San Bernardino County history: Chino Airport – Welcome to San Bernardino County

Photograph of an airplane outside hangars at the Cal-Aero Flight Academy, [s.d.], possibly World War II era (later, the Chino Airport). A small bi-plane can be seen at center, while hangars can be seen at left and at right. A sign reading, "Cal-Aero Flight Academy" can be seen above the doors on the hangars. A man can be seen standing to the left of the hangar at right, while four parked automobiles can be seen to the right of the left-most hangar. Bushes, an American flag, buildings, and an open field can be seen in the background. "Stop" can be seen painted upside-down on the concrete in the foreground.

From being featured in a popular television series to serving as an academy for military training, the Chino Airport has played a significant role in U.S. history.

The Chino Airport, formerly known as Cal-Aero Academy, was the first civilian aviation school in the United States. During World War II, Cal-Aero Academy was leased by the United States Army Air Force and became known as Chino Army Air Field.

While under control of the U.S. Army Air Force, Cal-Aero trained cadets to fly Stearmans and BT-13s. After training over 10,300 Army Air Force fighters and bomber pilots for Word War II, Cal-Aero Academy was closed on Oct. 16, 1944.

In July 1945, Cal-Aero was reopened under new management by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC). RFC took over the 656-acre Cal-Aero Academy site and stored nearly 1,900 surplus military planes from World War II. Over the years, RFC contracted with the Pacific Aeromotive Company to melt down the aluminum components of the surplus planes. At the time, aluminum was the primary metal sought after, melted and poured into ingots for sale and shipment.

Beyond its military use, Cal-Aero Academy has been featured in a popular television series and Hollywood film. In 1946, producers of the film “The Best Years of Our Life” utilized the Cal-Aero field to film and showcase the parked fighters and bombers. Also, between 1964 and 1967, the television series “12 O’Clock High” used Cal-Aero fields as their main filming location.

In 1949, RFC transferred ownership of the Cal-Aero Academy land to San Bernardino County, and it became known as Chino Airport. In the early 1970s, Chino Airport was recognized as the hub of the warbird restoration movement in Southern California, which resulted in the formation of several museums and restoration facilities onsite.

Classified as a civilian three-runway airport, Chino Airport continues to serve San Bernardino County as an elite aviation facility. It’s the largest and busiest general aviation airport in San Bernardino County with a Federal Aviation Administration tower. It’s also a major economic driver in the region with more than 100,000 flight operations annually, nearly 400 business tenants, two air museums and one airport café. For more information about Chino Airport,visit the Airports website.

The information in this historical feature was originally part of a video series produced by the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk’s office and County Archives, managed by Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk Chris Wilhite.

Additional County Update News – December 19, 2024