Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Aviation

A Historical Look at Torrance Airport

Sunday, Damsel and I attended a book signing in the old Torrance Library, now the Torrance Historical Society Museum, in Downtown Torrance, California. The book we were having signed is Images in Aviation — Torrance Airport written by my long-time friend and former colleague, Chuck Lobb. We enjoyed a nice visit with Chuck and were happy to see him doing well with his book.

Image: Chuck holding the book he signed for us. Photo Credit: Damsel

I just started reading the book today, and as a long-time flyer in the Southern California area, I look forward to learning all about the airport’s history.

Amazon link to Torrance Airport book.

Book Description

Californians were panicked by the Pearl Harbor attack of December 7, 1941, and civilian flights within 200 miles of the coast were immediately terminated. Airfields were commandeered and new ones hastily built. One of these was the Lomita Flight Strip, known today as Zamperini Field, the Torrance Municipal Airport, or TOA. This 490-acre parcel sent four squadrons of P-38 fighter pilots off to war with one commanded by the judge of the Charles Manson trial, an ex-Flying Tiger. Six other pilots became generals, two became commandants of cadets at the Air Force Academy, and one became the only fighter pilot with combat victories in both World War II and the Vietnam War. Japanese Americans returning from World War II internment camps found temporary housing at the field, and the world’s largest manufacturer of civilian helicopters settled there in 1973. The first runway takeoff of a Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft was pioneered at TOA, and aerobatic champ Bob Herendeen trained at the site.

About the Author

Charles Lobb is a Federal Aviation Administration certified flight instructor and unofficial historian for Zamperini Field, the Torrance Municipal Airport. Over a 10-year period, he has combed through federal archives and private collections for vintage and compelling photographs, many published here for the first time.

25 Sep 2006 by Aviation California

Island Express

Every year, Damsel and I make the pilgrimage back to the place where we got married — Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, California. You might have seen our postings on some of the things we saw this visit.

Crossing the Catalina Channel from San Pedro to Avalon on the Catalina Express boat takes about an hour and fifteen minutes. Crossing the Catalina Channel on the Island Express helicopter takes about fifteen minutes. Always anxious to get there, Damsel and I generally take the helicopter over and the boat back. This works to our advantage two ways: one, we get there quick and start our vacation activities an hour sooner, and two, there is not a restrictive weight limit on the boat for baggage (25 lbs max on the helicopter), and if we buy souvenirs and stuff there, taking the boat back makes sense to us. Actually, both means of transportation are fine with us, and both are enjoyable. This little two-minute movie shows a few sequences I recorded our last trip over.

17 Sep 2006 by Aviation California Travel

Banner Tow Early Warning System

Summertime brings outdoor crowds going to the seashore, theme parks, sporting events and what have you. Where you have outdoor crowds, you will have airplanes towing advertising banners in circles above the crowds. But they do have to refuel from time to time. And since the local airport is a banner-tow base, they generally pass close overhead departing from and returning to home base.


Our protective pets see these guys as aerial intruders and carry on with barking and growling as soon as they hear the airplane engines laboriously towing the extra weight. I can’t notice the difference, but they seem to. Remarkably, they couldn’t care less about other airplanes flying in the same pattern or low-flying helicopters. But let a helicopter pass with a banner behind it (yes there are a few) and the dogs go bat-shit crazy!

03 Sep 2006 by Aviation California Critters Photography

Truth in Aerial Advertising

After today’s most ridiculous performance by Joseph Wilson and Valerie Plame at the National Press Club, there can only be one thing to say about their message:

For more on this story visit Blackfive – One Last Photo OP . . .

Update: Captain’s Quarters posts about the judge assigned the case in “Talk about a bad draw.”

Update 7/25/2006: GOP Bloggers: Once Again, Joe Wilson Lied. Christopher Hitchens presents a case for Wilson lying about the yellowcake uranium issue brought by British intelligence. The unmitigated gall of the Wilsons is totally unbelieveable yet alone their lies!

14 Jul 2006 by Aviation California Degenerates Whacko Politics

Vintage Aircraft on Memorial Day

Taking to the skies to help celebrate Memorial Day, these beautiful vintage airplanes were just returning to home base at Zamperini Field in Torrance, CA (named for Louis Zamperini, living legend and WWII veteran — but that’s another blog post).

My aviator husband tells me that the aircraft were a mix of Stearman and Waco bi-planes — six alltogether — doing a pass over a local celebration, where they flew the “missing man” formation in honor of fallen military aviators. Even though we did not attend the celebration, we saw a parachute team circling down with a giant American Flag to open the ceremonies earlier in the day.

30 May 2006 by Aviation Culture Patriotism

LAX Hijacking Airport Revenue?

Already with a reputation of having the worst airport security, the worst airport management and named by the Airline Pilots Association‘s as one of the worst operational airports in America, LAX Management now reaches a new low — they are planning to divert an estimated 3.3 million dollars of annual airport revenues to unauthorized social programs — programs that are likely to be managed as poorly as the airport itself.

From the South Bay Daily Breeze:

FAA questions LAX use of airport funds to pay for job training

Federal authorities raise concerns about a pledge by Los Angeles International Airport to spend millions of dollars on job training and recruitment programs in nearby neighborhoods.

Those programs were supposed to help low-income people living with the noise and hassle of the airport find jobs there. They were an important element of recent deals that eased community opposition to the airport’s modernization plan.

But the regional office of the Federal Aviation Administration warned in a letter this week that the airport does not have authority to spend money that way. The job programs, it wrote, are not directly related to airport operations or air transportation and therefore cannot be funded with airport revenue.

[more]

The giveaway at LAX to the surrounding area amounts to a “bribe” for allowing airport expansion and improvements. I think the whole thing stinks and ought to be investigated by federal authorities.

19 May 2006 by Aviation California Degenerates

Michael Yon – Why We Write

New post at Michael Yon : Online Magazine – Why We Write.

Michael tells about helicopters, the pilots and why he can’t publish his best photos of them.

As a former helicopter pilot, reading this article got the old juices flowing, almost wishing I could be back in it. Almost. However, I’m OK with my job of contributing to the technology that helps these great men and women win wars. That, in itself, is my satisfaction.

09 May 2006 by Aviation Islamic Terrorism Media Military

Categories

Archives