Oxnard Airport

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Oxnard Airport
OXR - FAA airport diagram.gif
IATA: OXR – ICAO: KOXR – FAA: OXR
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Ventura County
Location Oxnard, California
Elevation AMSL 15 ft / 13.7 m
Coordinates 34°12′03″N 119°12′26″W / 34.20083°N 119.20722°W / 34.20083; -119.20722
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
7/25 5,953 1,814 Asphalt

Oxnard Airport (IATA: OXR, ICAO: KOXR, FAA LID: OXR) is a public airport located one mile (1.6 km) west of the central business district (CBD) of Oxnard, a city in Ventura County, California, USA. The airport covers 216 acres (87 ha) and has one runway. Oxnard Airport is managed by the Ventura County Department of Airports.

Although it is very close to Los Angeles, Oxnard is not useful as an alternate airport for many people in the Los Angeles metro-region, because its only destination is Los Angeles International Airport and the average driving time from Oxnard Airport to the Los Angeles County line is about 60 minutes. However, many commuters do use the Oxnard Airport as a convenient way to avoid traffic on the 101 and 405 freeways and shorten their airport check-in headway, particularly for international flights. These passengers are able to park their vehicles, go through screening, and board their aircraft in very short times. Typically, these commuters don’t use the Los Angeles International Airport as their primary destination; instead they make a connection to a further destination. Passengers are asked to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to departure, though few arrive much earlier. The Ventura County Airporter also makes daily trips to the Los Angeles International Airport and back to Oxnard Airport.

Contents

[edit] History

Ventura County opened Oxnard Airport in 1934 by clearing a 3,500 ft dirt runway. In the 1930’s, aviator Howard Hughes erected a tent at the airport to shelter his famous H-1 monoplane racer, which he tested from the dirt strip. In 1938, Ventura County paved the dirt runway and constructed a large hangar to attract more business. The year following, James McLean opened the Oxnard Flying School with a Piper J-3 Cub and a Kinner 2-seat airplane. Housing was constructed nearby to accommodate instructors and students for the school.

In late 1941, war was declared and the operation of Oxnard Airport was handed over to the U.S. Army Air Forces which operated the airport until 1944. Among the units utilizing what was then called the Oxnard Flight Strip in October 1943, was the 383rd Fighter Squadron of the 364th Fighter Group. The squadron was equipped with Lockheed P-38J Lightnings and eventually vacated the field as they prepared for their overseas movement to Honington in England. The field was then reassigned to the U.S. Navy until the Naval Air Station at Point Mugu could be completed. The Navy moved to NAS Point Mugu in 1945 and the Oxnard Flying School returned to the airport. The County of Ventura officially regained control of the airport from the federal government in 1948 by receiving a final quitclaim deed. The State of California issued the airport an operating permit in 1949. Scheduled airline passenger service was established in 1946 by Southwest Airlines with Douglas DC-3 airplanes. Oxnard Airport has been the only airport in the Ventura County area to support continuous airline passenger service since World War II.[1] In November 2000, America West Express began service to Phoenix. The two daily flights were later cancelled on September 4 2001 due to the unprofitability of the service. The airport previously offered its own airline "California Air Shuttle" from 1989 to 1990, with service to Las Vegas, San Jose, San Francisco and Sacramento. The carrier had a code sharing agreement with America West Airlines.

[edit] Airport today

Today Oxnard Airport has a contract air traffic control tower handling approximately 100,000 arrivals and/or departures a year, and is home to over 180 individual aircraft.[2] As of February 2007, two Fixed Base Operators, an authorized overhaul facility for Robinson helicopters, Light Helicopter Depot, and an authorized FAA Medical Examiner. SkyWest Airlines (operating as United Express) is the only scheduled passenger airline service to operate from Oxnard.[3]

[edit] Facilities

[edit] Airline & Destination

Airlines Destinations
United Express operated by SkyWest Airlines Los Angeles

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ History of Oxnard Airport
  2. ^ Oxnard Airport Flight & Facility Data
  3. ^ Oxnard Airport Business Directory

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxnard_Airport"
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