JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT : The...

1909

Historic Flight--Glenn L. Martin conducts the first successful airplane flight in California from a makeshift runway on the Irvine ranch. He flies 100 feet in 12 minutes in a plane he built in an abandoned church in Santa Ana. He returns to the field every day, determined to perfect his flying technique, prompting his family doctor to send this message to his mother, Minta:

For Heaven’s sake. If you have any influence with that wild-eyed, hallucinated, visionary young man, call him off before he is killed. Have him devote his energies to substantial, feasible and profitable pursuits, leaving dreaming to the professional dreamers.

--Dr. H.H. Sutherland

1910

Birth of an Industry--Martin forms the Glenn L. Martin Co. with Minta and they open their first factory in a former peach cannery on East First Street in Santa Ana.

In the beginning there were no textbooks. I learned aerodynamics by adapting my knowledge of kites and tackling constructing, such as a propeller, as many times as it took to work out proportions by trial and error. I learned about stress and strain in construction by reading a text on bridge building. When a part didn’t look or feel right, I changed it by the rule - of - thumb method.

--Glenn L. Martin

1912

Hydroplaning--Martin accomplishes a 33-mile, water-to-water flight in a Martin Model 12 hydroplane from Balboa Bay in Newport Beach to Catalina’s Avalon Harbor. Martin’s company moves from Santa Ana to Los Angeles to Cleveland and, eventually, Baltimore. By 1917, it is the largest airplane manufacturer in the country and becomes one of the nation’s main suppliers of military and commercial aircraft.

1923

Airstrip to Airport--Pioneer aviator Edward J. (Eddie) Martin from Fountain Valley (no relation to Glenn Martin) uses $75 in cash and a used motorcycle as a down payment on a $700 Curtiss JN-4D Jenny. To make the monthly payments on the plane, Eddie Martin and his older brother, Johnny, offer rides and flight instruction from a field on the Irvine Ranch. Eddie Martin leases 80 acres of land near Main Street and Newport Avenue from James Irvine Jr. The makeshift airstrip becomes Eddie Martin Airport.

1926

Stunts on High--Eddie Martin trades a motorcycle for a portable wooden hangar and stages flying exhibitions in a French Nieuport 38 pursuit plane.

The stunt shows were the best thing we ever had for drawing a crowd. The engine noise alone was enough to attract attention, and since the plane was great for acrobatics, we’d crank it up every time business got slow and make a few sashays over town. Before long, we had a crowd worked up and business would start to boom. --Eddie Martin

1928

Lindbergh Lands--Celebrated aviator Charles Lindbergh lands at Eddie Martin Airport, one year after his historic solo flight across the Atlantic.

Taking off, the shortness of the field nearly brought him a cropper at the further fence. Only the excellent brake system of his new plane saved him from crashing into the fence, witnesses say. Maybe they’re mistaken, but Lindbergh turned the plane and taxied a long way back for his second takeoff on which he barely cleared the obnoxious fence. --The Los Angeles Times Irvine to the Rescue--Business is slow, and Eddie Martin Airport falls behind in its lease payments. James Irvine Jr. forgives the debt and reduces the rent.

1933

Safe and Sound--By the airport’s 10th anniversary, the Martin brothers have carried 14,305 paying passengers 775,450 miles without an accident.

1935

Amelia, Howard, Eddie--Amelia Earhart visits Eddie Martin Airport to watch Howard Hughes set a world speed record and then crash-land in a Santa Ana beet field.

1937

Sold for a Sawbuck--Glenn Martin returns to the county on the 25th anniversary of his first flight, passing over Newport Beach in his latest design, the China Clipper flying boat. Eddie Martin concentrates on his commercial pilot career and sells Martin Aviation to brother Floyd for $10.

1939

Land Acquired--The county acquires Irvine Co. land to build Orange County Airport one mile south of Eddie Martin Airport. Martin Aviation receives an exclusive 20-year lease to operate at the new location.

1940

Ground Broken--Construction begins on Orange County Airport.

1941

Space Crunch--When the airport is completed, Martin Aviation moves in, Eddie Martin Airport closes, and overcrowding begins:

As soon as airplanes and equipment were moved to the new $50,000 Orange County Airport on Paularino Road here today, authorities learned that the field must be expanded. When 23 planes were ferried to the airport, Manager Floyd Martin announced immediately that an additional hangar must be erected to care for the expanding fleet. --The Los Angeles Times Flights Stopped--The attack on Pearl Harbor halts all civilian flying within 150 miles of the West Coast.

1942

Bigger, Better--The Army Air Corps leases the airport from the county for $1 a year, constructs additional buildings and extends the runway to accommodate transport planes and a P-38 fighter squadron.

1945

Martin Returns--World War II ends. Floyd Martin and a partner, Joe Hager, re-establish Martin Aviation at the airport after a temporary move to Baker, Calif. Eddie Martin, a test pilot for Lockheed during the war, begins selling automobiles and real estate. He serves as an adviser at Martin Aviation and flies only for personal satisfaction.

1946

First Manager--Johnny Martin ends his career as an airline pilot and becomes brother Floyd’s partner at Martin Aviation. William Nichols, a long-time county employee, is named the airport’s first full-time manager.

