In 1930 residents bought 1,000 acres and sold them to the Navy for $1. The base was commissioned in 1933 as NAS Sunnyvale, a name chosen partly because “Mountain View” worried officials planning an airship base, and was soon renamed for Rear Admiral William A. Moffett.
The Navy flew airships, blimps and patrol planes there until July 1, 1994, when it handed the field to NASA. Google’s Planetary Ventures has leased the airfield since 2014.