July/August Los Angeles Section Monthly Supplement
A RTI C LE
Development of the Commercial Aviation Infrastructure
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By Charles H. Adams, Jr., P.E., M.ASCE
A large number of used military aircraft flooded the commercial
aircraft market at the end of World War I. The abundance of
surplus military aircraft increased the interest in aviation and
eventually the growing popularity of passenger flight. Airports
in the beginning were airfields, unpaved strips of land wherever
there was open space for the earliest airplanes to land. Many
of those airfields became airports that make up the modern
commercial aviation infrastructure.
Several airlines started by carrying passengers that were loaded
onto open compartments together with the US mail they had
contracts to carry. The Contract Air Mail Act of 1925 provided
for air mail service contracts to be awarded to private aviators.
Western Air Express, later to become Western Airlines, had a
contract to carry mail between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.
It flew a Douglas M-2 airplane. In 1926 it flew its first commercial
passenger flight with two passengers seated on mail bags on its
mail delivery flight.
The Boeing 40A was designed with an enclosed cabin to carry
two passengers as well as two compartments to carry up to
1,200 lb of mail. It was a single engine biplane and was used for
airmail service in the 1920s and 1930s. Boeing was awarded a
contract to carry mail between San Francisco and Chicago. The
40A was used by airlines that eventually became part of United
Airlines. The 40A was eventually replaced by the 40C, which
had an enlarged cabin to carry four passengers.
The earliest aircraft to be used for air transport both for passenger
and cargo service was the Ford Trimotor. It was produced by
the Henry Ford Company between 1925 and 1933. It carried
a crew of three, a pilot, co-pilot and stewardess, and eight or
nine passengers. This aircraft influenced the development of
the modern aviation infrastructure. Paved runways, passenger
terminals and hangars were built to serve the passengers and
cargo flown in the Ford Trimotor.
Grand Central Air Terminal,
Glendale, California
employment in the City of Glendale.
A nearby airfield was started in 1916 by Leslie Coombs Brand
who was influential in the economic growth of Glendale. Closer
to the Los Angeles River, the Grand Central Air Terminal was
established with commercial aviation potential in 1923 on 112
acres of land. It was later expanded to cover 175 acres. The
Art Deco terminal building with its control tower was designed by
Henry L. Gogety and was completed and opened in 1929. The
airport had a single runway, 3,800 feet in length. It was the first
paved runway in the Western United States.
After completion of the airport, it was sold to the CurtissWright Flying Service. The company was managed by Corliss
C. Moseley, who was one of the founders of Western Airlines.
The airport was visited by many famous pilots, including Amelia
Earhart, Wiley Post, Eddie Rickenbacker and Glenn Martin.
Charles Lindbergh flew the first scheduled transcontinental
service from Grand Central in founding the Transcontinental Air
Transport, which became Trans World Airlines (TWA).
Jack Northrop started the Avion Aviation Company at Grand
Central in 1927. William Boeing bought the company and
moved it to the Burbank Airport, which was the United Airport
at that time.
Laura Ingalls was the first woman to fly solo across the country
when she landed at Grand Central in 1930.
Dr. Albert Forsythe and C. Alfred Anderson were black aviation
pioneers who advanced the interest on aviation for African
Americans during the 1930’s. Forsythe practiced medicine in
Atlantic City, New Jersey and Anderson was the first African
American to receive a pilot’s license. Their purpose was to
demonstrate that black pilots were not inferior to white aviators
and could do anything white pilots could do. Their first flight
was from Atlantic City to Los Angeles, landing at Grand Central
in 1933.
Howard Hughes built the H-1 racing aircraft there in 1935. The
H-1 Racer set a world airspeed record and a transcontinental
speed record flying from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey in
1937. The H-1 Racer was the beginning of the Hughes Aircraft
Company.
The airport served as a location for the filming of several movies
during the 1930’s. They featured many movie stars, including
Shirley Temple, James Cagney, Joan Fontaine, John Payne and
Dick Powell. The airplanes for use in the movies included every
airplane design of that era.
The Grand Central Air Terminal was located in the Los Angeles
suburb of Glendale and was the primary airport for the Los
Angeles area during the 1920’s 1930’s and 1940’s. It played a
very important role in the development of aviation infrastructure
in Southern California. During its heyday, it provided the largest
Movie stars, producers and directors and such celebrities as
Clark Gable, Knute Rockne, Louis B. Mayer, Mary Astor, Jack
Warner and Joe E. Brown, probably took off or landed at Grand
Central at one time or another. James Stewart, who served as
a pilot in the Army Air Corps during World War II, had his private
plane there. Edgar Bergen, a sportsman pilot who owned a
number of aircraft, including a Fairchild 24W, Stinson 105 and
Taylorcraft BC-12, also had a private plane there.
The Grand Central was taken over by the government and
closed to commercial and private aviation at the start of World
War II. TWA however, continued to have its western terminus
at Grand Central. The runway was extended across Sonora
Avenue to Western Avenue to give it a total length of 5,000
feet. That increased its capacity to accommodate the larger
airplanes used during the war years, such as the Fairchild PT19 Trainer, the Stearmans Boeing PT-17 Trainer, the Lockheed
P-38 Lightning Fighter, the North American P-51 Mustang
Fighter, the Douglas C-47 Skytrain Transport (DC-3 Airliner) and
the North American B-25 Mitchell Bomber. The Lockheed C-69
Constellation Air Transport was the largest aircraft ever to land
at Grand Central. The Grand Central Flying School was used by
the Army Air Corps to train its pilots, as well as those for the
British Royal Air Force. The Army operations were conducted as
a sub-base to the Van Nuys Metropolitan Airport.
