(FOX40.COM) \u2014 From the past to the present, Sacramento has continuously evolved as a backbone to American aviation.<\/p>\n
FOX40 is celebrating the \u201cSpirit of America\u201d and transported us back into the city\u2019s history with aerospace technology and showing us this ongoing role in Northern California.<\/p>\n
Our team headed to McClellan Park to launch a journey through space and time. Some like to say it\u2019s not rocket science, but in Sacramento\u2026 it actually is.<\/p>\n
For Glen Brady, the Aerospace Museum of California isn\u2019t just a place where he volunteers. It\u2019s home and it\u2019s history.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started out here at McClellan Air Force Base in June of 1973 as a brand new second lieutenant,\u201d Brady said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow special is it now to still see this space alive, just looking a lot different?\u201d FOX40\u2019s Sierra Krug asked Brady.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m so happy that they\u2019ve been able to repurpose a lot of the facilities here through the McClellan Business Park,\u201d Brady said.<\/p>\n
The McClellan Air Force Base holds deep roots in our nation\u2019s aviation evolution. Established in 1936 as a West Coast air depot, Brady said the location was key.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s centrally located along the West Coast. It has good flying weather year round,\u201d Brady said. \u201cOne of the criteria was that it was far enough inland that it wasn\u2019t susceptible to a naval attack.\u201d<\/p>\n
This site played a critical role in aircraft engineering support, electronic work and logistics and maintenance during the World War II, Cold War, and even Korean and Vietnam War eras. The base closed in 2001, but its legacy lives on each day.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe museum\u2019s mission is to honor the past and inspire the future through aviation technology and allow people the opportunity to explore, discover and be inspired by that technology,\u201d Brady said.<\/p>\n
The spot also prepares visitors for take-off. Whether training the next generation of actual pilots or those just interested in learning to fly, the modern-day museum\u2019s Flight Zone brings participants right into the cockpit.<\/p>\n
So, from planes of the past, to the next frontier, Sacramento continues to claim its role in the nation\u2019s aviation development and aerospace exploration. Sacramento-based company Tecma contributed precision parts used in NASA\u2019s Artemis space missions. Meanwhile, California remains the largest state contributor to NASA\u2019s Artemis program.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I always say to visitors, if the planes could talk, what could they do?\u201d Brady said. \u201cIt\u2019s just part of the legacy of aviation here in Northern California. McClellan Air Force Base played a very important role in that.\u201d<\/p>\n
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