The expanded museum, which opened in July, and the airpark next door showcase 21 of the museum's 60 aircraft. The creators of the exhibits took care to make them accessible and meaningful to visitors, with some extra details. The clear cover of one of the display cases is actually the canopy of an F-16 fighter jet. The covers on a wall display devoted to breaking the sound barrier are front canopies from F-4 Phantoms. Another display features small models of the more than 100 aircraft that had first flights at Edwards AFB over the past 50 years.
First flights are when a craft takes off, lands or both at the site.
There are also sections containing photographs, paintings and murals dedicated to flight testing. The museum is located at 405 S. Rosamond Blvd. Admission is free. If you are visiting the museum on a Friday, the next natural step is to take the Flight Line bus tour, which leaves from the museum at 10 a.m. The free tour begins with a short film highlighting first flights at Edwards and then continues during a bus trip, which gives visitors a bus' eye view of a working Flight Line.