At the end of World War II, the airport was returned to
commercial and general aviation. The runway extension across
Sonora Avenue was removed, and the runway length reverted to
3,800 feet. Sonora Avenue was restored as a road connecting
San Fernando Road and Riverside Drive. This became a limiting
factor for the operation of larger aircraft at the airport. It lost
business and eventually closed in 1959. Today it is the Grand
Central Business Park, the corporate offices of the Walt Disney
Company, the headquarters of Walt Disney Imagineering and the
home of DreamWorks Animation SKG production company.
The terminal building still stands at 1310 Air Way, which is
southeast of Western Avenue and one block southwest of
San Fernando Road. The runway still exists, although it is
now carrying automobile traffic as a city street, Grand Central
Avenue. The Walt Disney Company owns the land on which there
are three surviving hangars.
Burbank Bob Hope Airport (BUR)
A new airfield was developed in 1929 a few miles from the
Lockheed plant on 234 acres of land acquired by United Aircraft
and Transport Company , a subsidiary of the Boeing Company.
The United Airport had five runway. Two were over 3,600 feet
long; a third was 2,900; all were 300 feet wide. It was an all
direction airport. Pacific Air Transport and Western Express
operated out of this airport. In 1934, United Airports Company
became part of United Airlines and the airport was renamed
Union Air Terminal. Transcontinental & Western Air (TWA) moved
its operations from the Grand Central Air Terminal in Glendale
to the Union Air Terminal in 1936. American Airlines followed
in 1939. Union Air Terminal competed with Grand Central Air
Terminal to become the primary airport for the Los Angeles
region. It became the airport of choice to many celebrities,
aviation pioneers and movie stars. The airlines that had
scheduled operations out of Burbank were Western and TWA in
addition to United. American Airlines continued to operate out
of Glendale.
As the airlines were negotiating with the City of Los Angeles
to move to Los Angeles Airport, United Airlines negotiated with
Lockheed Aircraft to take over the Union Air Terminal. Lockheed
acquired the airport in December 1940 and renamed it Lockheed
Air Terminal. During World War II, it served as the delivery
airport for the Lockheed P-38 Lightning Fighter, Lockheed
PV-2 Harpoon Bomber and the Lockheed C-69 Constellation Air
Transport. Also, under a license with Boeing Aircraft, Lockheed
produced Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Bombers at that location.
The airport continued to operate as a commercial airport
during the war years. In more modern times the U-2 and SR71 reconnaissance aircraft and the F-117 stealth fighter were
produced at Burbank. The F-22 Raptor was the last aircraft from
the Lockheed facility.
In 1946 the major airlines moved to Los Angeles Municipal
Airport. Since the 1960’s Burbank had scheduled airline
operations mostly to destinations in the Western United States,
except that JetBlue has a route to New York. In 1967 the name
of the airport was changed to Hollywood-Burbank Airport. In
1978, Lockheed sold the airport to an airport authority
composed of joint powers among the three cities, Burbank,
Glendale and Pasadena and the name was changed to BurbankGlendale-Pasadena Airport. In 2003 the airport was renamed in
honor of entertainer Bob Hope, who had died earlier that year,
whose residence had been in Toluca Lake and who maintained a
private airplane at Burbank.
Bob Hope Airport occupies an area of 550 acres on which are
two intersecting runways. North-South Runway 15/33 is 6,883
feet long and East-West Runway 8/26 is 5,802 feet long. The
passenger terminal consists of the original terminal building and
two concourses having 14 aircraft gates.
The aircraft company that was started by the Loughead brothers
was one of the biggest industries in Burbank. In 1928, the
aircraft company became Lockheed and produced some of the
greatest airplanes in aviation history. The facility was located
between North Buena Vista Street North Victory Place and
between West Empire Avenue and the Southern Pacific Railroad
Line. It consisted of a factory building and a 2,000 foot long
runway on its south side parallel to the railroad line.
The airport has served as a location for the filming of several
movies since the 1950’s. They have featured many movie
stars, including James Dean, Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor
in “Giant”, and Harrison Ford and Sean Connery in “Indiana Jones
and the Last Crusade”.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Aircraft Company opened an aircraft manufacturing plant on the
south side of Imperial Highway, making it situated in the City
of El Segundo, The Los Angeles airfield was used by these
manufacturers for aircraft testing and military operations.
The airport obtained fee title to the land on October 1, 1937.
At the same time negotiations were initiated with all the major
airlines for their move to Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Airport was established in 1928 by the Los
Angeles City Council on a one-mile square area between Century
Boulevard and Imperial Highway and between Sepulveda
Boulevard and Aviation Boulevard. William W. Mines was the
real estate agent who arranged for the lease of the land. And so
the airfield was named Mines Field. The land was cleared and
made into dirt landing strips. The first building, Hangar 1 was
constructed and the airport opened for business in 1930. The
land was purchased in 1937 and the name of Mines Field was
changed to Los Angeles Airport in 1941.
Carl Hinshaw, as a resident of Pasadena, California, was a
member of the U.S. House of Representatives and served from
1939 to 1956. He was a member of the Committee on Interstate
and Foreign Commerce and the Congressional Air Policy Board.
He was recognized for promoting the development of aviation
both as a deterrent to war and for promoting the interests of
commerce.
Fletcher Bowron was the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles from
1938 to 1953. His role in aviation was to protect the aircraft
industry and aviation interests on both the municipal and State
level.
At the end of World War II, orders for the manufacture of military
aircraft were cancelled and tens of thousands of workers were
laid off. At the same time, the sale of government surplus
planes curtailed the need for new aircraft.
