Notes: This Herc was with VX-6 from 1961 to 1999. It's pictured here while doing a short stint with VX-30, still wearing its skis from VX-6 days. It was eventually sent to AMARC 1/20/05.

Notes: Lockheed's test bed for the JSF F-35 program (CATBird 1) is being rolled out for the first time after its first series of mods by BAE at Mojave. The trailing instrument cone can be seen hanging inside the rear door.

Notes: Most of the external modifications had not been done at the time of these photos.

Notes: Ex Luftwaffe 41+15 is seen taxiing for departure after being used to chase SpaceShipOne on a test flight.

Notes: SpaceShipOne is seen touching down after one of its early test flights.

Notes: Nicknamed "The Blue Barron", this Phantom was used in flight testing by BAE at Mojave, but was registered to the USAF. "In memory of Barron "Duke" Fredericks" is stenciled on the inlet. 430FS was used by NavAir on 8/1/02 to launch an MA-31 target in a test mission. It was sent to AMARC 12/1503.

Notes: One of numerous aircraft utilized by the NTPS at Mojave.

Notes: Restored by volunteers at Air Museum Planes of Fame in Chino, CA, this flying wing was one of four initial flying wing development aircraft produced.

Notes: The N9M aircraft were basically 1/3 scale test beds for what was to be the XB-35. Chuck Yeager and Bob Hoover were two of the Pilots that flew her.

Notes: The NTPS' ex RDAF "Draken" taxis in after a super-stall training mission.

Notes: An umbrella shields the front seat of 155 while a student does cockpit avionics evaluations.

Notes: 217FR is an ex-RDAF "Draken" and one of two single-seat models flown by the NTPS.

Notes: This H-60 is one of twenty one UH-60L models that were converted to MH-60K, and used in the 160th SOAR. It's most likely used as a test bed for the latest upgrades in the type.

Notes: Flown by test pilot Mike Melville, SpaceShipOne glides in for a landing to Runway 12 at Mojave.

Notes: Orbital Sciences' "StarGazer" sits on the ramp at Mojave, which it calls home. The StarGazer is mainly utilized by NASA on various projects, including the launching of the Pegasus XL rocket.

Notes: White Knight heads out to take off with SpaceShipOne mounted underneath, for what will be SS1's first full drop test.

Notes: This ex-South African Navy patrol plane is used as a flying classroom at NTPS. The aircraft includes a belly radome and FLIR under the nose.

Notes: This privately owned L39 is being evaluated by the AFFTC for use by the Test Pilot School. There was originally a second L39 in a red scheme as well.

Notes: The AFFTC L39 is pictured on the NTPS ramp, after having just made the hop over from Edwards to visit the students at the National Test Pilot School.

Notes: While with TFS, this aircraft was often used to tow targets. Wyatt Fuller eventually restored the aircraft into a USAF scheme, but he was tragically killed on 7/24/06 when the aircraft crashed attempting to depart Hickory, NC.

Notes: The White Knight is seen returning to Mojave with the X-37, after the planed test drop for the day was scrubbed due to high winds.

Notes: Flight Research, Inc. is pictured flying Air Transport International's 821BX down runway 26, during a Reduced Vertical Separation Minimums certification flight test for ATI.

Notes: The aircraft was modified with a flight test static system designed by FRI, which uses a trailing cone to sample static air pressure that's undisturbed by the aircraft, and compares it with the aircraft's static source pressure.

Notes: Rob Sherer takes off in his Starship to check winds aloft for a possible X-37 test launch. The winds proved to be too high, and the mission was canceled.

Notes: After having recently returned from Darwin, Australia, while working on the ARM-UAV project, SC's "Proteus" is back out working again.

Notes: Built by Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm GMB, this helicopter is one of many unique aircraft used by the NTPS.

Notes: Agusta-Westland's "Civil 1" is used in the US-101 (VH-71A) "Marine One" program. The aircraft was being flown out of Victorville AP, CA and utilized in high-altitude/high-temperature testing of the General Electric CT7-8E engines that will power the Increment 1 aircraft. This aircraft will also be used to test the more powerful GE CT7-8C-E1 engines for the Increment 2 aircraft.

Notes: At the time of this photo this Super Sabre still wore the paint of its ex owner, Tracor Flight Systems. It was actually being used by FTA as a chase aircraft during testing of the MAN Portable Air Defense System on FedEx MD-11 N525FE. 417FS was the last known commercially operated F-100.

Notes: 720H is the flying test bed owned by Honeywell. A fifth engine can be mounted on the aircraft for testing.

Notes: Flight Test Associates was conducting RVSM certification on the aircraft at the time of these photos.

Notes: Transformational Space Corp. utilizes Proteus on a captive-carry test flight with a rocket mockup. The mockup is a 23% scale model of a proposed 4-person crew capsule called CXV.

Notes: White Knight is ready for takeoff on what will be the first drop flight of the  combined Boeing/NASA/DARPA X-37. Chase was performed by Robert Scherer's Starship and Chuck Coleman's Extra 300.

Notes: Numerous Phantoms sit in various stages of drone modification, on BAE's ramp.

Notes: 305FS was the last of Flight Systems' test aircraft, and was about to be sent to its new private owner in Montana at the time of this photo.

Notes: Proteus gets ready for takeoff with a Scaled Composites mobile support vehicle behind.

Notes: Proteus is seen leaving for Fairbanks, Alaska. Once there it worked on a three-week long high-altitude mission, in Sandia National Laboratories' ARM-UAV program to study of the possible causes of global warming.

Notes: At the time of this photo, FTA was leasing 417FS from Tracor to use as a chase aircraft in their SinoSwearingen SJ30-2 flight test program.

Notes: Test pilot Dick Lawyer takes the Super Sabre down taxiway Bravo.

Notes: Utilizing Flight Test Associates’ Mojave facility, Swearingen tests their SJ30-2 business jet.

Notes: A NASA visitor stops in for the big SpaceShipOne launch.

Notes: After its historic flight, SpaceShipOne is towed in front of the crowd, where pilot Mike Melville will be congratulated as the world's first commercial pilot to achieve an astronaut rating.

Notes: The close to finished "CatBird 1" is taxied out for the first time.

Notes: The fully finished CatBird 1 is seen here. Logos from all the companies involved applied to the sides of the aircraft, along with a JSF program logo.

Notes: An F-35 radome is grafted onto the front of the aircraft.

Notes: Note the canards behind the forward door.