Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: California: Santa Barbara area

Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:

California: Santa Barbara area

(Original) Hancock Field (revised 12/11/06) - Old Lompoc Airport (revised 7/31/04)

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Old Lompoc Airport, Lompoc, CA

34.65 North / 120.46 West (Northwest of Los Angeles, CA)

A Ford Tri-Motor owned by the Union Oil Company

visits the Lompoc Airport on the occasion of the dedication of the Airport in 1928.

The Tri-Motor was the largest aircraft to have landed at the airport at that time.

The development of a municipal airport was first considered by the town of Lompoc in 1920.

The airfield was eventually established in 1928,

on land bordered by H Street & O Street, and College Avenue & Pine Avenue.

The earliest chart depiction which has been located of the Lompoc Airport

was on the 1933 San Francisco Airway Map (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

It depicted Lompoc as a commercial or municipal airport.

The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo)

described the Lompoc Municipal Airport as having a rectangular 1,450' x 550' landing area,

with a hangar on the southeast side of the field.

The December 1941 San Francisco Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

depicted Lompoc as a commercial or municipal airport.

After the start of Word War II,

a need was identified for an additional auxiliary field

to support antisubmarine blimp operations from NAS Santa Ana.

The Lompoc Airport site was chosen, and construction of expanded facilities began in 1942.

In this 1943 aerial view looking west at Lompoc NAAF (National Archives photo),

the two blimp mooring rings were quite prominent.

The station was commissioned in 1943 as Lompoc Naval Auxiliary Airfield.

Navy facilities consisted of a 1,000' x 500' asphalt landing mat, two blimp mooring masts,

and barracks for a total of 97 personnel.

Five days after the commissioning of NAAF Lompoc, it suffered its only fatalities.

Four ground handlers were electrocuted when a blimp they were mooring

came into proximity of a nearby high voltage power line.

An undated photo of a Navy blimp moored at Lompoc.

Typical operations at Lompoc during WW2

consisted of a one or two blimp detachment from Santa Ana's ZP-31.

"NAAF Lompoc (LTA)" was described by the 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer)

as having a 1,000' hard-surface runway, with a dirigible mooring mast.

"Lompoc (Navy)", as depicted on the March 1945 San Francisco Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

Note the blimp mooring mast symbol.

The last Navy blimp departed Lompoc in late 1945,

and the station was placed into caretaker status.

A June 1946 Department of Commerce Airman's Guide (according to Chris Kennedy)

redesignated “Lompoc NAAF (LTA)” to “Lompoc Airport”, as of May 27, 1946.

At this point the airfield once again became Lompoc's municipal airport.

The 1960 Jeppesen Airway Manual (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

depicted the original Lompoc Airport as having a single 2,200' unpaved Runway 8/26,

which had a paved runway inset along the south side of the unpaved strip.

A cluster of buildings was depicted along the southeast corner of the field.

The two concrete rings original used for blimp mooring were still depicted as well.

The airport property was eventually overtaken by the rapid growth of the town of Lompoc.

The City purchased land 1.5 miles to the north,

and relocated the airport to that site in 1960.

As seen in a circa 2000 aerial view,

the old airport's property is now the location of Lompoc High School & a shopping center,

with not a trace remaining of the former airfield.

A 2003 photo by Tim Tyler of the site of the old Lompoc Airport.

Tim reported that the site is "Now the Lompoc High School (west end)

with school buildings & numerous individual athletic fields."

A 2003 photo by Tim Tyler.

"A couple of school buildings such as the Quonset type building & a small wood structure

look like they may possibly be left over from the airfield days."

Tim continued, "The large, modern strip mall is anchored by a Von’s, Sears, Big Lots,

Staples, and smaller enterprises all along the east end.

Rainbow Plaza & Parkside Garden Apartments are on the northeast quadrant of the former NAAF,

behind the strip mall."