The Aviation Department of the Los Angeles Chamber of
Commerce was tasked with organizing annual conferences
with participation by airport directors, aircraft executives and
airline executives to further the cause of maintaining the aircraft
industry in Los Angeles. The purpose was to protect the aircraft
industry because of its importance to the economy of Southern
California. At the same time, the Chamber and its Air Force
Affairs Committee argued that the aircraft industry needed to
continue research and the development of military aircraft. It
needed to be given orders in sufficient numbers to supply the Air
Force with the most advanced military airplanes to stay ahead of
other nations in that endeavor.
North American Aviation moved to Los Angeles Airport in 1935.
The facility was at the southeast corner of the airport at Imperial
Highway and Aviation Boulevard. At the same time, The Douglas
In 1943 Mayor Bowron organized an aviation committee to
develop Los Angeles Airport into an international airport. For
this he started negotiations with the airlines to move from the
Lockheed Air Terminal in Burbank to the Los Angeles Airport.
That was necessary to develop modern terminals and to
attract more federal aid to airports. Aircraft manufacturing
depended extensively on airport facilities for its operations. It
could be understood how important this was to the Chamber of
Commerce’s Aviation Committee since the local aircraft industry
employed up to 305,000 persons during the war years.
There were many improvements to the airfield during the war
years, mostly sponsored by the Federal Government. The two
east-west Runways, 25R and 25L, were the main improvements.
In 1946 most of the airlines at the Lockheed Air Terminal in
Burbank and the Grand Central Air Terminal in Glendale moved
to LAX. Airport Management secured the services of M.
Tommy Tucker, a nationally recognized Airport Engineer, for
engineering technical services to develop airport improvements.
Later, Tucker became the first Chief Airports Engineer of the
Department of Airports.
As World War II came to an end, terminal facilities at Lockheed
Air Terminal, with only six boarding positions, were sorely
inadequate for the airlines, and with no space for expansion.
Consequently, the airlines were ready to move to the Los
Angeles Airport.
The “INTERMEDIATE FACILITIES PROGRAM” was completed
in December 1946, for airline operations. The temporary
facilities consisted of four temporary buildings, three for airline
operations and one for airport administration offices, together
with space for a Post Office and Weather Bureau Office. One
terminal building was used by Western Airlines and American
Airlines, a second for United Air Lines and TWA, and the third for
Pan American World Airways and customs facilities. The apron
provided 24 aircraft positions in six rows of four. The parking
lot on the north side of the buildings, between Avion Drive and
Century Boulevard, had 800 spaces.
At the same time, Western Airlines began construction of a
hangar with space for two DC-6’s and maintenance facilities.
American Airlines completed a structure to accommodate fourengine and two-engine airplanes.TWA completed a building
with nose hangar space for three Lockheed Constellations or
four DC-3’s. United was completing a hangar with nose-type
construction for one four-engine plane and one twin-engine
plane.
The Federal Airports Act of 1946, which Carl Hinshaw worked to
enact, provided up to 50% of the costs of airport construction
projects. For Los Angeles, it provided one third of the funds
invested into its international airport.
The passenger volume for the first year of operations was 1.23
million passengers, and the air cargo volume was12 million
pounds.
level, and the Central Utility Plant. Added to the facility was the
Maintenance Yard and aircraft maintenance hangars at the west
end of the airport. Another facility on the west end was The Nike
Anti-aircraft missile silo site, LA-70 of the Los Angeles Defense
Area. It was in a vacant lot west of Runway 6R. The site was
removed and is now the location of the Jet Pets Animal Service.
The airfield was developed together with the Central Terminal
Area. The airfield on the north side of the CTA was graded for
a new east-west runway. And the airfield on the west side was
graded for north-south taxiways to connect the north with the
south. One of the taxiways was a north-south runway. The clear
zone for that runway was the Westchester Golf Course. Later, in
1969, a new runway was completed in the north airfield.
A new charter amendment was approved in the municipal
elections held on April 1, 1947 to give the Department of Airports
independent status and control over its own finances. The
first General Manager was Colonel Clarence Young. Woodruff
DeSilva remained as the Airport Director.
In 1950 the two east-west runways were extended across
Sepulveda Boulevard to a length of 6,000 feet. In 1953, the
Sepulveda Tunnel was built beneath the two runways. Later, the
runways were extended to 8,500 feet across the land that had
been acquired for the expansion of the airport.
Los Angeles Airways was a scheduled helicopter service that
began in 1947 to carry mail from the Terminal Annex. In 1953
it added passenger commuting and freight service between
LAX and destinations across the Southland as far away as
Santa Barbara, Barstow and San Diego. It attracted federal
subsidies for its Sikorsky helicopters based upon the need for
the development of helicopter technology for national defense.
Los Angeles Airways ceased operations in 1971.
In 1958 the architectural firm of Pereira & Luckman was given
a contract, together with Welton Becket and Paul Williams, to
design the new Central Terminal Area with terminals for each
major airline. The design was truly a “jet age” design as it was
intended to accommodate the new jet airliners, Boeing 707’s and
DC 8’s, that were beginning to appear in the airport’s fleet mix.
The design included architectural and engineering innovations,
too numerous to describe here.
The plan called for seven terminals, each with a ticketing building
and a companion satellite building. The ticketing buildings were
situated on a horse shoe roadway with their satellite buildings
out on the aircraft aprons. On the north side were Terminals
2 for international airlines including Pan Am, and Terminal 3
for TWA. The south side had Terminal 4 for American Airlines,
Terminal 5 for Western Airlines, Terminal 6 for Delta Air Lines
and Continental Airlines, and Terminals 7 and 8 for United Air
Lines. Terminal I was not built since the airport authority had
not yet acquired the land on which it was intended. Terminal 7
was the first terminal to be completed in 1961; Terminal 6 was
the last in 1966.
