Fullerton Municipal Airport
Encyclopedia
Fullerton Municipal Airport , owned and operated by the City of Fullerton
, is the last strictly general aviation
airfield still operating in Orange County, California
.
The airport is located in the southwestern corner of Fullerton on Commonwealth Avenue, northeast of the junction of the Santa Ana
and Riverside Freeway
s. The airport and its industrial park are surrounded by residential areas. It is popular among private pilots traveling to nearby attractions such as Disneyland
and Knott's Berry Farm
.
s and crop dusters used the former pig farm as a makeshift landing strip. The site later became home to a sewer
farm.
The airport's "official" birthday is 1927. William and Robert Dowling, with the aid of H. A. Krause and the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce
, had petitioned the council for permission to turn the by then-abandoned sewer farm into a landing field. The Fullerton City Council
approved Ordinance 514 in January 1927, formally establishing the airport. The council leased the land to the chamber for five years, at a fee of $1 per year, and the chamber, in turn, subleased operations to William Dowling and friend Willard Morris of Yorba Linda
. The city would assume direct control of the facility in January 1941.
A portion of the Howard Hughes
feature Hell's Angels was filmed at Fullerton in 1929. Hughes would feature later in Fullerton's history by buying a tract of land for Hughes Aircraft
. The campus eventually became home to Hughes Aircraft Ground Systems Group, closing in 2000.
In 1949, Dick Riedel and Bill Barris of Fullerton Air Service, sponsored by the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce, set a world flight endurance record from the airport, keeping their modified Aeronca Sedan
, the Sunkist Lady aloft for 1,008 hours and 2 minutes.
The control tower, built with Federal Aviation Administration
funds in 1959, was the first in Orange County.
The California Highway Patrol
, Anaheim Police Department, and Orange County Fire Authority
maintain helicopters on the airfield.
Fullerton Municipal Airport covers 86 acres (348,030 m²) and has one runway and three heliports:
Its control tower
handles an average of 262 flight operations per day.
Aviation Facilities Inc. (AFI Flight Training) is located west of the control tower on the south side of the field.
tracks. Pilots, in turn, complain that Fullerton and the neighboring city of Buena Park
have permitted too much dense residential development in the area, which had been almost entirely agricultural when the airport was first constructed.
Since 1962, no fewer than 121 planes have crashed at or near the airport, killing a total of 19. Most noteworthy of these was on September 25, 2004 when a 1985 Stout Bushmaster 2000 (a spinoff of a Ford Tri-Motor) crashed during an airport exhibition. The plane's rudder locked to a left position during the takeoff roll, causing the plane to veer left off the runway. The pilot was able to get the plane airborne before rolling into a crowd of spectators; the plane then narrowly missed the airport's control tower, rolled hard left and crashed onto a busy thoroughfare. In all, four were injured: the 2-person flight crew and two in a moving car. The cause of the accident was due to failure of the flight crew to remove a gust lock--improvised from a nylon cargo strap--from the plane's empennage before flight.
Fullerton, California
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...
, is the last strictly general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
airfield still operating in Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
.
The airport is located in the southwestern corner of Fullerton on Commonwealth Avenue, northeast of the junction of the Santa Ana
Santa Ana Freeway
The Santa Ana Freeway is one of the principal freeways in Southern California, connecting Los Angeles and its southeastern suburbs including the freeway's namesake, the city of Santa Ana. The freeway begins at the Four Level Interchange in downtown Los Angeles, signed as U.S. Route 101...
and Riverside Freeway
Riverside Freeway
The Riverside Freeway is a named freeway in Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties in the U.S. state of California. It refers to the following two segments:...
s. The airport and its industrial park are surrounded by residential areas. It is popular among private pilots traveling to nearby attractions such as Disneyland
Disneyland Resort
The Disneyland Resort is a recreational resort in Anaheim, California. The resort is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks and Resorts division and is home to two theme parks, three hotels and a shopping, dining, and entertainment area known as Downtown Disney.The area now...
and Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm is a theme park in Buena Park, California, now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, and a line of jams, jellies, preserves, and other specialty food, now part of The J. M. Smucker Company based in Placentia, California....
.
