The Flying Aircraft Carrier That Once Called Moffett Field Home

Bay Curious

KQED

History, Society & Culture, Places & Travel

4.9 • 999 Ratings

🗓️ 11 April 2019

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

If you’ve driven north on 101 through Mountain View, you really can’t miss Moffett Field. Seeing the giant open airfield is one thing — but what really grabs the eye is the larger-than-life birdcage-looking structure known as Hangar One. This week on the show, we learn why the airfield was built, what majestic airship that was once house there, and what’s going on at Moffett Field now. Read the web story: That Giant Structure Off 101 Once Housed a Flying Aircraft Carrier Reported by Rachael Myrow. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Robert Speight, Paul Lancour and Ryan Levi. Additional support from Julie Caine, Suzie Racho, Ethan Lindsey, Pat Yollin and David Weir. Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Ask us a question or sign up for our newsletter at BayCurious.org. We’d also love your questions about Lake Tahoe at baycurious.org/tahoe. Follow Olivia Allen-Price on Twitter @oallenprice.

Transcript

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0:00.0	From K-QED. I'm Olivia Allen Price. This is Bay Curious. The first time I saw Moffat Field and
0:08.6	Hanger 1, my jaw literally dropped. I was driving along north on 101 through Mountain View.
0:14.4	For the most part it's a whole hum drive. There's trees or sound barriers all
0:19.4	along the side of the road. Not really much to see. But suddenly an enormous plane opens up to your east. It's an
0:26.2	airfield. And at one end stands the biggest structure I have ever seen in my entire life.
0:32.8	Hanger One.
0:33.8	It kind of looks like a bird cage,
0:35.6	but it's shaped like a twinky and massively large.
0:40.0	Laura Sneden of Los Gatos has driven by Moffat Field many times over the years and heard some rumors
0:45.4	about what goes on there.
0:47.0	She wants to know, what is Moffat Field used for?
0:49.8	Is it a NASA research center, a military base, or an airfield for private use by tech companies like
0:54.7	Google? The short answer is yes. Moffat field is part NASA research center, part
1:00.5	military base, and part airfield for private use.
1:04.0	But trust me, the long answer and the story of Hanger One is much more interesting. Support for Bay Curious
1:19.3	Bay Curious is brought to you by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company,
1:22.4	still family owned, operated, and argued over.
1:25.8	Explore their brews wherever fine beverages are sold and taste how trailblazing runs in the family.
1:32.1	Visit Sierra Nevada.com to find your new favorite beer today.
1:38.4	For this story, we called in KQEDs Rachel Myro,
1:41.0	the Queen of all things Silicon Valley.
1:43.2	That's bee.
	...

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