In the center of the horse shoe were open ground level
parking lots, the Administration Building with the Control Tower
protruding from its center, the futuristic Theme Building with a
restaurant at the top and an employee cafeteria on the ground
Original aircraft hangars remained on the south side of the
airport along Imperial Highway until the 1970’s when, except for
Hangar 1, they were demolished to make space for air cargo
facilities
Through the years improvements were continuously made to the
CTA. The gaps between terminal buildings were filled in, and
multi-level parking structures began to spring up in the center
of the CTA. The satellite buildings for Terminals 4, 5, 6 and 7
were extended out toward the south airfield. There were other
improvements made to the airport too numerous to mention.
Between 1980 and 1984, the Central Terminal Area went through
a major expansion. During the 1970’s there were new concepts
considered, designs developed and plans for construction of
four major projects. They were two new terminal buildings, a
second level roadway, and modifications of all ticketing buildings
to interface with the second level roadway. In addition there
were new parking structures to increase passenger volume
capacity.
During the 1970’s, Terminal 2, the international terminal, went
through two expansions that barely kept up with the rapidly
growing international passenger volume. A new international
terminal was planned to be constructed at the west end of the
CTA where a commuter terminal existed. This new international
terminal was to complement Terminal 2 and double the amount
of international flight capacity. This terminal was named the Tom
Bradley International Terminal upon its completion.
The land intended for Terminal 1 had not been acquired during
the 1970’s. But a decision was made to construct the new
Terminal 1 within the space available, which was used as an
open ground level parking lot at that time. The terminal building
was designed to accommodate the smaller jet airliners in use
at that time, such as the Boeing 737’s and DC 9’s. Pacific
Southwest Airlines (PSA) was to be the primary tenant.
The vehicular traffic that circulated around the CTA was often
gridlocked at peak passenger flow during the summer months
and holiday periods. There were several alternatives studied
to increase capacity. The one chosen was the Second Level
Roadway. Terminal building modifications were coordinated
to interface with the Second Level Roadway. Ticket counter
lobbies were moved to the second floor, and baggage claim
space was expanded on the first floor of each ticketing building.
In addition, the airlines constructed connector buildings to fill in
the space between each ticketing and satellite building.
The expansion program was originally scheduled to be a 6
year program starting in 1978. However due to delays in the
environmental impact report process, construction was delayed
until 1980. It was recognized that the expansion program
schedule needed to be reduced in order for all construction to
be completed before the 1984 Olympic Games starting in July
1980.
In 1996 a new air traffic control tower was constructed to
provide a better view of the entire north and south airfields.
Present day LAX has four runways, two each on the north and
south airfields. They range in length between 8,925 to 12, 091
feet. In 2007 construction was completed to relocate Runway
25L-7R that increased the separation between runways. That
allowed the construction of a center taxiway that was completed
in 2008. There are proposals for the north airfield to relocate
Runway 24R-6L to increase the separation between runways and
construct an new center taxiway there.
The current major project at LAX is the reconstruction of the
Tom Bradley International Terminal to increase the number of
gates from 11 to 18 and to better accommodate Group VI new
large aircraft, such as the Airbus A-380 and Boeing 747-8.
Presently there are 117 connected gates at the CTA terminals
and an additional 14 gates at the Remote Aircraft Parking Area.
The next major project proposed for LAX will be the Midfield
Satellite Concourse, which will be located west of the Tom
Bradley International Terminal. The first phase, MSC North, will
be a concourse with 11 gates.
The currently approved LAX Master Plan includes projects to
allow the airport to handle an ultimate 78.9 million passengers
per year.
Ontario International Airport (ONT)
It was quite common during World War II for airports, especially
those with aircraft manufacturing, to be taken over for military
use. The Army acquired the property for its 311th Air Base
Squadron in 1942. Later that year the 69th Observation
Group arrived and the airfield became the Ontario Observation
Aerodrome. It used the North American O-47 observation
airplane to patrol the coastal waters for submarines and to
photograph local harbors and aircraft manufacturing facilities.
The Observation Group acquired adjacent land to expand the
466 acre airfield by an additional 379 acres, bringing the total
land to 845 acres.
In 1943 the 4th Army 384th Fighter Squadron arrived and used
the airport to train P-38 pilots in air-to-air combat to shoot down
targets towed by the 11th Tow Target Squadron. Following the
384th were the 4th Army 35th, 389th, 786th and 797th AntiAircraft Artillery Battalions.
At the end of World War II, the airport was left with improvements
to become a modern airfield. It became government surplus
and was transferred to the War Assets Administration. The
City of Ontario re-acquired the airfield in 1949 to make it into
a commercial airport. Western Airlines was the first scheduled
airline to start operations. In addition, Lockheed, Douglas and
Northrop maintained aircraft plants there.
The California Air National Guard 163rd Fighter Group was
stationed at ONT, maintaining a fleet of North American F-86
Sabre Jets. That led to additional airfield improvements, runway
extensions to accommodate the F-86 jet aircraft.
Starting in 1959, Los Angeles International Airport used Ontario
as an alternate airport for airliners to land when LAX was closed
due to fog. From Ontario, passengers and their baggage were
boarded onto buses that took them to their intended destination
at LAX.
In 1967 the City of Los Angeles entered into a joint powers
agreement with the City of Ontario to take over and operate
Ontario International Airport. The transfer took place on
November 1, 1967. Complete ownership of the airport was
acquired by the City of Los Angeles on July 1, 1985.