1952

Service Begins--The airport’s first commercial airline, Bonanza Airlines, begins daily service to Los Angeles, San Diego, El Centro-Yuma and Phoenix. Although the airport sits on unincorporated county territory, airline tickets and baggage tags are marked “SNA” (for Santa Ana), because of a federal aviation official policy that names origins and destinations for the nearest large city.

1957

Commission Created--The Board of Supervisors creates a five-member Airport Commission. The first members are appointed a year later.

1958

Drag Racing Ends--Sunday drag-strip racing, held on the airport’s short runway since the early 1950s, stops because of the rising number of aircraft housed at the airport. The drag strip is turned into a “tie-down” area.

1963

Expansion Planned--Paul Mantz teams up with veteran pilot Frank Tallman to form Tallmantz Aviation and the Movieland of the Air International Flight and Space Museum.

New Terminal, Runway--The county approves a revised 1961 Master Plan that calls for a major expansion of the airport, including a new terminal and an additional runway.

1967

First Passenger Jet--Bonanza Airlines flies a DC9 into the airport, sparking the noise debates that have continued ever since.

Service to S.F.--AirCal begins direct service to San Francisco. The “new” terminal is dedicated by Ronald Reagan, then California governor.

1971

Noise Policed--Ecolog, the nation’s first noise-monitoring system, is installed.

1973

Lots of Landings--The airport becomes the nation’s second busiest airport, with 682,984 takeoffs and landings, mostly by non-commercial, general aviation. Lawsuits filed over aircraft noise levels total more than $27 million in requested damages.

1977

Suit Settled--Orange County Superior Court awards Newport Beach resident Harry Rinker a $261,000 settlement in an aircraft-noise suit against the county.

1978

Noise Case Loses--A jury refuses to award damages in a suit handled as a test case for all aircraft-noise suits filed against the county, ending all future actions.

Changing of the Guard--Airport Manager Robert Bresnahan resigns. Raul Regalado is hired to replace him but resigns 18 months later.

1979

A New Name--Orange County Airport is renamed John Wayne Airport.

Modern Monitor--A more sophisticated noise-monitoring system is installed.

1981

Airliner Crashes--An Air California Boeing 737, cleared for landing, crashes while trying to avoid hitting another plane cleared for takeoff on the same runway. The crash breaks the 737’s fuselage in half and injures 34 people. There are no fatalities. A six-month investigation by federal officials finds the 737’s pilot at fault. The crash is the airport’s first and only major accident involving a commercial airliner.

Service Expands--PSA begins service, bringing the total number of commercial airlines to five. It sues the county in federal court, claiming that airline-access rules are discriminatory, losing a year later.

1982

The Duke in Bronze--A nine-foot bronze statue of John Wayne is unveiled at the airport.

Plan Revised--Superior Court Judge Bruce Sumner rules the environmental impact report inadequate for a new airport Master Plan. The plan is later rewritten and becomes part of a 1985 court settlement between the county and opponents of airport expansion.

1983

Tower Rises--A 60-foot FAA control tower is completed.

Passenger Records--After months of political and legal battles, American Airlines begins service at John Wayne, setting new records for airport passenger loads.

1985

New Terminal Planned--The Board of Supervisors approves a Master Plan calling for the construction of a new terminal, parking facilities and other improvements expected to cost $310 million.

Another Manager--George Rebella is named the sixth manager of the airport, now served by nine commercial airlines.

1988

Cost Overruns--Construction begins on the new terminal, and supervisors name the one built in 1967 in honor of Eddie Martin. Faced with delays and cost overruns, the county fines lead project architect Leason Pomeroy Associates $775,000 for late and inaccurate blueprints.

1989

Youngest Pilot--Eleven-year-old Tony Aliengena of San Juan Capistrano departs John Wayne Airport to become the youngest pilot to circumnavigate the globe.

Opening Set Back--An Orange County Grand Jury report warns that the new terminal will not open on time but adds that the project has sufficient reserves to forestall financial problems due to delay in receiving rents from airlines and concessionaires. Still, airport officials deny need to reschedule opening, then set for April 1, 1990.

1990

Further Delays--Airport officials finally admit that the new terminal will not open on time and they reschedule the first flights for Sept. 16. A new grand jury report predicts that lost revenue will exceed $5 million but will not cause financial difficulties. Prime contractor Taylor Woodrow is fired from the $25-million garage and elevated road project for lateness and to pressure the firm to finish terminal building quickly. Taylor Woodrow sues the county; the court hearings are pending.

Riley Honored--John Wayne Airport’s new terminal is named after 5th District Supervisor Thomas F. Riley.

Martin Dies--Eddie Martin dies at the age of 88.

Eddie Martin was unpretentious . . . honest and direct to the point of crustiness at times. Today, Eddie would fly over John Wayne, look at the Martin name expanded on both east and west sides of the field and not say a word. He’d just shake his head and smile . . . that querulous smile that said, “I’m not sure I believe this but I’m proud and pleased as all get-out.” --Vi Smith, author of “From Jennies to Jets--The Aviation History of Orange County”