Van Nuys Airport History

Updated Nov 27 2004

* Reload for update *

Aerial shot of VNY looking north; note the 8000' runway

Van Nuys Airport History - compiled from various Internet sources

Los Angeles Metropolitan Airport opened in 1928 and was spread over 80 acres amid 
the trees and farmland. In 1929, Hollywood discovered the airport. Howard Hughes, 
Hoot Gibson, Cecil B. DeMille, Gene Autry and Wallace Beery were among the 
growing number of stars flying at the new airport. The airport continued to 
expand and grow with three factories, six hangers, and a control tower on airport 
grounds. The airport also began hosting air races.  During one such race in 1929, 
Amelia Earhart set a new speed record. Roscoe Turner's beloved Sikorsky S-29-A
met it's demise near VNY while being filmed for Howard Hughes' epic "Hells Angels".

In the 30's, Hollywood studio producers turned to Metropolitan Airport for their 
film location needs.  "Lost Horizon," "Men With Wings," and "Test Pilot" all have 
scenes filmed at the airport. Within a few years, the original builders of the 
airport went broke, and the airport passed into the hands of a woman named 
Drusilla Daily Warner in payment for a debt. Warner's grandson, Dean Daily, 
inherited the airport after her death.  The little airport with the 3,000 foot 
runway became home to stunt pilots in biplanes.  One of them was aviatrix Pancho 
Barnes, who years later became den mother to the record-breaking jet pilots at 
Edwards Air Force Base.  

In the 40's, with the attack on Pearl Harbor, things changed dramatically.  The
Army acquired 163 acres of airport property and the government purchased an 
additional 163 acres near the airport to construct what became known as Van Nuys 
Army Air Field. In 1944, a joint effort between the U.S. Navy and the Lockheed 
Aircraft Corp produced a large aircraft modification facility known as the 
Navy-Lockheed plant. Meanwhile, Hollywood continued to use the airport for filming, 
most notably when scenes for "Casablanca" were shot at the airport. After the war, 
the government took over the property giving Dean Daily 50 acres of land and 
$200,000 in settlement.  

In 1949, the city of Los Angeles purchased the airport from the War Assets 
Administration for a token payment of one dollar, with the condition that it remain 
the home of the California Air National Guard until 1985. The airport was renamed 
San Fernando Valley Airport. At one point in the late '40s, it was envisioned as a 
base for Air Force fighter/interceptor planes to defend against a feared attack by 
Soviet-piloted bombers from Siberia. To provide the space needed for early jet 
fighters, a runway was extended an additional 2,000 feet south from Saticoy Street 
to Vanowen Street. To avoid blocking busy Sherman Way, the street was routed into a 
tunnel under the runway, which is still in use today. But, by the time hundreds of 
homes had been razed and the expansion completed, the defense role was taken over 
by Nike anti-aircraft missiles, leaving the airport with an extraordinarily long 
(8,000 ft!) runway for a general aviation field, an unintended legacy of the Cold 
War.  

In 1957, the airport was christened "Van Nuys Airport". The first annual Aviation 
Expo was held sometime back in the 60's. In 1964, the airport began offering free 
guided tours to the community. In 1968, a 27-hole golf course was completed in the 
"clear zone" on airport property. In 1971, airport records show a total of 562,079 
operations, making Van Nuys Airport the busiest general aviation airport in the 
nation.  

In 1990, the 146th Tactical Airlift Wing moved from Van Nuys Airport to Channel 
Islands near Pt. Mugu Naval Air Station. The 1996 Van Nuys Airport Aviation Expo 
drew an attendance of nearly 350,000 spectators. 

More than 850 aircraft make their home at VNY, and more than 1,500 takeoffs and 
landings occurring daily... 

AIRPORT TOURS: weekdays and select Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Tours last 
approximately 1 hour and are scheduled on a reservation basis only for groups of 15 
or more. To schedule a tour call (818) 785-8838.

AVIATION EXPO: Usually held in late June over a Friday-Saturday. This is a static 
show, with little-to-no flying. Many military aircraft and warbirds arrive the 
Thursday and Friday preceeding, and depart the Monday morning following the Expo. 

DOUGLAS A-3s (Skywarriors, folks!): Raytheon Flight Operations has what may be the 
last flying A-3s in the world. These birds are used as testbeds for weapons 
research. According to the A-3 Skywarrior site (see link on my links page), 
Raytheon has/had 12 A-3s, and several are still active. June 2001 there were 4 
Rayco A-3s at VNY (mid-field, east side), one with a portion of the tail chopped 
off. A Rayco A-3 attended the 2001 Pt. Mugu airshow. A Rayco A-3 with what looks 
like an F-14 nose landed at VNY Monday during the Van Nuys Expo departures - too 
bad Brian missed it! :O

VNY Documentary film - One Six Right

Picture and history links (First two from Derrick Garbell's site):
Sherman Way underpass
Golf Course and airport
Van Nuys Airport Historical Sites
Van Nuys Airport Lockheed Plant Site
Van Nuys Airport Army Air Force Base Unit and Air National Guard Site
Van Nuys Airport Marquardt Plant Site
Van Nuys Airport Northeast Site
Airport panorama - 03/04 dead link
Van Nuys airport history images
Van Nuys Aviation Expo images
Van Nuys airport features images
Dangerous Dave's Van Nuys Page

And from Brian's fantastic Goleta Air & Space Museum site:
Van Nuys Expo arrival day 2001
Van Nuys Expo departure day 2001