The Airport

WHEN DAVID DROVE ME TO THE AIRPORT IN DENVER MONDAY MORNING IT WAS 22 DEGREES WITH A CRYSTAL CLEAR SKY. THE AIRPORT (STAPLETON) USED TO BE CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN BUT IN THE 90’S D.I.A. WAS BUILT ABOUT 20 MILES EAST OF TOWN. IN THE CLEAR MORNING AIR YOU COULD SEE 10-15 MILES OUT ON THE PLAINS ALL THE WAY TO THE NEW AIRFIELD WITH THE ONE MAJOR HIGHWAY ARTERY LIT WITH THE RED TAIL LIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE ON THE WAY TO GOING SOMEWHERE ELSE.

THE FLIGHT TAKING OFF ON TIME AT 7AM WAS PHENOMINAL. EVEREYONE SHOULD IN THEIR LIVES WATCH THE SUN COME UP OVER THE ROCKIES. THE GRAND CANYON WAS TRULY GRAND AS WE RACED THE SUN TO CALIFORNIA. SOMEWHERE SOUTH OF LAS VEGAS WE STARTED OUR APPROACH TO LAX AND SOON WE WERE ON THE GROUND. AS WE LANDED I NOTED THE SPANISH STYLE BUILDING TO THE RIGHT THAT ONCE STOOD AS THE WELCOME MAT FOR ALL ARRIVING PASSENGERS TO LOS ANGELES. YES THE OLD TERMINAL STILL STANDS AT THE END OF AIRPORT BLVD NEAR WESTCHESTER. HOWEVER NOW IT IS A TERMINAL FOR PACKAGES LEAVING TO TRAVEL THE WORLD. THE TERMINAL BUILDING LOOKS A LOT LIKE OTHER TERMINALS STILL BEING USED AT BURBANK AND LONG BEACH TODAY,….ONLY SMALLER.

I REMEMBER WHEN MY FAMILY, IN 1954, WENT OUT ACROSS THE OPEN FIELDS TO THE LITTLE AIRPORT, MEETING MY ARRIVING GRAND PARENTS. WE SEARCHED FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE HOURS UNTIL WE FINALLY FOUND THEM NEAR THE ONLY BAGGAGE CLAIM AREA WHICH WAS OUT DOORS. THE ONE MILE SQUARE AIRPORT, BORDERED BY CENTURY, SEPULVEDA, IMPERIAL, AND AVIATION BLVDS. TWO RUNWAYS WERE ALLTHAT SERVED THE LANDING AIRCRAFT.

NO FREEWAYS EXISTED AT THAT TIME OUTSIDE OF THE CENTRAL CITY. CENTURY BLVD. WAS THE MAIN ARTERY TO GET TO THE AIRPORT FROM THE HARBOR FREEWAY WHICH STRETCHED 8 MILES SOUTH OF DOWN TOWN (THAT’S THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TEHACHAPI HOUSE AND TOWN). NOT TOO LONG AFTER THAT, CONSTRUCTION BEGAN ON WHAT WOULD BE THE SEPULVEDA TUNNEL THAT WOULD ALLOW THE AIRPORT TO SPREAD AND STRETCH THE 3 & 1/2 MILES FURTHER WEST TO THE BEACH. ADDITIONAL INDUSTRIAL AREA NORTH OF CENTURY EXPANDED THE AIRPORT TO THE RUNWAYS WHERE TODAY PLANES LAND OVERHEAD OF WHAT IS NOW IN-N-OUT. HALF OF THE COMMUNITY OF WESTCHESTER AND ALL OF VISTA PLAYA DEL REY WERE WIPED OFF THE MAP TO MAKE WAY FOR THE EXPANSION.

AS CHILDREN WE WOULD RIDE OUR BIKES FROM CULVER CITY UP THE SEPULVEDA HILL PAST THE LOYOLA THEATER TO THE NEW AIRPORT. WE RODE OUR BIKES ON THE ROADS, IN THE PARKING LOTS AND INTO AND AROUND THE TERMINALS AND RUNWAYS. NO FENCES WERE REQUIRED BECAUSE ONLY SOME CRAZY PERSON WOULD THINK OF GETTING IN THE WAY OF THE PLANES THAT WOULD BE TAKING OFF AND LANDING. ON THE WAY BACK FROM OUR ADVENTURES WE WOULD STOP OFF AT WHAT WOULD BE DESCRIBED TODAY AS AN OPEN AIR SWAP MEET. AIRPORT VILLAGE SERVED ETHNIC FOOD OF ALL NATIONALITIES BUT SOON EVEN THE VILLAGE WOULD BE GONE, GOBBLED UP IN THE PATH OF THE SAN DIEGO FREEWAY.

SOON AFTER THE OPENING OF THE NEW AIRPORT, THE LOCAL SCHOOL CHILDREN, (MYSELF INCLUDED) WERE INVITED TO TOUR THE FACILITY. WE ALL WALKED THE TUNNELS THAT RAN UNDER THE RUNWAYS BETWEEN THE STREETS AND TERMINALS. THE PRICE TAG WE WERE TOLD WAS A WOPPING 16 MILLION DOLLARS (NO LOCAL TAX MONEY) TO BUILD THE PLACE. ALL THIS MONEY CAME FROM THE $1 CHARGED EACH PASSENGER’S TICKET TO USE THE PLACE.

THE OPEN FIELDS FROM DOWNTOWN TO THE AIRPORT WERE ALL SOON FILLED WITH HOMES AND FREEWAYS LINKED EVERYONE CLOSER TOGETHER. PERHAPS THIS IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH ALL THE OPEN PLAINS BETWEEN DENVER AND D.I.A.

HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS HISTORY.

DAD