Navy Weighs Options for MOFFETT's Hangar One

[Flugelman]

The airship hangars at NAS Moffett were great for finding the airfield when flying in the area. The smog in the late 60's, early 70's was terrible. Even though technically VFR it was sometimes difficult to recognize anything on the ground over a couple of miles away. Moffett had a great flying club with a T-34A (Air Farce model).

 

[Pags]

Too late!

I can't help my nature...

 

[Pags]

So does a "Tophook" landing carry the same weight as a "Tailhook" landing?

Does it really qualify as a "landing" if the wheels never touch the ground?

Would be a bummer to be short on gas and options in an F9C, it's not like you can ditch alongside a Zeppelin.

 

[nittany03]

I can't help my nature...

Takes one to know one.

 

[snake020]

Driving on the 101 without the Hangar One landmark would seem kinda wierd.

MB, next time you're in Northern CA here's your reference:

Giant blimp hangar around gridlocked Silicon Valley traffic: Moffett Field

Abandoned airstrip in close proximity to protesting hippies: NAS Alameda

 

[NavAir42]

Driving on the 101 without the Hangar One landmark would seem kinda wierd.

MB, next time you're in Northern CA here's your reference:

Giant blimp hangars around gridlocked Silicon Valley traffic: Moffett Field

Abandoned airstrip in close proximity to protesting hippies: NAS Alameda

Fixed that for you. There are three of them after all. The slightly smaller hangars two and three just happen to be on the other side of the runway and aren't in any danger of being torn down.

 

[nittany03]

Fixed that for you. There are three of them after all. The slightly smaller hangars two and three just happen to be on the other side of the runway and aren't in any danger of being torn down.

What a bizarre looking airfield, too. The "base" or what's left of it kind of blends in with the development, so all you see are two parallel runways and three ginormous hangars. And a big red/white/blue Google 767, I might add . . . :icon_tong

 

[Catmando]

Do the massive airship hangars still stand at Lakehurst too, or not?

NAS Moffet holds a very special place in my memory. One bad black night, six of us made a long, emergency bingo from the boat to Moffet. I landed there with about 500# of fuel (the emerg. fuel light comes on at 1900#), which was relatively good. The two guys ahead of me actually flamed out as they taxied inbound after landing! They had to be towed.

 

[C420sailor]

As of 2002 they still stood at Lakehurst. I remember doing a duathlon there and running around them. Massive!!!

They also had those longggg strips leading into the woods---they had train tracks on them. I heard they were for rocket sleds, any truth to that?

 

[NavAir42]

What a bizarre looking airfield, too. The "base" or what's left of it kind of blends in with the development, so all you see are two parallel runways and three ginormous hangars. And a big red/white/blue Google 767, I might add . . . :icon_tong

Yeah, some of that's probably because it hasn't been an honest to God Navy base for 15 years or so. It really has become a strange mix of civilian, NASA nerd, and what's still left of what the Navy put in. I completely forgot I had these:








One of the old guys that worked in base ops was a little startled to see a P-3 parked outside. To his exclamation of "The Navy's here!" we simply replied "...and we'd like our base back." I'd give all the Brunswick's in the world (including Canada's) for them to reopen Moffett and move the P-3s back there. I guarantee the P-8 would have no trouble fitting in any of those hangars.

 

[BigIron]

As of 2002 they still stood at Lakehurst. I remember doing a duathlon there and running around them. Massive!!!

They also had those longggg strips leading into the woods---they had train tracks on them. I heard they were for rocket sleds, any truth to that?

Hangar 1 @ NAS Lakehurst is humongous. I went to Shooter school in that building. All (well most) of the catapult and arresting gear stuff for carrier aviation comes from Lakehurst.

 

[SnipeDude]

I don't know if they are as big but when I was growing up there were still blimp hangars up at NAS Tillamook, Oregon

"The huge hangar visible from Highway 101, 2 miles south of Tillamook, is the largest clear-span wooden structure in the world. The Museum covers the history of NAS Tillamook and lighter-than-air technology and houses the largest collection of flyable warbirds in the Pacific Northwest. The handicap accessible museum also offers an aviation gift store, a restaurant serving lunch daily, a theatre and a new exhibit hall. There is plenty of free parking, outdoor picnic area, dog walk area, telephones and restrooms." (http://www.u-s-history.com/or/t/tillanas.htm)

If you go you have to go to the dairy, too.

 

[NavAir42]

The NAS Tillamook hangars are about the same size as hangars 2 and 3 down at Moffett. Hell they look like the same architect designed them. From what I remember of the museum there it's not quite as big as hangar 1 at Moffett.

The cheese factory is what Tillamook is all about. Damned good ice cream and cheese. Not together mind you.

 

[Herc_Dude]

I don't know if they are as big but when I was growing up there were still blimp hangars up at NAS Tillamook, Oregon

"The huge hangar visible from Highway 101, 2 miles south of Tillamook, is the largest clear-span wooden structure in the world. The Museum covers the history of NAS Tillamook and lighter-than-air technology and houses the largest collection of flyable warbirds in the Pacific Northwest. The handicap accessible museum also offers an aviation gift store, a restaurant serving lunch daily, a theatre and a new exhibit hall. There is plenty of free parking, outdoor picnic area, dog walk area, telephones and restrooms." (http://www.u-s-history.com/or/t/tillanas.htm)

If you go you have to go to the dairy, too.

I got to see those growing up as well. Don't know how they compare in size but they were big as hell.

The Tillamook cheese factory was also well worth the trip. Blocks of cheese the size of a small car. The ice cream does kick ass.

 

[nittany03]

If you go you have to go to the dairy, too.

Will second this. Their cheese and yogurt are KILLER. Best I've had west of the Mississippi.