Moffett Field - an enduring Landmark
Sunnyvale is located near the southern end of San Francisco Bay. Its official elevation (average) is 125 feet above sea level. It is flat - no scenic foothills for my home town, just good agricultural soil! In my childhood, towering over the orchards, the canneries, and homes was the Moffett Field Naval Station with its distinctive and enormous hangars . Even today, Moffett Field visually dominates the skyline and Sunnyvale's psychic
In 1931 the City of Sunnyvale purchased 1,000 acres of farmland and gave it to the US government as a home base for the Navy USS airship Macon. Moffett Field opened in 1933. The Moffett Field certainly increased the population of Sunnyvale and brought a certain amount of prosperity during the Great Depression of the 1930's.
The huge Hangar One, covering almost 8 acres, was built to house the airship Macon. It is 1,133 feet long and 308 feet wide and 198 feet high, covering almost 8 acres, The Macon crashed off the shore of California in 1935. No other rigid frame airship replaced it.
During World War II, the government built two more hangars to house a different kind of airship - blimps. Blimps, which were shipped deflated from Akron, Ohio, were to be used for anti-submarine and reconnaissance roles during World War II. Hangar 2 and Hangar 3 were just a little smaller than the first hangar. In the 1950's jet airplanes replaced the quiet airships.
Moffett Field played an important role in the life of my family, both visually and audibly. Jets from Moffett Field would fly over our house constantly. My high school's nickname was the Sunnyvale Jets.
Please enjoy a gallery of postcards and other paper ephemera from the Kay Yonemoto collection. The sepia images are from the 1930's and show Hangar 1 and the Macon.
In 1931 the City of Sunnyvale purchased 1,000 acres of farmland and gave it to the US government as a home base for the Navy USS airship Macon. Moffett Field opened in 1933. The Moffett Field certainly increased the population of Sunnyvale and brought a certain amount of prosperity during the Great Depression of the 1930's.
The huge Hangar One, covering almost 8 acres, was built to house the airship Macon. It is 1,133 feet long and 308 feet wide and 198 feet high, covering almost 8 acres, The Macon crashed off the shore of California in 1935. No other rigid frame airship replaced it.
During World War II, the government built two more hangars to house a different kind of airship - blimps. Blimps, which were shipped deflated from Akron, Ohio, were to be used for anti-submarine and reconnaissance roles during World War II. Hangar 2 and Hangar 3 were just a little smaller than the first hangar. In the 1950's jet airplanes replaced the quiet airships.
Moffett Field played an important role in the life of my family, both visually and audibly. Jets from Moffett Field would fly over our house constantly. My high school's nickname was the Sunnyvale Jets.
Please enjoy a gallery of postcards and other paper ephemera from the Kay Yonemoto collection. The sepia images are from the 1930's and show Hangar 1 and the Macon.
images of Moffett Field
This vintage postcard shows the entrance to Moffett Field in 1930's soon after it was built.
Hangar One is 1,133 feet long and 308 feet wide and 198 feet high, covering almost 8 acres, It is huge. This vintage postcard shows
several conventional airplanes and people along side the hangar.
several conventional airplanes and people along side the hangar.
The Airship Macon was also huge. This image shows it being lead into or out of Hangar One. It looks like a perfect fit.
The Airship Macon tethered out in the open.
More recent postcards of Moffett Field. The first postcards from the 1950's showing Hangar One in the foreground and Hanger Two and Three in the back The last postcard is an aerial image of Moffett Field showing it and the Sunnyvale of today with its freeways and homes.