Category Archives: General

By Julian J. Ramos / Staff Writer / jramos@santamariatimes.com  Santa Maria Times Four candidates are in the running for two seats on the Santa Maria Public Airport District board of directors.  Incumbents Chuck Damiano and Ted Eckert will face challengers Richard Plumlee and Girard (Geoff) Brenneman on the Nov. 2 ballot. Santa Maria's airport, known …

Travelers at the Santa Maria Public Airport are now enjoying one more benefit at Central California’s most convenient airport.  SMX has installed a flight information display system which provides targeted, real-time data that is extremely accurate.   As one of the first airports in the nation to use this technology, the Santa Maria Public Airport …

Work is expected to begin this fall on a long-awaited runway extension project at Santa Maria Public Airport. A unanimous Santa Maria Public Airport District Board of Directors approved a contract last week with Granite Construction for the first phase of a runway and taxiway extension development. Funded by a Federal Aviation Administration grant, the …

About 8,500 people attended this year’s Thunder Over the Valley air show at the Santa Maria Public Airport, according to the event organizer. Although a final tally for the weekend is pending, the total for Saturday and Sunday is at least 3,500 more than in 2009 and roughly 1,000 more than in 2008, said Mike …

Airplane enthusiasts and families with children eagerly toured the planes on display Saturday at the Thunder Over the Valley air show, walking through cargo craft and climbing into cockpits. Likewise, military members standing beside the planes and helicopters that they fly were excited to be at the show, explaining their work to wide-eyed youngsters at …

Although an Air Force C-17 landed at Santa Maria Public Airport on Friday, the 174-foot-long cargo plane will not take to the air this weekend during the Thunder Over the Valley air show as originally planned. Because of a crash of a similar aircraft in Alaska during a training exercise for an air show in …

The “thunder” in the Thunder Over the Valley air show at the Santa Maria Public Airport is back this weekend. Last year, in a change from the past, the Santa Maria Museum of Flight’s annual show had to do without the aerial demonstrations of modern and classic warbirds for which the event has become known. …

By Julian J. Ramos/Staff Writer jramos@santamariatimes.com Real-time flight information, weather updates, and the latest news and sports scores for airline passengers are coming to the Santa Maria Public Airport. Known as the ProDIGIQ system, the airport TV network is meant to keep passengers in the airport terminal informed on the status of their flights while …

The Adventures of Vance Breese Nipomo resident Vance Breese almost died 15 years ago while attempting to set a land speed record on a streamliner motorcycle. Years later, he has recovered and can be seen in area skies piloting a unique experimental gyroplane aircraft with his girlfriend, Edna. The two have plans to fly cross …