PRODUCTION TEST FLIGHT INSTALLATION, PALMDALE, CALIFORNIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP63-00313A000500110010-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 27, 2002
• Sequence Number: 10
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2007/07/25: CIA-RDP63-00313A000500110010-3
~3t214-63
Copy * 01 --~
7 August 1963
MEMORANDUM FOR: .Chief, Security Staff, OSA
SUBJECT Production Test Flight Installation,
Palmdale, California
P1 t 42 (see attached aerial photograph) is a ou
3. L/C Hurlburt's staff include'L/C Joseph Davies, who
will replace Hurlburt when he is transferred next month, a
orthrup are producing or modifying aircraft here, a;
ucting the pre-acceptance test flights. Douglas is using
art of an NAA hangar.
ver to another company producing aircraft under contract
w USAF, if necessary. At present NAA, LAC,!NorAir, and
ynd con-
is presently building the B-70 here. If, after the iLhree
B-70's NAA has contracted to build have been constructed
and there is no follow-on contract for more B-70's, then
NAA would vacate. USAF might then turn these properties
2. an
50,000 acres of government owned land under the jurisdiction
of the Air Force. All properties and plants on this land
are owned by the Air Force and are let to contractor facilities
on a tenant basis as long as such contractor is manufacturing
aircraft under a USAF contract. For instance, North American
ccep ,ante p
maintenance is provided under contract by Vinnell Corporation,
i.e.,,providing maintenance of utilities, fire fighting and
t test ilots and a clerical staff. Properties
?rtain plant protection functions.
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Approved For Release 2007/07/25: CIA-RDP63-00313A000500110010-3
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4. The plant has two 12,000 foot runways. The
north runway is completely stressed for heavy jet aircraft
(B-52,,707 etc.);the south runway is composed of 7,000 feet
of WPA type of runway and a 5,000 foot extension of jet
stressed runway. The 7,000 feet of old runway are in such
bad condition that only aircraft having less than 25,000
pounds weight are permitted to land on it. This means
that only light jet fighters and C-45's may use it. Connies
?.=yare generally too heavy to be permitted the use of this
portion of the runway. The FY-64 budget for facilities
,~~,,.1? expansion calls for replacing the 7,000 foot runway with
~?. ova a runway stressed to accomodate heavy jet aircraft. How-
ever, so far approval has not been granted for this. Eight
hundred landings a month are allocated to commercial companies
for transition training. Other than this there is no
utilization of Plant 42 facilities by commercial air.
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5. It is the opinion ofl land the undersigned
that if Plant 42 is used to transport LAS, HAC and Edwards
people that the most likely embarkation
and debarkation area is near the Vinnell Corporation hangar.
There is parking in this area and it is sufficiently remote
from the other contractor sites. As all property here is
AF and buildings and hangars are moved from one area. to
another, depending on AF evaluation of contractor needs,
there would be little problem in obtaining some sort of
structure for our use if such were necessary. In order to
obtain the support needed for our operation and in order
to insure good cover and backstopping it will be necessary
to brief the commander.
6. It was difficult to make determinations on some of
the detail aspects of flying project people out because
L/C Hurlburt was not cleared. However, it seemed quite clear
that a plan to fly project people from Palmdale
is feasible. The details of such a plan would have to be
worked out with the help of the Plant commander after, he
has received some sort of briefing (not less than K-.2).
25X1 I: anw/SS/OSA
Approved For Release 2007/07/25: CIA-RDP63-00313A000500110010-3
 Approved For Release 2007/07/25: CIA-RDP63-00313A000500110010-3
PITR 0 D U C T I 0 N FLIGHT I N S T A L L A T I O N
P A. L M D A LEI C A L I F O R N I A" --''-
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Approved For Release 2007/07/25: CIA-RDP63-00313A000500110010-3