Whiteman Airport Page 3

“Supporting Airports, Strengthening Communities”

Please check for updates:

* Above obtained from CS SW OCT 31, 2024

Historical Perspective:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the photos - Special to SCAUWG.ORG from Matthew Stone - "The first two images and last are from--of all things--a cigarette matchbook issued on behalf of Whiteman Air Park, undoubtedly by Marvin Whiteman has Whiteman's name stylized as he had it in his company signs. This little matchbook gave remarkably detailed pattern info for WHP (which was using its old runway then (I would guess 18/36)), such as its 800 ft TPA.

Based upon the streets featured and the distinct absence of the Four Stacks (despite their hazards as obstructions right about where the 45 deg. pattern entry is called for) as well as the mention of swimming, I would guess this matchbook originates somewhere between 1948 (the pool was dedicated that year and is featured in an illustration in the matchbook) and 1953 (the Four Stacks are built). I will be looking into the streets further to attempt to pin the date down. Image #7 was an old 1947 press clipping I ran across long ago which this contemporary matchbook map meshes well with.

The other photos date to much later...the late 1960s and show the surrounding area. The most notable feature of these are the first clear views of Whiteman's racetrack. (Per Jim Miller, Marvin Whiteman had put that project together on the basis of his own involvement with stock cars and to keep racing nearby but off the streets.)"  - M.S.

01/31/2026   "... I snapped photos of the historical advertisement posters present in the WHP terminal that lean into the past just as the matchbook does." -Mathew Stone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                          Historical Posters photographed by Matthew Stone

 

Special Notices:

Happenings at Van Nuys Airport. 
New permanent pattern altitude is 1600 feet msl (800 feet agl).
Landing fees are still on hold. The current recommendation is for a charge of $9.65 per 1000 lbs. landed weight (Cessna 172 at 2400 lbs. = $23.16 per landing) through the end of Fiscal Year 2026 (June 30, 2026) and then increasing to $14.18 (Cessna 172= $34.03).  The LAWA Board of Airport Commissioners until at least January 29th.

This Page (2) was Added 06/18/2026    For Whiteman Airport Page 2   Please Click Here

 

News, Challenges, Events & Correspondence:

 

06/30/2026   LA COUNTY BOS JUNE 30, 2026, MTG HORVATH MOTION 16 - ENHANCING SAFETY AT WHITEMAN AIRPORT -    MOTION 16 VIDEO

LA COUNTY BOS MTG JUNE 30, 2026, HORVATH MOTION 16

CLICK ON IMAGE to View the Video of the Motion 16 Discussion and Vote

 

06/30/2026   POLITICIAN INPUT - LETTERS TO THE BOS  re: MOTION 16  - from  U.S. REPRESENTATIVE LUZ RIVAZ  and  CA ASSEMBLYWOMAN CELESTE RODRIQUEZ

U.S. REPRESESENTATIVE LUZ RIVAZ

CA ASSEMBLYWOMAN CELESTE RODRIQUEZ

Webmaster Editorial Comment:   One might find it difficult to believe that professionals charged with representing thousands of constituents no matter how sincere they could be so are so misinformed.   Every aviation enthusiast would like to see proper airport maintenance but appearing to believe that repairing runway surface cracks will prevent pilot errors and/or mechanical issues from occurring seems naive. Additionally holding the FAA or NTSB to task, as has been promoted by some, do not recognize that the airport is a County entity, (not Federal), and the wires located on approach are a City responsibility (not Federal or NTSB)!  Furthermore, reasoning that safety for Pacoima residents who chose to live near the airport, and who will be forced out of their homes due to gentrification should the airport close, is more important than protecting and serving the entire LA Basin with emergency services, acting as an FAA reliever, and without which cause a serious congestion problem for all neighboring airports and their surrounding communities, seems like those elected to represent our populace have believed anti-airport misrepresentation, and have not connected the real dots.

 

06/29/2026   (4) PUBLIC RESPONSES (of Many) to the BOS AGENDA ITEM #16    ENHANCED SAFETY MEASURES at WHITEMAN AIRPORT     (Public Comment was invited - 6/29 4pm)

From the Director, SCAUWG.ORG:

From Commentator Matthew Stone:

To the LA County Board of Supervisors:

It is long past time for the Board of Supervisors to stop its careless, needless and neglectful refusal of federal funding which is offered to Whiteman Airport.

The funding freeze was never approved by Angelenos and has undercut safety improvement efforts needlessly. Proper action today regarding enhancing safety at Whiteman Airport means proceeding with the common sense measures aviation experts have long recommended, including seeking and accepting federal funds for improvements, upgrades and mitigation measures.

The money for these things is freely available--the BOS must simply stop letting special interests' anti-airport politics be prioritized over people and public safety.

Overwhelmingly the local community supports KEEPING Whiteman Airport open and operational so that it may CONTINUE to serve the community. To best accomplish this, Federal Aviation Administration grants must be accepted to finance critical modernization and safety improvements.

