Moffett Field Air base - Deconstruction of the famous Hangar One (pics and memories)

I have a personal connection with Moffett Field - from watching the Blue Angels perform there as a kid, to various air shows, to visiting the NASA Ames space museum there, but most of all because my grandfather was the Chief Electrician for the construction job, He made a dollar a day throughout the worst years of the Great Depression (early 1930s); a pretty decent salary for those years.

This thread is to share memories of the great air base (officially closed but still in use ) and famous Hangar 1 (currently undergoing deconstruction).

I fly out of SFO (San Francisco International Airport) reasonably often and have managed a few pics of the hangar. I'll share one now from the air and continue adding more as I get them.


Moffett Field from a few thousand feet, on final approach into SFO. From a Boeing 757 with very dirty windows

Wiki: Moffett Air Field, Hangar One, Mountain View, CA

That's a shame. I thought hanger 1 was designated as a national historic landmark? It's so short sighted pulling these buildings down, nothing like them will ever be built again.

At least the Lakehurst nj hangers are still being used.

Just read the listed wiki article. Looks like GOOGLE might fund the restoration?

I worked for the US Space Camp Foundation and at one time "Space Camp Califronia" (since closed) was at Moffit. While I was normally assigned to "Aviation Challenge California" at the Castle AFB/Airport I made many trips up to mountain view. Always' like seeing that hanger.

reply to post by Thermo Klein


My grandfather used to tell me about when he worked at Lockheed they would go for a smoke to hanger 1 he said that on a perfectly clear day outside it would be raining inside the hanger. It was so large he said that it had its own atmosphere. I would have liked to have seen that one for myself, but I will take his word for it, he's one of the few people I actually trust when they tells me something for the most part.

reply to post by IblisLucifer


I have heard that it would sometimes get it's own fog or even rain inside....

reply to post by SrWingCommander


Yeah that's what he would say even on a nice day they would bring umbrellas hella funny that would have made for a great picture rain on the inside with sunshine out the back of the hanger few people with umbrella girls in bikinis just outside thanks i can wait to tell my grandfather the cool beans as he would say

as of yesterday, July 10th 2012.




I still haven't heard of this on the "news" or NPR. I haven't looked into it though.

Originally posted by drock905
That's a shame. I thought hanger 1 was designated as a national historic landmark? It's so short sighted pulling these buildings down, nothing like them will ever be built again.

At least the Lakehurst nj hangers are still being used.

It is and NASA is supposed to restore the shell at some point. We fly out of Moffet all the time BTW when we head out on long range medical transports.

I grew up in the Palo Alto and can still remember P-3's overhead in an seemingly endless circle as they practiced touch and go's