Santa Barbara Youth Aviation Day

The Santa Barbara airport has captivated fans of West Coast aviation for years - both young and old alike. Santa Barbara's aviation history began in 1914 when Lincoln Beachey flew an airplane across the Goleta Valley. Two years later the Lockheed Brothers established a seaplane factory on State Street and constructed a wooden ramp on West Beach to launch their planes. In 1928, other aviators landed in a cow pasture near the corner of Hollister and Fairview Avenue and set up a flight school on the spot. That first airstrip marked the beginning of what was to become the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport. Santa Barbara Airways' founder Frederick Stearns II later built two additional runways and two large hangars. Stearns also installed the first radio equipment at the airfield. Commercial service began in 1932 with Pacific Seaboard Airlines, and United Airlines inaugurated service from Santa Barbara and Goleta in 1936. Progress and renovation have continued through the years helping young Santa Barbara aviators look to the skies! Viewers of this video might also enjoy the South Coast Railroad Museum.