As the FAA has already acknowledged LA County's obligation to operate Whiteman as an airport in perpetuity; there is no legitimate reason to decline FAA funding...the time to accept it is now.
Do not delay or deny upgrades to Angelenos--the public deserves this and special interests advocating for developers have no right to block these. Angelenos not only need Whiteman to remain open, they want this outcome.

For the sake of fairness and proper governance, this must be respected and acted upon by facilitating and supporting Whiteman's continued function. Only a very small group of individuals, often motivated by profit seeking, wish to see the airport closed.

Angelenos' best interests and will should not be held hostage by anti-Whiteman special interests' lobbying to stop airport improvements and progress that is favored by and helpful to the majority. The selfish focus of anti-Whiteman advocacy groups on profits and politics over people and public safety cannot be allowed to dictate policy.

If Supervisor Horvath wishes to be believed as serious about safety at Whiteman, there is no substitute: seek and accept the federal funds readily available to improve safety at Whiteman and they exist for the purpose of making stakeholders safer around and at Whiteman.

Supervisors, show Angelenos you will put public safety above political interests: seek and accept the FAA funding that will promote the safety measures you claim to want. Actions speak louder than words.

 

From Commentator Marc Haney:   via email

 

From KAGEL CANYON CIVIC ASSOCIATION

Page 1 of 3

For the whole document please CLICK HERE

 

06/27/2026  -  At approximately 1 p.m. today (June 27th) an aircraft was reported to have made an emergency landing * in the riverbed about a quarter mile east of the runway at Santa Paula Airport. The single engine propeller Bellanca 17-30A departed Glendale, Arizona, this morning around 9 a.m.  and was en route to Santa Paula Airport. The pilot was the only person on board the aircraft and was transported to a local hospital with what were reported as minor injuries and in stable condition. There was no damage to property and no other injuries reported. The Ventura County Fire Department and Ventura County Sheriff’s Office were on scene. The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration were notified and will begin investigating the accident.  Please respond with any questions. - Well wishes to you, Jannette  O: (805) 388-4287  -   E: Jannette.Jauregui@venturacounty.gov

*Included here as an illustration of how Ventura County discloses and treats an accident as opposed to how LA County does.

06/23/2026    Whiteman Airport Association and Friends of Whiteman Airport:  Tomorrow, the L. A. County Aviation Commission will be holding their June meeting at Brackett Airport at 7:00pm.  The agenda for the meeting is below.

This Saturday, June 27 from 9:00am to 3:00pm is the Whiteman Airport Community Aviation Family Festival hosted by EAA Chapter 40.  This great event will showcase over 30 aircraft, have over 40 information booths; featuring local non-profits, business, career opportunities and several food trucks.  Additionally, Young Eagle flights will be held from 9:00am to 1:00pm for youth from 8 to 17 years old. A special presentation  by Garmin discussing Garmin Flight Control Systems for retrofit applications (GFC-500 & 600 autopilots)  and will also go over the G5 and GI275 solutions as part of the autopilot.   On a personal note, not an endorsement: Last week I flew a 4,000 mile round trip cross country flight to Michigan and back using the GFC-500 Autopilot  (three axis with yaw dampener) in my plane.  It was a pleasure to fly with it and reduced a lot of work.  If you are thinking about installing an autopilot this is a worthwhile presentation.  Vista will have a couple raffles of $500.00 value for pilots also. - See Flyer below --
Display Day will be on July12, 2026 from 10:00am to 2:00pm.  Paperwork signings will be in Hangar HH09 from 10:00am to 1:00pm.  - Hope to see all of you on June 27th.  It will be a fun day of Community and Aviation engagement.  -   Jim Miller, Whiteman Airport Association  -  Friends of Whiteman Chair
Airport Commission Metting Agenda: Click Here.

6/21/2026   Letter to the San Fernando Sun/el Sol Editor submitted by Webmaster Ron Berinstein (SCAUWG.ORG):  - Published 6/25  See it at this link: https://sanfernandosun.com/2026/06/24/whiteman-airport-8/

Accepted for Publication

To the Editor:

Regarding Whiteman Airport: With the $1.5 million voted to finance a land use (closure) study, LA County could have contributed to the Whiteman Airport improvements that Supervisor Horvath has publicly called for, but privately blocked. Knowingly spending money to close an airport already granted perpetuity and regional reliever status by the FAA seems to be a poor use of taxpayer funds, particularly one so important for emergency firefighting; something else Supervisor Horvath says she favors reinforcing.
Sincerely,
Ron Berinstein
Director, Southern California Aviation United Working Group (SCAUWG.ORG)

 

