The airport in Mojave, Calif., does not look like much. It’s a modest complex planted in the middle of the Mojave Desert surrounded by ruddy mountains and dust-covered emptiness. The vibe of the place reflects Mojave the town. It feels rundown and depressed and as though its best days—if it ever had best days—are behind it. But first impressions are deceiving. Because, if you hang around the Mojave airport for a bit, you’ll realize it’s a spectacular place like no other. Open a rusty hangar door, and it opens to reveal a test pilot tinkering on a plane that might set air speed records. Open another, and world-class ... (full story)