History
Fullerton Municipal Airport can trace its origins back as early as 1913 when barnstormerBarnstorming
Barnstorming was a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s in which stunt pilots would perform tricks with airplanes, either individually or in groups called a flying circus. Barnstorming was the first major form of civil aviation in the history of flight...
s and crop dusters used the former pig farm as a makeshift landing strip. The site later became home to a sewer
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
farm.
The airport's "official" birthday is 1927. William and Robert Dowling, with the aid of H. A. Krause and the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
, had petitioned the council for permission to turn the by then-abandoned sewer farm into a landing field. The Fullerton City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
approved Ordinance 514 in January 1927, formally establishing the airport. The council leased the land to the chamber for five years, at a fee of $1 per year, and the chamber, in turn, subleased operations to William Dowling and friend Willard Morris of Yorba Linda
Yorba Linda, California
Yorba Linda is a suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, approximately northeast of Downtown Santa Ana, and southeast of Downtown Los Angeles....
. The city would assume direct control of the facility in January 1941.
A portion of the Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
feature Hell's Angels was filmed at Fullerton in 1929. Hughes would feature later in Fullerton's history by buying a tract of land for Hughes Aircraft
Hughes Aircraft
Hughes Aircraft Company was a major American aerospace and defense contractor founded in 1932 by Howard Hughes in Culver City, California as a division of Hughes Tool Company...
. The campus eventually became home to Hughes Aircraft Ground Systems Group, closing in 2000.
In 1949, Dick Riedel and Bill Barris of Fullerton Air Service, sponsored by the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce, set a world flight endurance record from the airport, keeping their modified Aeronca Sedan
Aeronca Sedan
The Aeronca 15AC Sedan is a four-seat, fixed conventional gear light airplane which was produced in the United States between 1948 and 1951. Designed by Aeronca for personal use, the Sedan also found applications in utility roles including bush flying...
, the Sunkist Lady aloft for 1,008 hours and 2 minutes.
The control tower, built with Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
funds in 1959, was the first in Orange County.
The California Highway Patrol
California Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and also acts as the state police....
, Anaheim Police Department, and Orange County Fire Authority
Orange County Fire Authority
The Orange County Fire Authority is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for unincorporated areas of Orange County, California and cities that contract OCFA's services....
maintain helicopters on the airfield.
Facilities
- Runway 6/24: 3,121 × 75 ft (951 × 23 m), Surface: Asphalt
- Heliport H1: 37 × 37 ft (11 × 11 m), Surface: Concrete
- Heliport H2: 37 × 37 ft (11 × 11 m), Surface: Concrete
- Heliport H3: 37 × 37 ft (11 × 11 m), Surface: Concrete
Its control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
handles an average of 262 flight operations per day.
Aviation Facilities Inc. (AFI Flight Training) is located west of the control tower on the south side of the field.
Accidents and incidents
The airport and surrounding areas have seen their share of aircraft accidents. Residents have complained that pilots often deviate from their mandated approach to the airport, following the BNSF RailwayBNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
tracks. Pilots, in turn, complain that Fullerton and the neighboring city of Buena Park
Buena Park, California
Buena Park is a city in northwestern Orange County, California. As of Census 2010 the population was 80,530. The city is adjacent to the city of Anaheim and is 12 miles northwest of downtown Santa Ana. The Current OMB metropolitan designation for Buena Park and the Orange County Area is "Santa...
have permitted too much dense residential development in the area, which had been almost entirely agricultural when the airport was first constructed.
Since 1962, no fewer than 121 planes have crashed at or near the airport, killing a total of 19. Most noteworthy of these was on September 25, 2004 when a 1985 Stout Bushmaster 2000 (a spinoff of a Ford Tri-Motor) crashed during an airport exhibition. The plane's rudder locked to a left position during the takeoff roll, causing the plane to veer left off the runway. The pilot was able to get the plane airborne before rolling into a crowd of spectators; the plane then narrowly missed the airport's control tower, rolled hard left and crashed onto a busy thoroughfare. In all, four were injured: the 2-person flight crew and two in a moving car. The cause of the accident was due to failure of the flight crew to remove a gust lock--improvised from a nylon cargo strap--from the plane's empennage before flight.
External links
- Fullerton Municipal Airport (official site)