In 1981 a second east-west runway, 26L-8R, 10,200 feet in
length was constructed to accommodate wide-body aircraft
being used by UPS. In 1987 Runway 26R-7L was extended
and made the main runway for departures and having Runway
26L-7R the main runway for arrivals. Old diagonal runways are
now taxiways.
The City of Ontario established Ontario Municipal Airport on 30
acres of land in 1929. In 1941 the airport was expanded when
the City acquired an additional 470 acres. Two new concrete
runways were constructed and completed by 1942 with funds
from the Works Progress Administration. The east-west runway
was 6,200 feet long and a diagonal northeast-southwest runway
was 4,700 feet long. By 1943 the Army Air Corps took over the
airport to make it a training base for Lockheed P-38 Lightning
fighter airplanes. The P-38’s were manufactured by Lockheed in
Burbank and flown to Ontario by pilot trainees.
In 1985 the design of a new terminal area was completed by
the architectural and engineering firm DMJM Aviation that year.
The original plans included three new terminal buildings having
a total of 35 aircraft gates and the adjacent 4,000 foot long
aircraft apron, taxilane, and taxiway. After several years of
negotiations with the airlines based at ONT, it was determined
that the construction of the center terminal would be deferred
until the passenger volume reached 10 million passengers per
year in two consecutive years.
The expansion program included the construction of the Ground
Transportation Center, a consolidated car rental center on the
east end of the airport.
Ontario International is the third largest airport in Southern
California after LAX and Orange County John Wayne Airport.
Today the airport covers 1,700 acres with its two runway airfield
and terminal facilities. Terminals 2 and 4 provide a total of 26
connected gates. The airlines operating at ONT are: AeroMexico,
Alaska, American, Delta, Delta Connection operated by SkyWest
Airlines, Southwest, United, United Express operated by SkyWest
Airlines, US Airways and US Airways Express operated by Mesa
Airlines.
The two runways at ONT are Runway 08L-26R, 12,197 X 150
feet and Runway 08R-26L, 10,200 X 150 feet.
In 2006 the name of the airport was changed to LA/Ontario
International Airport to designate that it is one of the airports
owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports.
Long Beach Airport (LGB)
Boeing. This was done since aircraft manufacturers cooperated
with one another during World War II to maximize production. A
rate of one aircraft per hour was produced at the Long Beach
Airport during those years.
The military version of the DC-3 was the first airplane produced
at the Long Beach Airport plant. It was the military C-47/
R4D Skytrain and rolled out on December 23, 1941. Aircraft
manufacturers employed the practice of developing both civil
and military transports together. The military aircraft supplied
the means of spreading development costs of civilian aeronautics
to the military.
The Army Air Transport Command 6th Ferrying Group, which
included a squadron of 18 women pilots, was stationed at
the “Long Beach Army Airfield”. It was the delivery airport for
Douglas aircraft. New aircraft were moved to Fairfield-Suisun
Army Air Base, which became the Travis Air Force Base, and on
to Hickam Field in Hawaii.
During the post war years, Douglas produced the DC-6 and
DC-7 four-engine airliners, the F-3D Skyknight jet fighter and
the F-4D Skyray carrier-based supersonic fighter/interceptor.
In the 1950’s, Douglas produced commercial jets starting with
the DC-8 in 1958. Today, the Boeing Company manufactures
the C-17 Globemaster III military transport, the world’s most
versatile airlifter.
The airport grew to approximately 1,134 acres with additional
land acquisition by 1965. Presently, the airport covers 1,166
acres with its five runways.
Long Beach was the first city in California to establish a municipal
airport. Long Beach Airport began in 1923 when the City of
Long Beach acquired 150 acres of land near the intersection
of Spring and Cherry Streets, which is now the southwest area
of the airport. The airfield was named Daugherty Field after the
pioneer aviator Earl S. Daugherty, who operated a flying school at
a nearby airfield. In the late 1920’s, hangars and administrative
facilities were built for the Army and Navy. However, the pursuit
of commercial aviation was the higher priority. By 1929,
Western Air Lines and Maddux Airlines carried passengers, mail
and cargo from the Long Beach Municipal Airport.
The Civil Aeronautics Authority activated the control tower in
1936. Four runways were completed in 1941 for both military
and civil aviation use; Runways 12-30, 25R-7L, 25L-7R and
16L-34R
The airport was increased by 500 acres and the art deco
terminal building was completed in 1941. It was designed by
Architects W. Horace Austin and Kenneth S. Wing, Sr.
Donald Wills Douglas moved his aircraft manufacturing to Long
Beach Airport in 1940. The first building was completed in 1941
on the north side of the airport. During World War II, Douglas
built two types of attack light bombers, the A-26 Invader and the
A-20 Havoc. The A-20’s had the component parts fabricated
at Santa Monica and shipped to Long Beach for assembly.
Douglas Aircraft Company built Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
heavy bombers at the Long Beach Airport with a license from
During the 1980’s airport terminal improvements were made
to increase passenger holdroom and security screening space,
baggage claim facilities, a new four story parking structure and
roadway curbside and transit facilities.
The airfield size and runway improvements were completed
between 1952 and 1960. The runways are as follows:
Diagonal Runway:
Runway 12-30, 10,003 X 200
East-West Runways:
Runway 25R-7L, 6,191 X 150
Runway 25L-7R, 5,421 X 150
North-South Runways:
Runway 16R-34L, 4470 X 75
Runway 16L-34R, 3330 X 75
Present day improvements include new terminal building
concourses and a new parking structure.
The airport terminal has twelve gates, The South Concourse is
occupied by Jet Blue Airways and has nine gates. The North
Concourse has three gates and is occupied by Alaska Airlines
operated by SkyWest Airlines, Delta Airlines, Delta Connection
operated by SkyWest Airlines, US Airways and US Airways
Express operated by Mesa Airlines.
