July 2, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Santa Monica Airport Commission To Host Workshop On Flight Schools Tonight 7:30 p.m.:

The Santa Monica Airport Commission will conduct a flight school workshop tonight, Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m. to discuss flight training activity at Santa Monica Airport and at other airports throughout the region. The public is invited to attend to participate in a Q&A session at the workshop, which will be held at the Santa Monica City Council chambers, located at 1685 Main Street.

The workshop is being conducted as part of the Airport Commission’s continuing effort to inform and educate the public regarding the operation of the Santa Monica Airport.

The agenda and format of the meeting was developed by Airport staff working in conjunction with an ad hoc committee of the Airport Commission and representatives of the Santa Monica Airport flight schools.

The flight school workshop will include an overview and introduction by Santa Monica Airport Director Bob Trimborn.

Trimborn will present a review of the current flight school operations at Santa Monica Airport and discuss flight school activity at other airports in the Southern California region.

His presentation will be followed by a discussion regarding flight school operations, flight training, and other related information.

Trimborn said the Airport Commission holds regular workshops throughout the year on topics such as noise operations and environmental issues, but this would be the first workshop dedicated to flight schools.

“It’s an education and awareness workshop so that people will understand what flight training is about, and jurisdiction issues related to flight training,” Trimborn said. “Flight schools are part of the Airport Commission’s education program to educate people on the operation of the airport.”

Trimborn said he did not know if Monday’s workshop would attract more people than usual following the Aug. 29 single-engine Cessna crash in Santa Monica flown by a student pilot.

“We could have more than normal, I’m not sure,” he said. “We don’t have any polling that’s going to tell us how many people are going to be there.”

Ten-minute presentations will be given by John Fairweather, Sunset Park resident; Joe Justice, owner of Justice Aviation; and Jay Elder, Director of American Flyers at Santa Monica Airport.

Following, these presentations will be a Q&A session, moderated by Airport Commissioner Richard Brown, in which the public is invited to participate.

Questions must be related to the information and topics presented and/or discussed during the workshop presentations.

Persons may choose to either submit up to three written questions to staff; or submit a chit and request to speak.

Anyone chosen to speak will be limited to three minutes.

According to Trimborn’s report compiled for Monday’s workshop, flight training has most likely been occurring at Santa Monica Airport since its founding in 1917.

During the early years, flight training was given in biplanes and did not have the same regulatory structure that currently exists in the industry today.

Prior to WWII, the US Army Air Corps operated a flight training facility at the Airport. Flight training virtually came to a halt during WWII when the Airport was used primarily by the Douglas Aircraft Company to build aircraft for the war effort.

Flight training grew exponentially following the war and peaked in the mid-to-late 1960s when several major flight schools (with more than 30 aircraft each) operated on the south-side of the airport.

Overall aircraft operations at the airport also peaked during this period reaching over 356,000 takeoffs and landings/year (three times the current operational level) – with many of these being flight school-related operations.

Staff interviewed several pilots who flew at SMO during this time period.

They said that it was not uncommon to have 20-plus aircraft conducting take-offs and landings during peak hours.

Flight training activity began to diminish during the 1980s, with the exception of the dot-com era in the late 1990s, to its present level.

Currently there are six flight schools of varying sizes at Santa Monica Airport.

Keep up-t0-date With The Mirror:

Follow The Mirror on Twitter: twitter.com/SMMirror

Follow The Mirror on Facebook: facebook.com/SMMirror

in News
<>Related Posts

People are Using Palisades for “Disaster Tours.” Local Officials Are Trying to Stop Them

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

A new motion introduced to City Council requests a coordinated strategy from LADOT, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the...

Santa Monica Favorite Esters Rebrands as Esters Wine Shop & Oyster Bar

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

New Concept Launches With French-Spanish Flair and Free Bubbles Esters Wine Shop, the fave Parisian-style wine bar in downtown Santa...

Letter to the Editor: Santa Monica’s Great Park: It’s Time to Deliver on 100 Years of Promise

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Santa Monica stands at the edge of history. For nearly a century, residents have consistently supported turning the airport land...

Why Nordstrom Says It’s Closing Its Santa Monica Place Location

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

A Nordstrom spokesperson explained the closure as a strategic realignment Nordstrom confirmed its decision to close its Santa Monica store...

Three-Bed Palisades Highlands Townhouse Hits Market for $1.7M

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

The Mediterranean-style property, located at 1529 Michael Lane, is part of a 71-unit community A remodeled 1,919-square-foot townhouse in the...

Six-Bed Mar Vista Hilltop Home Under Construction Lists for $5.3M

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

The private backyard is complete with a pool, spa, fire pit, built-in BBQ, and areas for outdoor dining A stunning...

(Video) Getty Villa Reopens Six Months After Dodging Destruction of Palisades Wildfires

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

With the reopening also comes a new exhibit, “The Kingdom of Pylos” Getty Villa Reopens Six Months After Dodging Destruction...

Free Virtual Planetarium Shows Coming to SMC in July

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

The virtual format is in place as construction of the new SMC Planetarium and Observatory nears completion The Santa Monica...

Santa Monica Adopts $793.3M Budget for FY25-27, Prioritizing Housing and Safety

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

The budget preserves core services and invests in major projects, including over $1 billion in hotel investments The Santa Monica...

Iranian Pastor in West L.A. Speaks as Church Rocked by Immigration Raids 

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

Five Detained as Fear Spreads Through Persian Christian Faith Community  Fear has spread through a West Los Angeles congregation after...

California Doubles Down on Hollywood: $750M in Tax Credits Approved for Film and TV Industry

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

State Lawmakers Back Major Expansion of Production Incentives, Raising Job Projections Los Angeles’ film and television industry is poised to...

Park: “Our Water Infrastructure Must Be Emergency-Ready Every Day”

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

Councilwoman expressed cautious relief at the news but emphasized the need for robust infrastructure The Los Angeles Department of Water...

Washington Square Pizza Opens to the Public

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

New York Style Pizza “By-The-Slice” Now at the Beach By Nick Antonicello  Washington Square Pizza formally opened its doors today...

California Allocates $5B for Road Repairs, Transit Expansion

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

The funding aims to improve road safety, reduce traffic congestion, and promote cleaner transportation California is investing nearly $5 billion...

THIS SUNDAY: Palisades Symphony Presents “Best of Broadway”

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

The performance will feature a full orchestra playing iconic selections, from John Philip Sousa’s *El Capitan* and George Gershwin’s *The...