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Altitude: m. ASL.
Region:
United States > California
Cache type: Virtual
Size: No container
Status:
Ready for Search
Date hidden: 2015-06-12
Date created: 2015-06-12
Date published: 2015-06-12
Last modification: 2016-01-02 
384 visitors 
2 x rated 
Rated as: n/a
Cache attributes
Description
EN
When you arrive at the posted coordinates, you will be standing in front of a memorial to United States Air Force Navigator training.
Mather Air Force Base, initially known as "Mills Field," opened in 1918, but was closed shortly after World War I. After a period of inactivity, it was reactivated as a unit of several other military facilities, and became a separate military installation again in 1941. From that time until its closure in 1993, Mather AFB trained military aviators and became the sole school of aerial navigation for the United States Air Force.
Seemingly countless numbers of Air Force officers earned their navigator wings at Mather where they learned to use "all available navigation aids" such as the stars, radio, radar, LORAN, and other electronic navigation systems
Today, Mather is now a civil facility and navigators no longer learn their skills here. However, a dedicated group of historians established this memorial which depicts a stalwart and experienced instructor navigator teaching the proper use of a navigation sextant to an erstwhile student.
As you visit this site, sit down on the bench at the posted coordinates and ponder that the folks who graduated from Mather went on to lead their aircraft to myriads of remote and distant destinations, all without the aid of GPS. As we geocache today with our hand-held GPS units and smartphones, it's good to hearken back to the early methods used to determine one's position, some of which have been used for thousands of years.
Note: If the bench is missing, walk over to the nearby dedication plaque.
After you've paid your respects at this auspicious place, get up from the bench and examine the nearby dedication plaque. Take note of the second word on the second line from the top, as that is the password (all caps) you will need to log this cache.
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