Saturday, September 25, 2004
Airport to mark 10 years
The Contra Costa (CA) Times
Byron Airport, the small general aviation field at the edge of East County, marks its 10th anniversary with a celebration on Saturday Oct. 9. The airport’s one business, Bay Area Skydiving, will be open for any visitor who wants to take the plunge, said Doreen Arens, spokeswoman for Contra Costa Airports.
Also marking the day will be a fly-over by the Patriots Jets, three L39 Czech fighter planes piloted by private owners.
Members of the Experimental Aircraft Association will be on hand, offering free rides for children ages 8 to 17. The Northern California Soaring Association, a group that winters at the Byron Airport, will display several gliders with amazing, paper-thin wings.
About 100 private aircraft are based at Byron, which Arens described as still “just a baby,” although operators just completed a 20-year master plan that calls for more growth.
The airport would like to see more business, although operators are restricted. More than half of the field’s 1,432 acres are under habitat management for the San Joaquin kit fox, Arens said.
“General aviation as a whole is down … because it’s so tied to the economy,” Arens said, although, she added, Byron Airport would be a good spot for businesses that specialize in pilot training and charter work.
For more information about Byron Airport’s 10th anniversary, call 925-646-5722.
