July 18, 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

Man Arrested in Brentwood for Impersonating Firefighter During Palisades Fire

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

The suspect faces at least 28 criminal counts—including 23 felonies—spanning incidents from 2023 to May 2025 Federal and local law...

West Coast Premiere of ‘The Opposite of Love’ Opens at Hudson Backstage Theatre

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

Produced by Neil Gooding Productions, behind shows like Back to the Future: The Musical, the play runs Thursdays through Saturdays at...

Study Highlights Economic Impact of Cap-and-Trade Extension in Los Angeles

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders are pushing to reauthorize the program this year, citing its role in generating 287,000...

Film Review: Superman

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

“This movie is packed with storyline, Superman lore, meaningful objects, and action.” writes Kathryn Whitney Boole Rated PG-13129 MinutesReleased July...

Multiple Drug Arrests Reported in Palisades Park in Recent Weeks

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

SMPD Reported Several of the Arrests Between June 29 and July 5 The Santa Monica Police Department reported several drug-related...

(Video) Did You Know Emma Chamberlain’s Coffee Shop is in Century City?

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

The outpost is a first for the popular influencer Did You Know Emma Chamberlain’s Coffee Shop is in Century City?...

Mayor Bass Hails National Guard Withdrawal as Victory for Unity

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

The Pentagon’s decision to reduce the troop presence follows weeks of legal challenges and public demonstrations Mayor Karen Bass celebrated...

DUI Checkpoints to be Conducted Across LA This Weekend

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The LAPD selects checkpoint sites based on data indicating high incidents of impaired driving-related crashes and arrests The Los Angeles...

SMPD to Conduct Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Operation on Friday

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The focus will be on speeding, illegal turns, failing to yield or provide right of way to cyclists or walkers,...

Dodgers to Host Back to School Bash for Fire-Affected Families

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The free event will offer free groceries, school supplies, outfits, haircuts, medical screenings, and carnival rides The Los Angeles Dodgers...

LA Sees Second Straight Year of Homelessness Decline, Leaders Celebrate Progress

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The survey, designed by the University of Southern California, reported a 17.5% drop—the largest two-year decrease on record The Los...

LAPD Seeks Missing 63-Year-Old Man Known to Frequent Playa Vista

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

His family last heard from him via a group text on June 22 The Los Angeles Police Department’s Missing Persons...

Santa Monica Offers City-Owned Properties for Affordable Housing Development

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

The move aims to address the city’s Regional Housing Need Assessment of 8,895 units, with a goal of producing at...

California Hits Two-Thirds Clean Energy Milestone

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

This year, clean energy has powered the state for an average of seven hours daily, with over 90% of days...

Venice Beach to Host First Medal at 2028 Olympics

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

Venice Beach, known for its vibrant boardwalk, will kick off the 844 ticketed events, hosting the triathlon along its coastline...