November 2005- After a long week of work and the first day of beautiful skies, I was able to go flying. When I took off and the tower cleared me for an early turn out from Orange County Airport, I was off to an airport that takes me back in time.
With a hundred miles visibility and light winds, I continued the turn over to follow the Santa Ana River bed until the riverbed intersected the 91 freeway. Following the freeway I passed Corona Airport while staying out of Riverside Airspace until the tower gave me permission to transit their airspace.
When Riverside Tower gave me permission, I continued along the 91 freeway at 2,500 feet AGL until north of Riverside airport and turned to a heading of north bound. Thirty minutes later, I saw my landmark—a 1,340-foot hill three quarters of a mile from the airport.
The historic Mt. Rubidoux has a 20-foot cross on top. The joke is that it was erected for the pilots who can’t find the airport.
Going around the hill—green this time of the year from the rain—I made a left-hand pattern onto final to see this 3,200-foot long by 50-foot wide asphalt runaway. The runway is in good condition with neither VASI nor landing lights. There is no control tower and no federal support with only stray dogs and a couple of wind socks to say which way the wind is blowing.
This is a beautiful sign from a different era to say we have arrived at Flabob Airport. This is Rubidoux located in Riverside, Calif.; Flabob was built in 1925 and is privately owned and open to the public.
A short 30-minute flight and I had returned to a simpler way of life. For those of us who are geographically impaired: Latitude North 3359.4 and Longitude West 11724.6 on the GPS.
This cute, nostalgic airport, tucked away from the rest of the concrete jungle at 764 feet above mean sea level is a haven for flying by the seat of your pants. After landing on Runway 24 with only one direction to turn off the runway, in the direct line of sight are old hangars in weathered color rust and new ones in fresh aqua paint in weathered colors and rust. Hangars are scattered about the airport with different ages of aircraft from vintage to modern, and as usual, from those in good condition to hanger queens.
Transit parking is next to the fuel farm. The aviation fuel available at the airport is either 100LL or Grade 80.
Located at Flabob airport is Gotta Fly Aviation, located next to the restaurant with a pilot lounge, pilot supplies, restrooms and rentals for single-engine aircraft. Repair service includes major airframe and powerplant on all small aircraft.
Flight instruction is offered in fixed wing aircraft for instrument instruction and private pilot lessons.
There is taxi service by Red Cab or Yellow Cab, and rental cars by Avis, Budget or Enterprise.
Nearby lodging is the Holiday Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, Mission Inn, and the Comfort Inn.
The attractions in the vicinity of Flabob Airport are March Field Museum (13 miles); Planes of Fame (14 miles), Jensen-Alvarado Ranch Museum (one mile), Louis Rubidoux Nature Center (two miles), Mt. Rubidoux (one mile), California Museum of Photography (four miles), and Art & History Museums (four miles).
There is even an EAA chapter at the airport. EAA Chapter One is located at Flabob Airport and was established in 1953. Vintage Aircraft Association Chapter 33 resides here as well.
There is a restaurant on the field near transit parking. As I walk into the restaurant with its rustic interior and open-beam-unpainted ceiling, I get the impression it might have been a hangar or machine shop at one time.
The walls are covered with black and white and color photographs of airplanes and people and show the history of the airport. Model airplanes hang from the rafters; the tables and booths could be a setting in the 1940s. One wall has a stone fireplace and opposite the fireplace are booths with windows through which one can watch the planes go by.
One afternoon while having lunch I was to see for the first time the Goodyear Blimp practice a semi-touch and go (meaning the blimp did not land)—a sight to be seen. However, helicopter flight training is prohibited here. I like to take a picnic basket with healthy snacks and a bottle of water and sit out on the grass to watch the airplanes go by.
Departing Flabob was simple compared to Orange County Airport: kick the tires and light the fire, taxi down to the departure end of Runway 24. After a few minutes of runup, talk with Riverside Tower to transit their airspace and you’re off again.
Turn 10 degrees to the left to stay north of the riverbed and avoid flying over the trailer park. After departure you will suddenly notice hills off to the right with trees lining the slopes, and, if you are going as slow as I am, you will have a few more minutes to see the rural countryside with its horses, lakes and trees.
It was time to leave Pollyanna’s world and go back to the asphalt jungle of reality, and now is the time to deal with Ontario Class C airspace above and Riverside Class D airspace ahead.
After leaving Riverside airspace, I was unable to contact SoCal Approach. I had to contact Orange County Airport, which simply told me to follow the Santa Ana riverbed until the 405 freeway and turn left. I long for the days of pure simple flying by the seat of pants.
Norm Ellis is an instrument-rated private pilot who has flown 23 different General Aviation aircraft types. He holds three Multi-STCs on five different Type Certificate aircraft that are certified on 88 aircraft with 30 more pending. Send questions or comments to editor@www.piperflyer.com.
