California Airports

Lodi Airport and Cafe – a great place for kids and adults – If you’re looking for a place where kids can experience an airport the way it used to be in the 1940s and 1950s, check out Lodi Airport, located along Highway 99 in Acampo. According to owner Robert Kupka, the airport started in 1929 with one dirt runway which was paved in the 1940s, and in the 1960s a second runway was added. Mr. Kupka purchased the airport in 1978, and since that time has added hangars and outbuildings. The Airport Cafe, newly renovated in 2012, graces the frontage road. The airport and cafe are both open seven days a week.

Santa Monica, California (PRWEB) February 20, 2013 – Angel Flight West (AFW), one of the largest public benefit flying organizations in the United States, announces it has elected five new directors to its board. “Each one brings expertise and experience to help Angel Flight West continue to grow and arrange more free air transportation for those who would not be able to reach needed care,” said Laura Long, Chairman.

San Bernardino Airport seeking tenants for developer Scot Spencer’s former terminal – San Bernardino International Airport officials are negotiating with two companies to extend their lease agreements and also preparing to launch a marketing campaign in hopes of attracting a tenant for a hangar previously occupied by a corporate jet refueling facility.

L.A. Unified aviation training center gets $100,000 donation – The mechanics vocational school had been facing closure or relocation after 40 years at Van Nuys Airport because of budget cuts and a rent increase. The gift will keep it going at least a year. Read LA Times article

On Jan. 22, the Watsonville City Council, as expected, approved the General Plan 2030 Update by a 6 to 1 vote. On May 23, 2006, the Council approved the General Plan by a 6 to 1 vote. The no vote each time was the councilperson from District 7. In the last dissenting vote, Councilwoman Nancy Bilicich wanted more plan deficiencies fixed to reduce chances of another lawsuit. The courts found the old plan inadequate in environment planning and not compliant with state aeronautic laws.

Meadows Field Airport Bouncing Back from economic slump – Officials said more people have been flying in and out of Meadows Field overthe last couple of years. So much so, they are considering adding more flights.

In 2007, the airport took a hit, losing three airlines and thousands of passengers. But, in the last two years it’s been looking up, and airport
officials are thanking the oil industry.

“It’s a small airport,” said Leah Wheeler who was flying from Bakersfield to Houston Friday. “I wasn’t expecting as many people this early.”

WATSONVILLE — Though in the red, Watsonville Municipal Airport finances are stable and improving, city officials say. An audit of city finances, commissioned by the Santa Cruz County Grand Jury and released in January, noted an ongoing deficit at the airport and criticized officials for not presenting a clearer picture of the problem.

 With the exception of 2008-09, the city-owned airport’s annual operations have been in the black for the past five years, according to Administrative Services Director Ezequiel Vega. But revenue has not been strong enough to close a long-standing multimillion-dollar deficit.

Maybe a successful company can bail out San Jose and its airport management’s dismal efforts at SJC….. SAN JOSE — In their search for a reliable place to park their growing fleet of jet aircraft, Google (GOOG) co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have boosted the fortunes of San Jose’s struggling international airport, while leaving…

Report finds LAX operators ignored requirements to disperse air traffic – A 2006 settlement required L.A. World Airports to regionalize air traffic, but an L.A. County report asserts the city made only ‘token efforts’ to comply (CalPilots Editor’s Note: While this article doesn’t affect most GA pilots, it is important to understand that politics and money can be key factors in airport operations and planning. The same thing happens on a smaller scale to our GA airports when the sponsor allows a non-compatible development in an area it should not).

Plane Mufflers Could Relieve Some Airport Neighbors – Santa Monica Airport Commission responds to test results of a muffler that could be used by local flight schools.

If flight schools take to the idea, attaching mufflers to some of their planes planes could make life more peaceful for residents living nearSanta Monica Airport.

 The city tested a German-made muffler, called QuietFlight, on a Cessna 172 in December and recorded positive results, the Santa Monica Airport Commission learned Monday night (Calpilots Editor’s Note: Please read CalPilots Response to this article at the end of this page).