Pathfinder 1 Flies the Coast to Salinas

On October 27, 2026, Pathfinder 1 left Moffett Federal Airfield in Mountain View and flew south along the Monterey Bay to Salinas Municipal Airport in Salinas, California. It was the airship’s first time landing away from home, and the longest stretch the crew has flown over open water.

Flying the coast meant new weather and terrain, and a chance for the team to collect data in conditions Pathfinder 1 hadn’t encountered before. Ocean air carries more moisture than the airship’s home environment over the southern part of the San Francisco Bay, and conditions are more varied where open water meets land. Our pilots and flight test engineers on board experienced those changes in real time, while the aircraft recorded data to analyze.

Much like Moffett Field, Salinas Municipal Airport has deep military roots. During World War II, the airport served as Salinas Army Air Field, where observation squadrons flew anti-submarine patrols over the central California coast. The airport returned to civilian use after the war and now serves business and general aviation. It’s also home to the California International Airshow, a fixture since 1981.

We’re grateful for the chance to land somewhere new and to become a small part of the airport’s history.