Chiriaco Summit Airport
Encyclopedia
Chiriaco Summit Airport is a county-owned public-use airport
located one nautical mile (1.85 km) northeast of the central business district
of Chiriaco Summit
, in Riverside County
, California
, United States
.
The airport is maintained as a functioning airport for emergency purposes and recreational VFR use by the Riverside County government. Some west coast aero clubs use the airport (and nearby restaurant) as a "destination" site for annual week-end competitions.
Fourth Air Force
as a training base during World War II
. At the end of the war the airfield was determined to be excess by the military and turned over to the local government for civil use.
of 1,713 feet (522 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
designated 6/24 with an asphalt
surface measuring 4,600 by 50 feet (1,402 x 15 m). For the 12-month period ending November 30, 2006, the airport had 6,000 general aviation
aircraft operations, an average of 16 per day.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located one nautical mile (1.85 km) northeast of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Chiriaco Summit
Chiriaco Summit, California
Chiriaco Summit is a small unincorporated town and travel stop located along Interstate 10 in the Colorado Desert of Southern California. It is west of Desert Center....
, in Riverside County
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The airport is maintained as a functioning airport for emergency purposes and recreational VFR use by the Riverside County government. Some west coast aero clubs use the airport (and nearby restaurant) as a "destination" site for annual week-end competitions.
History
The airport was opened in April 1943 as Shavers Summit Army Airfield and was used by the United States Army Air ForcesUnited States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
Fourth Air Force
Fourth Air Force
The Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
as a training base during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. At the end of the war the airfield was determined to be excess by the military and turned over to the local government for civil use.
Facilities and aircraft
Chiriaco Summit Airport covers an area of 570 acres (230.7 ha) at an elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 1,713 feet (522 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
designated 6/24 with an asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
surface measuring 4,600 by 50 feet (1,402 x 15 m). For the 12-month period ending November 30, 2006, the airport had 6,000 general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
aircraft operations, an average of 16 per day.