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Original Hancock Field, Santa Maria, CA

34.94 North / 120.42 West (Northwest of Los Angeles, CA)

"Santa Maria" Airport,

as depicted on the 1929 "Rand McNally Standard Map of CA With Air Trails" (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

Hancock Field was founded in 1927 by Captain Allan Hancock.

It was dedicated as the community's airport the following year.

The Hancock Foundation College of Aeronautics was established in 1928.

Ten-week classes were offered prospective pilot candidates,

with successful individuals becoming licensed pilots.

Graduation of the first students occurred in 1929.

The 1929 "Rand McNally Standard Map of CA With Air Trails" (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

described the Santa Maria Airport as a private airport, operated by Santa Maria Airlines, Inc.,

and that the field measured 2,680' x 500'.

The "Southern Cross" Fokker Tri-motor, visiting Hancock Field in 1930.

It had gained fame by accomplishing the first trans-Pacific flight by Charles Kingsford-Smith in 1928.

The earliest chart depiction which has been located of Hancock Field

was on the 1933 San Francisco Airway Map (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

It depicted Hancock as a commercial or municipal airport.

The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo)

described Hancock Field as consisting of a 2,600' x 2,600' oiled landing area.

"Santa Maria" was painted on the roof of the western hangar,

while "Hancock Field" was painted on the roof of the eastern hangar.

An undated view of Stearman trainers on the flightline at Hancock Field.

Just prior to the outbreak of WW2, the Hancock school was selected as one of eight civilian institutions

to provide primary training to military aviation cadets.

This training began in 1939,

just 40 days after Captain Hancock had met with General Arnold.

The December 1941 San Francisco Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

depicted Hancock as a commercial or municipal airport.

An aerial view of a large number of biplanes lined up on the Hancock Field flightline (courtesy of Tim Tyler).

According to Bill McKee, this photo is pre-1942.

"The fairgrounds in the lower right of the photo were removed that year to allow for expansion of the field.

The buildings look pre-war from other photos I have.

Student barracks were added in 1940 & these are not on this photo, for instance."

An undated view of biplane trainers on the flightline at Hancock Field

(courtesy of Dee Dee Benford, Santa Maria Historical Museum).

According to Bill McKee, "This is an early-war [WW2] view of the lineup of PT-13 Stearman trainers

before a larger influx of these really made for a large sized contingent on the ramp."

A 1942 photo of two Stearman trainers from Hancock Field which had collided (courtesy of Bill McKee).

"Note that markings are not standard,

which was usually the case of these aircraft provided by the Army & maintained by the contractor."

An undated Hancock Yearbook, a publication of the Hancock School of Aeronautics (courtesy of Tim Tyler).

According to the USAAF History of AAFTD-1 (from the Air Force Historical Research Archives, according to Bill Kee),

the predominant trainer aircraft used at Hancock Field was the Stearman PT-13 biplane.

Rarely a week would pass without a crash.

Forced landings were common in the Santa Maria Valley,

with pilots often needing to make emergency landings in the dry Santa Maria riverbed.

Ken Barber recalled that Hancock Field was “my primary flight school where I first soloed the PT-13 Stearman.

I started flying there right after preflight at Santa Ana Army Air Base in Orange County

where after a strenuous evaluation was selected for pilot training & sent off to Santa Maria in September 1943.

I actually soloed at an auxiliary field at Guadalupe which was over toward the coast.

We also used other auxiliary fields for other purposes.

I have very pleasant memories of The Hancock College of Aeronautics

and have a special graduation certificate showing that I indeed graduated from that specific school.

Santa Maria was considered to be the country club of the primary flight schools in the Western Flying training command.”

"Hancock, Army" was described by the 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer)

as having a 3,300' hard-surface runway,

although the remarks included, "3,900' turfed landing area available."

Military flight training at Hancock Field continued until 1944.

Hancock Field was depicted as a commercial/municipal field

on the March 1945 San Francisco Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

An undated photo of the gate of the Hancock College of Aeronautics.

After the war Hancock Flight School was leased to USC for use as a four-year Aeronautics Degree program.