Orange County John Wayne Airport (SNA)
airfield, and later, State Route 73 blocked expansion to the
south.
During the 1960’s, airline fleets consisted of Douglas DC-3’s,
Fairchild F-27’s and Lockheed Electras. Slowly, by the 1980’s
the airline fleet mix changed to jet aircraft, such as the Boeing
737, DC-9 and MD-80. Noise contours increased in loudness
and precipitated lawsuits by Newport Beach and Corona del Mar
residents. As a result, aircraft operations became constrained
with noise limits and departure procedures. At the same time,
the main runway was extended 500 feet to the north in a limited
space. At a total length of 5,701 feet, the main runway is the
shortest runway of any major airport in the United States.
The Orange County Airport was started in 1923 by Eddie Martin,
an aviation pioneer, operating a flying school in rural Irvine
Ranch. The airfield was situated at the south end of the City of
Santa Ana near Main Street and Newport Avenue. The airfield
amounted to a 62 acre sod field suitable for airplane operations.
Howard Hughes used the airfield for his attempt to break the
speed record with the Hughes H-1 Racer in 1935. After a few
successful runs, the airplane ran out of fuel and made a gear-up
landing in a nearby bean field.
During the 1980s, a new terminal building was constructed
along MacArthur Boulevard on the southeast side of the airport.
Additions over the years have expanded the facility into three
terminals having a total of 26 gates, 10 in Terminal A, 6 in
Terminal B, and 10 in Terminal C. The major airlines operating
at John Wayne Airport are Southwest Airlines, United Airlines,
American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Airlines, Frontier Airlines
and US Airways. Runways are 01L-19R, 5,701 X 150 feet and
01R-19L, 2,887 X 75 feet.
Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA)
In 1941, Orange County extended Main Street through Eddie
Martin Airport and relocated the airfield to a new location to
the southeast. The extended Main Street became MacArthur
Boulevard and was aligned around the northeast end of the
present day Orange County Airport. The airport occupied 138
acres of land as a result of a land swap with the Irvine Ranch.
At the start of World War II, the Army Air Corps leased the
airport from Orange County to use the airfield for an interceptor
squadron. An additional 140 acres of land was obtained for
the construction of a 4,800 foot long hard surface runway and
hangars to accommodate Air Corps operations. The 332nd
Fighter Squadron of the 329th Fighter Group used Lockheed
P-38 Lightning pursuit planes for coastal patrols.
At the end of World War II, the “Orange County Army Air Field”
was transferred as war surplus property to the War Assets
Administration. The County regained possession to operate
the airport, which was completely released in 1948. For the
next decade, the airport operated mainly as a general aviation
airport, providing surrounding communities with fixed base
operator services.
In the 1960s, airfield improvements were made to accommodate
commuter airlines for commercial as well as general aviation.
The existing 4,800 foot runway was demolished and two parallel
northeast-southwest runways were constructed. MacArthur
Boulevard was realigned for a new 5,200 foot runway for
commercial use and a 2,900 foot runway for general aviation.
MacArthur Boulevard was realigned to allow for the commercial
runway to eventually be extended to 10,000 feet. However, the
San Diego Freeway (I-405) was built between 1964 and 1968
in Orange County by the California State Division of Highways
(which became part of CALTRANS). Since the freeway was
not built as a grade separation under the runways, such as the
Sepulveda Tunnel at LAX, it blocked any plans for a northeast
airfield expansion. This confined the northern boundary of the
Gordon Sackett and Royce Stetson set up a flight school in
a cow pasture southwest of Hollister and Fairview Avenues in
1928. The airfield, located in neighboring City of Goleta was the
beginning of what was to become the Santa Barbara Municipal
Airport. The first runway was a 3,000 foot dirt strip.
In the 1930’s General Western Aircraft Corporation began a
manufacturing facility to produce Meteor F.4 Fighter airplanes.
At the same time, two additional runways and two large hangars
were built by Santa Barbara Airways. In 1932, Century Pacific
Airlines began commercial service. In 1937, Amelia Earhart
visited the airport in her Lockheed Vega, the aircraft in which she
broke several women’s speed records. United Airlines began
commercial service in 1936 using the ten-passenger Boeing
247. United commissioned the construction of the Spanish-style
terminal building in 1942. It was designed by William Edwards
and Joseph Plunkett, an architectural team that influenced the
Mediterranean style of architecture in the City.
At the beginning of World War II, the airport was enrolled in a
defense program and became the Marine Corps Air Station
Santa Barbara MCAS SB. It was occupied by the Marine Aircraft
Group 24 (MAG-24), and Marine Scout Bombing Squadrons 243
(VMSB-243) and 244 (VMSB-244) dive bomber squadrons. The
Marine Carrier Air Group (MCVG) was also based at MCAS SB.
The Government constructed many improvements, including
hangars and other buildings to expand the airport use as a pilot
training base for the Marines. Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighters
were stationed at the airfield. United Airlines continued to use
the airfield during the war.
At the end of World War II, the Marine Corps intended to make
MCAS Santa Barbara a permanent installation. However, the
City of Santa Barbara petitioned the Government for it to be
reverted to a civilian airport. The City needed a municipal airport
and there was no other suitable location. In 1946 the airport
was deeded to the City of Santa Barbara. Other parcels of
the MCAS were acquired by the Regents of the University of
California for the UC Santa Barbara campus. In 1961, the City
annexed the Airport property, connecting it to the City with an
ocean strip 37,000 ft. by 300 ft.
