Civilians Fly into Edwards Air Force Base for a Chance to Make History

EDWARDS AFB, California, October 1, 2010 - General aviation pilots descend on Edwards AFB for the chance to land on the dry lake bed and be a part of the first event of it’s kind hosted by the base to promote education and spark the imagination.

Out of 2000 submissions 100 pilots were chosen in a lottery system to participate in a safety briefing that also sought to inspire people in the pursuit of math, science and technology. “That is the future of our industry” says Bill Koukourikos, one of the primary organizers of the event in his opening speech to the crowd.

“Every single combat capability in aviation is being developed at Edwards.” They’re at the cutting edge of developing such technology as coal based jet fuel, lasers that bring down missiles, and line of sight weapons release system. “Just look at where you want the missiles to go and they’ll go there.”

“The attraction of flight transcends gender, women were pursuing what was possible with their airplanes and themselves” Colonel Dawn Dunlop says as she talks about the history of women in aviation. Col. Dunlop is the Commander, 412th Test Wing, Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards and an accomplished pilot in her own right with more than 3300 flying hours, primarily in the F-15C/E, F-22A, T-38, and F-16. She has combat time in the F-15E supporting Operation Provide Comfort.

The next speaker is Major Jefford, a female bomber pilot who describes flights of over 20 hours in harsh weather conditions to accomplish missions. Footage of aircraft in flight and on bombing raids roll on a large screen behind her as music from the Zac Brown Band – “Chicken Fried” plays in the background. The words and imagery together with the Major describing a distress call she heard from a soldier on the ground is particularly moving.

Maj. Gen. David J. Eichhorn is commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center and the driving force behind this event. The fly-in was a success with pilots who had to consider thunderstorms looming over the area as they departed into the sky and back to their lives.