot of fun in doing so. I just need to get a vehicle one day so that I can get out under the stars and do what I like doing-observing. Oh, and don't forget the "space music" and that bbq-oh yeah!

-Fred

Great Fred. I was born in Zakynthos, an Ionian Island. A decade ago it was perfect for astronomy due to geography with mountains an small hill creating a ring around the island protecting it from strong winds, very common at almost all Greek islands. The night sky was simply amazing those years. Now we are limited at Mag 4 or 4,5 at good transparency nights

Andravida AFB is near at Peloponnese. Before the Greek air force issue more strict low flights rules, Zakynthos was used extensively for all kinds of flight training by the Center of Air Tactics witch is based at Andravida. I have seen everything : Low flight A7 Corsair, F104 Starfighter, (they are retired now) Phantoms doing crazy things at the west side, 4 on 4 engagements or CAP with F16 and Mirage 2000. Take a look at these photos. They are from the west side of the my island

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z214/tasoscorsair/C28.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z214/tasoscorsair/C30.jpg

I guess you must have a rather extensive collection of photographs by now. Did you take these when you were in the air Force?

The A7's remind me of time whe we sharded a hanger with those aircraft. At that time I had an air filtration machine to keep the environment somewhat on the "clean" side of things. Well, everytime an A7 in hangar would fire up its engine and those fumes would come into the work area, it wqs time to throw out the filter for the air filtration machine. It just couldn't cope with the volume of exhaust put out by an A7. The fastest aircraft that I saw was an SR71 that was at 80,000 feet (24,384 meters) and when it passed my meridian. the shock wave didn't reach me until the aircraft was practically at the horizon. A very impressive aircraft.

I will have to e-mail you some of my photographs to view.

-Fred

I think SR71 together with the later B1B were the most "expensive" planes that ever fly. The dollars per airmile ratio was the highest. Engines, fuel and other systems demanded special and high cost procedures. Even the pilots gear was high cost (for the SR71 that is) with lightly pressurised suits and helmets.

Nice photo, location and house. You are lucky Fred....

Spiro,

So you couldn't join because of bad eyesight. Reminds me of my dad, he wanted to join tha RAF in WWII but they wouldn't take him because he wore glasses. That's fine, during the Battle for Britain, far to many pilots never returned.

Vasilis,

No doubt, these aircraft cost a bundle alright.

Oh, I have posted a sequence of SR71 photos that I took on my personal page here on astrovox for you enjoyment. They were taken with the power winder continually engaged. It was a very short time span. Hope you like them.

-Fred