Lockheed Open House, late 1970s

[evangilder]

I was going through my dad's old photos and found these photos from a Lockheed open house in the late 1970s. The date stamp from the processor says January 1979, so I believe these were taken in 1978. Some real gems in here, including a photo of the prototype Lockheed JetStar. I thought you guys might like these. My dad was a big fan of my photography, but I didn't know he did quite a bit of shooting as well in his younger days. He was never one to brag, or talk about himself. So these are like pleasant surprises.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

HOLY SH!T!! I WAS THERE! Summer of 78, went there with my high school GF. A year and a half later while trying to get a job at Van Nuys Airport on a wim I drove over to Lockheed and dropped an application. 4 days later I was working there!

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Pic 4, one with the XFV-1 Pogo in it - the building on the right is building 304 - that's where the P-3 was built. The Building on the left was building 309/ 310, Skunk Works, that's where the SR-71 and F-117A was built.

Building 304 saw P-3s, Constellations and P-38 there. There was a small apartment like set up on a mezzanine, I was told Howard Hughes used to stay there bird dogging TWA Constellations being built.

 

[evangilder]

Amazing, Joe, that you were there too. Thanks for confirming the timeline too. I remember driving past those buildings for years in the late 80s/early 90s when I lived in Burbank. I had never seen these photos before we dug through his box of photos. It was like stepping back in time.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

It seems like yesterday - 35 years, time flies!

 

[Airframes]

Great pics Eric, and what a coincidence Joe! Only the colour balance shows the age - otherwise, to me, it still looks 'current'. I must be getting old !

 

[Gnomey]

Cool shots Eric!

 

[syscom3]

Heck of a find!

 

[wheelsup_cavu]

Nice find Eric.


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