The Walt Disney Company's latest theme park in southern California is called "Disney's California Adventure," and one of its "lands" is named "Condor Flats." The "theme" is based on the dry lakebeds of the high California desert, where the military tests experimental high-performance aircraft; you know, up around China Lake Naval Weapons Station near Ridgecrest, and Edwards (formerly Muroc) Air Force Base near Palmdale, made famous by The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe, both the book (1979) [ISBN: 0553381350] and the movie (1983) [ASIN: B000092T6N].

The main ride in Condor Flats is called "Soaring Over California," and it is a soothing yet exhilarating simulation flight — by hang glider, airplane, balloon and helicopter — over some stunning California scenery, complete with pleasant smells (sea surf, orange blossoms, etc.). In one dramatic scene, you are flying over desert badlands. The camera comes upon horse-back riders in Western wear, riding through eroded mud canyons. The the camera pulls up to show fighter jet planes, flying by in formation.

At Mach One, the speed of sound, a jet is going more than ten times as fast as a freeway vehicle at 60 MPH. The five hour drive from LA to Vegas becomes 30 minutes. The desert is shrunk to the playground of the jets.

You can see them flying if you look up. You can also see static displays a number of places in the desert:

• Boron's Vernon P. Saxon Jr. Aerospace Museum [www.1stoptravelguide.com/calif/coming/saxon/cosaxon.htm]
• China Lake Naval Weapons Station: U.S. Naval Museum of Armament and Technology [www.nawcwpns.navy.mil/~pao/pg/Museum.htm]
• Edwards Air Force Base: Air Force Flight Test Center Museum [www.edwards.af.mil/museum/index.html]
• Lancaster, CA: Aerospace Walk of Honor [_] [www.cityoflancasterca.org/Admin/awoh.htm]
• Mojave Airport: Civil Aircraft [air-and-space.com/Mojave%20civil%2020010910.htm]
• Nellis Air Force Base Thunderbird Museum [www.faa.gov/education/awp/museums.htm]
• Palmdale Plant 42 Heritage Airpark [www.cityofpalmdale.org/visitors/visitors_guide.html]

Last update 12:12 PM Fri. 27-Feb-2004 by ABS.