Cleared for Take-Off

The old hangar at Condor Flats has been repurposed by the California Aviators, an association of pilots and aviation enthusiasts who endeavor to bring the dream of free flight to reality for anyone who chooses to come Soarin' over California with them. The faded markings on the hangar stand in contrast to the bright, modern graphics which are part of the newer operation.

Entering the hangar, we first pass through the Wings of Fame gallery, the California Aviators' tribute to some of the greatest aircraft designed and built in the state of California. Displays include everything from the Spirit of St. Louis that carried Charles Lindbergh across the Atlantic in 1927 to Rutan Aircraft's Voyager, which broke the distance record by flying around the world in 1986 without stopping or refueling.

There are nods to the DC-3, Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose, Jack Northrop's Flying Wing, the Bell X-1 that launched Chuck Yeager beyond the speed of sound, the SR-71 Blackbird stealth plane and the Space Shuttle Columbia.

We might catch a glimpse of brilliant blue through the skylight overhead, as we move down into the next exhibit area, Legends of Flight. Here, the walls are adorned with portraits of some of the most significant pilots and aeronautical designers who contributed to California's aviation legacy. There are names like Douglas and Lockheed, now associated more with their companies than the pioneers who founded them. Look also for John J. Montgomery, who completed the first successful glider flight near San Diego in 1883, two decades before the Wright brothers. There's also Paul MacCready, a pioneer in human-powered flight whose Gossamer Condor stayed aloft for seven minutes in the 1970s, and Amelia Earhart, the world's most famous female pilot.

Once aboard the "flying theater," our trip over the beautiful sights of California takes us from the Golden Gate Bridge across San Francisco Bay to the rapids of Redwood Creek in Northern California, from the crashing surf of Monterey Bay to a Thunderbirds flight over the Anza-Borrego Desert, all culminating in a fireworks finale in the skies above Disneyland.

For those familiar with the Soarin' attraction at Epcot, the flight experience is exactly the same as in the Disney California Adventure original, but the settings of the two attractions are quite different. At Epcot, guests board their flights from a large concourse accessible from inside The Land pavilion. The overall look is inspired by ultramodern airports, and the cast members working the attraction take on the role of flight attendants.

In Condor Flats, the Soarin' over California cast are intended to be members of California Aviators, dressed appropriately in khaki flight suits. The attraction interior helps support the story, with an industrial look accented by corrugated metal and exposed superstructure.

As our flight experience ends and we head for the exit, don't think the storytelling has stopped. At first glance, this may look like a fairly nondescript concrete exit ramp, but look more closely. The exit for Soarin' over California is actually in the vicinity of the nearby blast area. The observant will notice that the concrete walls at this subterranean level are actually scarred from that history of rocket engine testing. It's just one of the many small details that tell the story of Condor Flats.