|
In the early 1940's, during World War II, the U. S. Army
Corps of Engineers constructed what was then known as Santa
Maria Army Base to provide training facilities for crews of
B-25 aircraft. A few years later the B-25 groups left and
the facility became a training field for P-38 pilots and ground
crews.
In 1946, following the war's end, the County of Santa Barbara
acquired the property by means of an interim permit issued
by the War Assets Administration. The County retained control
of the facility until 1949, at which time the City of Santa
Maria obtained an undivided one-half interest. This dual ownership/management
proved cumbersome to administer, and in March of 1964 transfer
of the airport to the newly formed Santa Maria Public
Airport District was accomplished.
Santa Maria Public Airport District encompasses
an area of 400 square miles extending from the Santa Maria/Cuyama
River at the north to a point three miles south of the community
of Los Alamos at the south. Then an east-west direction, the
District commences at Point Sal at the Pacific
Ocean and extends eastward a distance of 30 miles, or 10 miles
east of the dam at Twitchell Reservoir.
The District is governed by a five-member
Board of Directors who serve four-year terms and are elected
at large. The directors entrust the responsibility for the
efficient execution of airport policies to their designated
representative, the General Manager.
Since formation of the District, numerous
projects have been accomplished which directly and indirectly
benefit each person in the District. Examples
of these projects include design and construction of Skyway
Drive from Betteravia Road to the Orcutt Expressway, design
and construction of the planned industrial park east of Skyway
Drive, and construction of the new airport terminal building,
crash/fire/rescue station, air traffic control tower, new
owner built hangars area, and other facilities adjacent to
the primary runway.
Currently Santa Maria Public Airport encompasses
approximately 2,598 acres, including two active runways. The
airport provides facilities for one regional airline (Skywest/United)
and serves as home base for over 200 general aviation aircraft.
|
Flight
Schedules
