Category Archives: General

Allegiant uses flight to test new Hawaiian-sized jets A routine Allegiant Air flight from Las Vegas was anything but routine for the Santa Maria Public Airport.  Flight 502 from McCarran International Airport was special because it marked the first time a Boeing 757 carrying passengers visited SMX. Allegiant used the regular Friday flight to test …

The committee of the Santa Maria Museum of Flight would like to thank all corporate and program sponsors for their participation in the success of the Santa Maria Valley Air Show. With over 10,000 spectators in attendance at this two-day event and the additional air show acts, sponsored by the Airport District added to our …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …