Saving an airfield

Air Classics, Dec 2000 by Thompson, Jim

ONE OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 'S FEW REMAINING AIRFIELDS HAS BEEN SAVED BY AN ENTHUSIASTIC GROUP THAT INTENDS TO

RESTORE AND PRESERVE THE FIELD AS A HAVEN FOR VETERAN AND VINTAGE AIRCRAFT

Thomas W. Wathen, retired CEO of Pinkertons, Inc., and Trustee of the Thomas W. Wathen foundation, presided over the 75th anniversary celebraton and re-dedication of Flabob Airport near Riverside, Calivornia, on 26 August. The uncertain fate of this historic airport was resolved earlier this year when the foundation purchased it to preserve Its grassroots aviation use.

Nearly 500 pilots and friends attended the ceremony during which Wathen spoke of plans to bring needed improvemets t Flabob without losing its vintage character, and of planned community involvement.

Participating in this event were Roman Warren Jr., son of the famed "Cowboy Aviator" who founded the original Riverside Airport adjacent to the present nabob In 1925, and Don Madariaga and WK Bogen, sons of nabob founders navio Madariaga and Bob Bogen. afl related personal stories about the airports colorful past.

Chuck Larsen, Director of Educational Programs for EA and Jamall Larkin, 16-Dear-old national spokesperson for EAA's Vision of Eagles educational outreach program, addressed the importance of airports like nabob to the future of general aviation.

The crowd, manu of whom flew to the eveN in 900 vintage airplanes, enjoged a full dell of fees, including a hot-air balloon ascension at dawn, a pancake breakfast, parachute jumping, dancing on theflightline, and a balloon glow at night.

The re-dedication ceremonies started with a spirited rendition of "Lindbergh, Eagle oi M the USA," bu the alon Out Serenaders, and climaxed with a fu-bu bq theMarchHero Club formation group, including a missing man pass In honor of Roman Warren, Flavio Madariaga, and Bob Bogen.

Unveiling a bronze plaque honoring the airports founders and their families, Wathen said: "We intend to restore Flabob as the vintage and home-building mecca of the world. it will also be the site of educational programs using aviation themes to promote proficiency in science, mathematics and technology, and to help train some of themanyskilled young people who are badl needed in all parts of aviation."

THE FUTURE OF FLABOB AIRPORT

Under the ownership of the Wathen Foundation (and its airport arm, Flabob LLC), needed improvements will be made to Flabob Airport. Since the purchase at the end of May 2000, the runway has been widened and resurfaced, and the parallel taxiway has been resurfaced and extended the entire length of the runway. The central area in front of the cafe has been paved, and a ramp has been constructed to permit wheelchair access. Restrooms and air-conditioning at the Silver Wings cafe have been upgraded.

Further improvements of this kind are planned. There will be no effort to develop Flabob into just another modern general aviation field. Nearby Riverside Municipal Airport is an excellent facility for business and private jet aircraft. At Flabob, the vintage ambiance will not be sacrificed to "improvement." Improvements will be consistent with the vintage appearance of the airport. Pat Packard, who designed most of the exhibits at the esteemed EAA Museum in Oshkosh, has been retained for overall design.

Many improvements will consist of restoration and new uses for existing structures. For example, across from the Silver Wings cafe, near the new Founder's Monument, there is a derelict former nightclub, which started life as the "best Mexican restaurant in Rubidoux." When it went out of business, Flavio Madariaga moved it to Flabob where it was a nightclub and social center for many years. A popular feature was Flavio's demonstrations of hypnotism, one of his many talents. Later, the building decayed, the roof fell in, and it has been a candidate for demolition. The Wathen Foundation plans to restore the structure as the "Flabob Community Hall," a place for aviation and community organizations to have meetings, programs, lectures and other functions. Photographs and artifacts of the history of Flabob and grassroots aviation will be displayed, and Flavio Madariaga's extensive aviation library, on loan from his son Don Madariaga, will be preserved and kept available for reference. It is also expected that additional hangars will be constructed to fulfill the anticipated demand for storage of homebuilt, vintage and family aircraft. Under consideration is the construction of campground facilities to permit Flabob to be a destination for smaller fly-ins, such as those held by vintage aircraft-type clubs. There are no plans for a museum as such, in a single structure, but the intent is to enhance Flabob as a living museum, where the community and the public can learn about grassroots aviation.

As a nonprofit organization, the Foundation will recruit volunteer help for the preservation of the airport, and projects large and small, like tree-planting and painting. Flabob expects to see the return of many who have gone elsewhere while the future was in doubt and the arrival of new pilots and owners who appreciate its reputation as an interesting destination for aviators around the nation and the world.