Airport Recovers After Devastating 2005 Flood

Two years after floodwaters devastated Santa Paula Airport (KSZP), local flying and non-flying communities are once again enjoying all the small airport has to offer in the small California town known as the "Citrus Capital of the World."

Ironically, the airport -- long a haven for antique airplanes and those who restore and fly them -- was developed because of a flood. Following the flood of 1928, several local pilot-ranchers purchased land along the Santa Clara River.

The privately owned, public use airport was officially dedicated in 1930, and except for a few scares over the decades, river and airport had peacefully coexisted -- until February 2005 (below), said Airport Association President Rowena Mason.

"In the initial weeks after our runway washed out to sea, the future of the airport remained a huge question mark," Mason added. "But a lot of wonderful people came together and worked extremely hard to get our airport fully operational again."

Local pilots, community leaders, and local, state, and federal governmental agencies worked first to re-open the airport for restricted use and then to implement a massive backfill and repair project.

The last stages of restoration were completed in December 2006.

Remarkably, the majority of airport businesses managed to stay afloat during the entire ordeal, said Mason.

Weather permitting, the airport continues to host an open house on the first Sunday of each month, complete with docent tours of the Santa Paula Airport Museum's chain of hangars.

Future plans include the construction of a new hangar complex on the East end of the field.

Santa Paula is located 65 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 14 miles east of Ventura. The town covers an area of 4.6 square miles and is home to 28,598.

FMI: www.santapaulaairport.org, www.amszp.org, www.richstowell.com/szp.htm