In 1966 the first jet service was provided by Pacific Air Lines
with a Boeing 727-100. United provided service with Boeing
727 and 737 aircraft. American Airlines operated McDonnell
Douglas MD-80’s to Dallas Fort Worth. Currently, the airlines
operating at SBA are Alaska, American, United and US Airways,
all operated by SkyWest Airlines, US Airways operated by Mesa
Airlines, and Frontier Airlines. SkyWest and Mesa use Canadair
and Embraer regional jets on the routes they serve. Frontier
Airlines operates the Airbus A319 on its flights to Denver.
A new terminal was completed in 2011 and added to the terminal
built by United in 1942. Aircraft positions at the terminal are at
5 gates.
In 1978 the main runway, 7/25 was extended from 4,500 feet
to 6,052 feet. The current runway configuration is as follows:
Runway 7-25, 6,052 X 150 feet
Runway 15L-33R, 4,178 X 75 feet
Runway 15R-33L, 4,184 X 100 feet
Palm Springs International Airport (PSP)
the airport was chosen as an airfield for the Air Corps Ferrying
Command 21st Ferrying Group, 259th Army Air Force Unit. A
new airfield, Palm Springs Army Airfield, was completed on land
that was acquired one half mile from the original site.
Over the ocean flying and navigation training was conducted at
the airfield by the 72nd and 73rd Ferrying Squadrons. Also,
pilot training was conducted by the Fighter Command 459th Air
Base Squadron in North American P-51 Mustang, Curtiss P-40
Warhawk and Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft. Starting
in 1944, pilot training moved to Brownsville Army Airfield in
Texas and the airfield was used by the Air Transport Command
560th Army Air Force Base Unit and the Navy Ferrying Service.
At the end of World War II, the land, still leased from the Indians,
was turned over to the City of Palm Springs. The City eventually
purchased the airfield land from the Indians by the Aqua Caliente
Equalization Act of 1959, 25 USC 951. It provided for a
reasonable degree of equalization of the value of allotments
made to members of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
and allowed for the land to be legally sold to the City.
Commercial flights started at the airport by Western Airlines in
1945 and by Bonanza Airlines in 1957. American started flights
in 1967 and TWA in 1978.
The terminal building was constructed in 1965 and expanded
in 1968. Land expansion and airfield improvements, including
taxiways and runway reconstruction, started in 1973. During
the 1980s, Runway 13-31 was extended 1500 feet, the airside
apron was expanded, and there were additional terminal and
landside improvements.
In 1986, the name of the airport was changed from Palm Springs
Municipal Airport to Palm Springs International Airport. WestJet
Airlines, a Canadian carrier, provides service from PSP to
Vancouver, British Columbia, Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta,
, Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The
domestic airlines are Alaska Airlines, Alaska Airlines operated by
Horizon Air, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Delta
Connection operated by SkyWest Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Sun
Country Airlines, United Airlines, United Express operated by
SkyWest Airlines, US Airways, US Airways Express operated by
Mesa Airlines, US Airways Express operated by SkyWest Airlines
and Virgin America.
Additional terminal expansion projects and aircraft parking and
apron areas were completed in 1992. The present day terminal
building has 16 aircraft gates.
A general aviation runway was completed in 1993. The current
runway configuration Runway 13R-31L, 10,001 X 150 feet and
Runway 13L-31R, 4,952 X 75 feet.
In 1939, the United States Army Air Corps chose land owned
by the Aqua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to build an airfield.
The location was ideal for an airfield due to its good weather and
shelter from the desert winds by surrounding mountains.
The land was leased from the Indians by the City of Palm Springs
and in turn was leased by the Federal Government. In 1941
Meadows Field Kern County Airport (BFL)
terminal with three connected boarding gates. Also, the old
terminal was remodeled to accommodate international flights
and is currently used by charter and unscheduled flights, and
processing international cargo.
The William M. Thomas Domestic Terminal, designed by Odell
Associates, has three connected gates and space for two
additional gates. There is space for a future building addition
for an additional seven gates. Also, future construction of a new
concourse will extending from the west side of the terminal will
add 12 more gates, bringing the terminal to a potential total of
24 gates.
Meadows Field was constructed and operated by the Kern
County Chamber of Commerce in 1926 near the intersection of
US Route 99 and Norris Road. It was moved east to its present
location northwest on Norris Road and Airport Drive, parallel to
US Route 99. Kern County has owned and operated the airport
since 1935. The airport was named Meadows Field for Cecil
Meadows, who was instrumental in having Kern County purchase
the airfield. He was the Director of Airports from 1935 to 1957,
except for a tour of duty as a pilot in the Army Air Force during
World War II.
In 1943 the airport was chosen as an airfield for the Army
Air Corps IV Fighter Command. It was used by the 481st
Night Fighter Operational Training Group, 423d Night Fighter
Squadron. Douglas P-70 aircraft, a variant of the Douglas A-20
Havoc light bomber, was used as a night fighter. The Squadron
also used the Northrop P-61 Black Widow, which was designed
to use radar for night interception operations. Other squadrons
stationed at Meadows Field were the 426th, 427th, 547th,
548th, 549th, and 550th Night Fighter Squadrons. They were
deployed to combat units in the Pacific and China Burma India
Theaters.
