Category Archives: General

Helicopter capturing footage for SMX commercial

An English Air Service helicopter circling the Santa Maria Public Airport this afternoon is filming a new commercial for the facility, according to General Manager Chris Hastert. The helicopter, which began flying about 1:30 p.m., is capturing the airport from all angles for the commercial being developed by S. Lombardi & Associates, based in San …

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Keep Santa Maria an All-American City

Those red, white and blue All-America City shield logos you see posted around our city, in various publications and at numerous businesses are the result of Santa Maria being named an All-America City on June 20, 1998. This competitive award, sponsored by the National Civic League, is an honor retained by the community as a …

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Pilots dedicate garden, celebrate history

Museum of flight display honors women fliers Pilots dedicate garden, celebrate historyStaff report Santa Maria Times One hundred years of women’s aviation history was celebrated Saturday at the Santa Maria Museum of Flight as the Ninety-Nines Memorial Garden was dedicated. The Santa Maria Valley chapter of the Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women pilots, hosted …

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History Takes Wing

Group to Dedicate Memorial Garden, Mural while Hosting Meeting The Santa Maria Valley Chapter of the Ninety-Nines will be making a bit of history by celebrating 100 years of it. The chapter will host the Southwest Section meeting of the Ninety-Nines, an international organization of licensed women pilots, next weekend when more than 100 women …

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Roar of valley Thunder ends

The hum of vintage warbirds and roar of modern military aircraft could be heard in the skies above the Santa Maria Valley as the annual Thunder Over the Valley soared again Sunday at the Santa Maria Public Airport. The 25th annual show this year celebrated a century of Marine Corps aviation.  As part of that …

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Air Show Gets Under Way At Santa Maria Public Airport

John Collver described the feeling of zooming over the Santa Maria air show crowd in his World War II fighter plane War Dog as similar to a race car driver hugging the curves of a track.  “You feel the G forces and centrifugal force in demonstrating what your airplane is capable of doing,” he said, …

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Thunder Over The Valley Air Show Returns this Weekend

A century of Marine Corps aviation will be celebrated during the 25th annual Thunder Over the Valley Air Show this weekend in Santa Maria, highlighted by a rare appearance of an Osprey which can take off and land like a helicopter, but fly at high speed like an airplane. Also planned is a demonstration and …

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Santa Maria fuel station on the horizon for airport

Fuel should start flowing again at the Santa Maria Public Airport if the Board of Directors approves an operation agreement when it meets today at 7:00 p.m. in the airport administration building. The airport has been without fuel service for about a year, which has forced pilots to either call in a tank truck or …

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Airport Lands Federal Grant

Officials Eye Possible Santa Maria-To-Denver Service A grant award to the Santa Maria Public Airport has local officials aiming for a Rocky Mountain high landing. The airport was notified on Friday it had been awarded a Small Community Air Service Development Program Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.  Airport officials intend to use the …

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Chamber stimulates business climate

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and its Economic Development Commission (EDC), in partnership with the city of Santa Maria and the Santa Maria Public Airport District, work every day on providing opportunities for job creation, recruiting new companies and helping our existing businesses expand and grow. It is important that local residents and …

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