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Take Control of Your Dreams! |
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Travis Aero Club Flight training center Est. 1954 |
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HISTORY (From Abandoned & Little Known Airfields) |
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Travis Aero Club Airport (8Q0), Fairfield, CA 38.27 North / 121.98 West (Southwest of Sacramento, CA) |
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This little airfield was located on the property of Travis Air Force Base, yet it was a completely separate & distinct airfield from the primary airfield on the base. It was created purely for the purposes of the base flying club. The date of creation of the Travis Aero Club Airport has not been determined. According to Christopher Latham (2006 office manager of the Travis Aero Club), the “The club opened in December of 1954.” The earliest depiction of the airfield which has been located was a circa 1955-56 aerial view (image to the right), which depicted several light civilian aircraft parked amidst a few small buildings.
According to Christopher Latham, as of the early 1960s the Travis Aero Club runway was an oil-topped surface.
A 1970 aerial view (from the Alexandria Digital Library @ UC Santa Barbara, courtesy of Jonathan Westerling) showed the field to consist of a single northeast/southwest runway, with a ramp along the south side of the field.
The Travis Aero Club Airport apparently gained a paved runway at some point between 1967-80, as the 1980 USGS topo map depicted the field as having a single paved northeast/southwest paved runway.
According to Christopher Latham (office manager of the Travis Aero Club), “Our runway was widened in 1995-96 from 35' to 50'.”
Christopher continued, “The club's condition around 2005-2006 was not good. All the planes were 'tired', engines were timing out, and the Squadron hardly had any money to fix the airfield, the aircraft, and the clubhouse. We would have been closed within a year or two if we stayed. We recently paid off the debt on our old runway.”
In its last year of operation (2006), the FAA Airport/Facility Directory data for the Travis Aero Club Airport described the field as having a 2,000' asphalt Runway 4/22 & a 1,600' turf Runway 16/34. The field was said to have a total of 21 based aircraft, including 1 multi-engine aircraft. The manager was listed as Mike Caudell.
Unfortunately, a September 2006 article described how a decision had been made to “relocate” the aero club “off base”, thus closing the last airport operated exclusively by an Air Force Aero Club.
The reasons given for closing the Aero Club Airport were “environmental & safety issues”, particularly the fact that “the aero club resides in the middle of an environmental preserve which essentially prohibits us from performing maintenance on the runway.”
Funny how a Wal-Mart is never forced to close & be removed from the landscape because it sits in the middle of land which has been determined to be important for “environmental” reasons. Yet that kind of logic is perfectly fine to justify closing an operating airport.
Christopher Latham (office manager of the Travis Aero Club) reported in 2006, “At the time of our closing, Runway 22/4 was 2,000' x 50'. Runway 16/34 was closed. The manager at the time was Joseph Hefferon.”
Christopher continued, “The club itself has relocated to the new Rio Vista Municipal Airport because there was no room at the main base to relocate the aero club. A former Group commander said he didn't want small general aviation aircraft flying around between C-5s, KC-10s and the new C-17s that are arriving at Travis. Out of 26 USAF Aero Clubs, 25 are located on the main runways and we are the only one that cannot relocate (to the main base at Travis). Travis had no room for us on the ramp. They still don't because today they just turned away a pilot who has a civil landing permit to land on military bases and told him there was no room for him to park.”
as long as the Travis Aero Club was still in operation. In 2003 Forecast Homes (who bought the property) approached us, and asked us, 'What would it take you guys to leave the Aero Club?' We asked for a certain amount of money, 4 brand new airplanes, hangars and a club house either at Nut Tree Airport in Vacaville or on the main base at Travis. Well the Nut Tree Airport manager said he could take us, but we have to share a facility with the local flight school, Blue Ridge Aeronautics (which we didn't want to because it would have caused a conflict of interest). Also the Nut Tree Airport manager said he really wants more corporate business to come in, plus there was no room at all on Nut Tree to build. So we took our business elsewhere.”
Christopher continued, “So Rio Vista took us in with open arms. They had room in the terminal for our club house, there was room on the ramp for our planes, and there was room for us to build our hangars. We shut down operations at the Travis Aero Club field on April 15, 2006. I was the last flight out of there that day. We have been down here at Rio Vista for the last 6 months; we are currently waiting on a lease from the city so we can start building our hangars. I have a brand new 2006 Piper Archer III and a Cherokee 6XT with air conditioning & the Avidyne Entegra panels. I have two more Archers arriving late this year. And on top of that, THERE ARE HOUSES ENCROACHING ON THE NEW RIO VISTA AIRPORT! That's pretty much the last chapter in the Travis Aero Club field.”
Christopher continued, “Travis AFB is currently using the old airfield as a heliport for the hospital across the street.”
The Travis Aero Club Airport is located northwest of the intersection of Hickam Avenue & Hospital Drive.
Thanks to Vanessa Grigsby for pointing out the closure of this airfield.
Revised 4 Mar. 2008 |
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A circa 1955-56 aerial view of the Travis Aero Club Airport. |
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A 1965 aerial view of the Travis Aero Club Airport showed several light planes & several Quonset huts. |
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A 1965 aerial view of the Travis Aero Club Airfield from the Alexandria Digital Library @ UC Santa Barbara (courtesy of Jonathan Westerling) depicted the field as having a paved runway & a crosswind unpaved runway. |
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The earliest aeronautical chart depiction of the Travis Aero Club Airport which has been located was on the 1967 Sacramento Sectional Chart. The Aerodromes table on the chart described the field as having a single 2,000' turf runway. |
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A 2005 aerial view depicted the Travis Aero Club Airport as having a total of 15 light aircraft visible on the field. |
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A circa 2004-2005 aerial view looking north at the Travis Aero Club ramp. |
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The 2006 Sacramento Sectional Chart depicted the Travis Aero Club Airport as a private field having a single 2,000' paved runway. |
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A 2006 aerial view by Christopher Latham, looking northeast after departing the Travis Aero Club Airfield's Runway 22 in a Cessna. |
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Biography of one of our former instructors: |