The January 1948 San Francisco Sectional Chart (according to Dean Billing)

depicted Hancock as having a 3,400' hard-surface runway.

During the Korean War the Hancock school was used to train aviation mechanics.

In 1954 Santa Maria Junior College purchased the 40 acre airport site

and began construction of what is still operated today as the Allan Hancock Community College.

However, apparently Hancock Field still continued to operate as an airfield,

as it was still depicted as an active airfield on the 1955 & 1956 San Francisco Sectional Charts (according to Chris Kennedy).

The Aerodromes table listed the airfield as having three runways, with the longest being a 3,300' "road mix" strip.

The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Hancock Field

was on the September 1957 San Francisco Sectional Charts (courtesy of Dale Knutsen).

It depicted Hancock Field as having a 3,300' paved runway.

Hancock Field was apparently closed at some point between 1957-66,

as it was no longer depicted at all on the 1966 San Francisco Sectional Chart.

A circa 2001 aerial view of the site of Hancock Field, since reused as the site of the Allan Hancock Community College.

Some original buildings from the airport are still in use as part of the college.

But no traces of the original airfield layout were still perceptible in the photo.

A 2003 photo by Tim Tyler of "Building Y", which appears to date from the Hancock Field days.

Tim Tyler visited the site of the former Hancock Field in 2003.

His report: "Building ‘S’ is a long, 1 story wooden structure

that has a signature of perhaps dating back from the airfield days (warehouse, barracks, etc.).

The windows are now boarded up, and it looks like it most recently housed the college’s Academic Affairs offices.

Another college building that looks to be from the Hancock Field days is known as Building Y.

It is a concrete building with minor mission-style architecture, all boarded up now.

Building Z is apparently in use as the Student - Child Study Center,

and is located along College in between Oak & Park Avenues.

It looks to be of similar age & design to Building Y.

Sadly, Allan Hancock College doesn’t seem to offer any aviation related classes these days."

A 2003 photo by Tim Tyler of former hangars which remain at the site of Hancock Field.

"Many or perhaps all of the large old hangars are on East Oak Street & Arctic Avenue,

just West on the other side of College Street from Hancock College,

and are now in use by Santa Maria Furniture & Floor Covering,

Los Padres Glass & Mirror Co, Pacific Auction, Jim Agawa Radiator Service,

Custom Rod & Tackle Co, Central Coast Spring & Alignment, Sawyer Building Material,

German Joe’s Mobile Repair & Custom BBQs.

Other than a couple obvious hangars off of East Oak Street,

I don’t know for sure how many of these old structures date back to the Hancock Field days,

but they do look to be from the right era."

Ross Mayfield reported in 2004, "I live near & work in Santa Maria.

We used to have a business located in one the hangars west of the college.

I can tell you that almost all of the buildings on that portion of Oak street, west of the college

(except for the concrete building on the south side that sits next to College Avenue)

are all former Hancock Field Hangars.

There are also 4 hangar buildings from the original Hancock field that were relocated to Santa Maria Airport.

In the hangar that we were located in, up in the rafters

was a sign stating that no responsibility was claimed for items left inside of aircraft parked there.

Also, these hangars & several buildings recently torn down on the college campus

were featured in the film "Spirit Of St. Louis" starring Jimmy Stewart [released in 1957].

Many of the aviation scenes in the film that take place prior to the flight to Paris were filmed at Hancock Field."

A 2003 photo by Tim Tyler.

According to Bill McKee, this aircraft is a Fleet 2 which was procured in Florida

and then flown to the Santa Maria Museum of Flight where it was restored in colors & markings

accurate to aircraft flown by the Hancock Foundation College of Aeronautics in the early 1930s.

A 2006 aerial view looking north at the row of 60-year-old hangars which remain at the site of the original Hancock Field.

The name Hancock Field lives on today, as the much larger Santa Maria Airport

(several miles southwest of the original Hancock Field) has adopted the name Hancock Field.

The Santa Maria Museum of Flight is located at the Santa Maria Airport.