At the end of World War II, Meadows Field was returned to
Kern County for operation as a commercial airport. During the
1950s, airport improvements included a domestic terminal and
a control tower. Through to the 1980s, the airlines that operated
out of Meadows Field included United Airlines, Southwest
Airways, Pacific Air Lines, Hughes Airwest and Continental
Airlines. Aircraft used in those days were the Boeing 727-100
and 737-200 and the Fairchild F-27 turboprop. Over the next
20 years the airlines included Continental, Continental Express
operated by ExpressJet, Continental operated by SkyWest
Airlines, Pacific Express, ExpressJet operated independently,
American Airlines, American Eagle Airlines, Delta Connection,
Mexicana and Allegiant Air. Aircraft used were Douglas DC-930, Donnell Douglas MD-80, BAC One-Eleven and Embraer ERJ
145 regional jets, and the Saab 340 turboprop. Currently, the
airlines are United Express operated by SkyWest Airlines and
US Airways Express. They use regional jets and turboprops,
including the Canadair CRJ-200 and CRJ-700, and the Embraer
EMB-120 turboprop.
Airport passenger volume declined with airline deregulation in
1978. The only improvement to the airfield was a lengthening
of the main runway in 1987 to accommodate wide body aircraft.
Starting in 2002, Kern County initiated several terminal and
landside improvements to encourage the airlines to use the
airport. Those improvements included an extension of the
second runway to a length of 7,703 feet and a new domestic
There are two runways at Meadows Field. Runway 12L-30R,
10,855 X 150 feet, is classified as commercial airport reference
code (ARC) D-IV, but is capable of accommodating Group V
aircraft. This is the longest runway in the San Juaquin Valley.
Runway 12R-30L, 7,703 X 100 feet, is classified as general
ARC B-II, but is capable of accommodating turboprop and small
regional jets.
Inyokern Indian Wells Valley Airport (IYK)
Inyokern Airport was established in 1940 and is owned and
operated by the Indian Wells Valley Airport District. It is situated
in Inyokern in the Indian Wells Valley to the west of US 395,
to the south of US 395 & CA-14 Junction, near Ridgecrest,
California. The Naval Air Warfare Center – China Lake is to the
east of this location. The airport covers an area of 1,600 acres.
It is mostly used for general aviation, but has commercial and
military operations. There are three runways that make up the
airfield, which is airport reference code A-III (Airport Approach
Category A, Airplane Design Group III)
Inyokern is served by SkyWest Airlines, which has flights to Los
Angeles International Airport connecting to United, Delta, US
Airways, American and Alaska Airlines.
Three asphalt paved runways at Inyokern are Runway 15-33,
7,100 X 75 feet, Runway 2-20, 6,275 X 75 feet, and Runway
10-28, 4,150 X 75 feet.
One of the main activities at the airport is soaring, which is
especially popular on weekends. Inyokern Airport is the home
of the Sierra Soaring Club. The airport’s location on the lee side
of the Sierra Nevada mountain range is ideal for glider flights.
The three runways give pilots a variety of options for launch and
landing.
The Federal Aviation Administration has embarked on a goal
of enabling the safe integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems
(UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS) by 2015. The
National Defense Authorization Act of December 31, 2011 and
the FAA Modernization Act of 2012 directs the FAA to establish
six United States based UAS Research & Development test
sites. California Unmanned Aircraft Systems Portal (Cal UAS)
engineering design team, in association with the Inyokern Airport
Board, submitted a proposal to make the Inyokern Airport one
of the six sites to provide research concepts, and evaluate
performance for the safe operation of UAS within the NAS.
Inyokern Airport is considered to be a prime candidate for a
“Certificate of Authorization (COA)”Site. It is adjacent to the
Naval Air Warfare Center – China Lake, Weapons Research,
Development, Test and Evaluation Center, and in close proximity
to the NASA Dryden Research and Development Center, and the
US Air Force Test and Evaluation Center at Edwards Air Force
Base. The airport is adjacent to restricted military airspace and
has three runways to accommodate all types of aircraft. There
are facilities on-site to provide support, a full time fire station,
and commercial air service for logistics.
There have been 50 proposals from 37 states submitted to
the FAA. The Southern California Unmanned Systems Alliance
(SC-USA), led by the Ventura County Economic Development
Association, has submitted a proposal for one of the six test
sites to be located in Ventura County.
Both Inyokern and Ventura County applicants have entered into
an agreement that if one proposal is selected over the other, the
two groups will work together however possible.
Integrating unmanned aircraft into the NAS for civilian use
is expected to be beneficial to law enforcement surveillance,
forestry service for fire fighting and for agricultural uses.
Trivia
Each airport has a three letter identifier code assigned to it by
the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This makes it
easy for airline personnel, air traffic controllers and the traveling
public to say or write the name of an airline in a shorthand
manner.
To start, the early airlines adopted a two letter code from the
National Weather Service. Thus, Los Angeles Airport was
LA. During the 1930’s, the number of airports expanded
exponentially, with many of them not even near weather stations.
Existing airports had an X added to their two letter code. The
identifier code for Los Angeles Airport became LAX.
Newer airports were given their three letter codes from their
names. The identifier for Ontario Airport is ONT, Burbank Airport
is BUR, Long Beach Airport is LGB, Palm Springs Airport is PSP,
and Inyo-Kern Airport is IYK.
Some airports were given codes that are not readily deciphered.
Orange County Airport is SNA since it is primarily in the City of
Santa Ana. And Meadows Field Airport is BFL as it came from
an airfield named Bernard Field.
Conclusion
The development of modern airports is a testimony to
the planning, architectural and engineering professional
services to the traveling public and respond to the policies of
governmental representatives. Modern airports come from the
civil engineering of airfields, the architecture and engineering
of terminal buildings, the transportation planning for airport
access, and the many other professional endeavors to provide
the benefits of aviation transportation to the public. There are
not many other environments that require such wide range of
professional services and construction contracting applications.
Challenges to the future growth of commercial aviation will be
met with newer aircraft that will operate on limited lengths of
reconfigured runways and with new ways of expanding passenger
volume through the confines of existing airport terminals. Civil
Engineers will be here to take part in those challenges.
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