LA Times - Letters to the Editor

06/21/2026     Letters to the Editor: The Whiteman Airport is an ‘irreplaceable’ asset for the community - From LA TIMES - (1) "To the editor: After the Tuesday crash on Whiteman Airport grounds caused by faulty landing gear on a Cessna plane, L.A. County Board Supervisor Lindsey Horvath requested that operations at the airport “cease immediately” and stated that she has “repeatedly called for … corrective actions” on the part of the federal government (“Another crash at L.A. County’s Whiteman Airport is sparking calls for federal reform,” June 16). In 2024, she enacted a freeze on federal grants for the airport, resulting in deferred critical infrastructure improvements.  -  In addition to being a home to the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s air operations unit, Whiteman Airport is in a strategic location for rapid aerial response during emergencies in foothill communities as well as the San Fernando Valley. The airport also is an economic asset to businesses and local jobs and has provided youth aviation programs since 1971 for students ages 8-17. I hope that both politicians and the public will attend the upcoming June 27 Community Aviation Family Festival at this irreplaceable airport."

Katharine Paull, Kagel Canyon, Calif.

(2)  To the editor: Airports don’t cause accidents. Freeways don’t cause accidents. Accidents are caused by people, not by an airport or a highway. "The hue and cry by the Board of Supervisors and Pacoima residents is to close Whiteman Airport because it’s dangerous. But we haven’t heard a word about closing the three freeways surrounding Whiteman, which have far more accidents than any airport — including Whiteman."

Trent Sanders, La Cañada Flintridge

 

06/20/2026   -    Barnstorming: The War On Whiteman - From Aero News Network - "How Political Opportunism, Historical Amnesia, and Redevelopment Ambitions Are Putting Another American Airport In The Crosshairs"  -  News/Analysis/Opinion By ANN CEO/Editor-In-Chief, Jim Campbell

"To characterize an FAA-governed public airport as "unregulated" is not merely inaccurate; it demonstrates such a fundamental misunderstanding of aviation that one is left wondering whether any effort was made to understand the subject before public pronouncements began."

"There are times when public officials inadvertently reveal more about themselves than they do about the issues they claim to be addressing, and the recent controversy surrounding Whiteman Airport in Southern California's San Fernando Valley provides one of those moments.

Following an accident in which a pilot was injured but no one on the ground suffered harm, a number of elected officials and activists wasted little time stepping in front of cameras to demand action, investigations, restrictions, and in some cases discussions aimed at the airport's eventual closure. Such reactions have become almost routine whenever an aviation accident occurs, but what made this particular episode especially revealing was the quality of some of the commentary coming from individuals who apparently believe that confidence is an acceptable substitute for knowledge.

One public official reportedly described Whiteman as an "unregulated airport," a statement so detached from reality that it would be amusing if it were not being uttered by people seeking influence over the future of a critical piece of transportation infrastructure. Aviation, for those who may not have noticed, is one of the most heavily regulated activities in the United States. The aircraft are regulated, the pilots are regulated, the mechanics are regulated, the maintenance procedures are regulated, the training requirements are regulated, the airspace is regulated, the operating standards are regulated, and when accidents occur the investigations themselves are conducted within a rigorous framework of federal oversight. To characterize an FAA-governed public airport as "unregulated" is not merely inaccurate; it demonstrates such a fundamental misunderstanding of aviation that one is left wondering whether any effort was made to understand the subject before public pronouncements began.  -   Unfortunately, that kind of ignorance has become increasingly common whenever airports become political targets, and airports have become political targets with alarming frequency because they occupy a peculiar place in the public imagination."   Continue Reading this very detailed and well written opinion Here.

 

06/19/2026    Latest Whiteman Airport accident intensifies debate over Pacoima airfield - From Los Angeles Daily News - "Safety experts say determining whether an airport is unsafe requires more than counting crashes - After a small plane skidded off the runway at Whiteman Airport this week and crashed through a perimeter fence into an airport parking lot, local officials once again renewed calls to close the Pacoima airfield, arguing the latest incident underscored longstanding safety concerns for surrounding neighborhoods. -  The runway overrun on Tuesday, June 16, which injured the 77-year-old pilot after the aircraft’s landing gear failed, was the latest in a string of high-profile incidents involving aircraft operating to or from the county-owned airport in recent years. - Those accidents have fueled a long-standing debate over whether Whiteman Airport should remain open, pitting community advocates and elected officials who say the airport poses unacceptable risks against airport supporters, who argue it remains an important regional asset and should instead be modernized."   This article with insight mentions perpetuity.  Read it Here.

 

06/19/2026   The Whiteman Airport opposition - A May 5, 2026, Letter supporting Supervisor Horvath's motion (described via earlier coverage) -   Pro-airport supporter's comment: "These anti-airport supporters seem to profess they would like safety and studies, as long as no funding is secured for airport improvements, and the results of the sought-after studies suits their alleged biased already determined and alleged poorly informed opinions."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guest Comment:   "Not only do the authors of the May 5th letter seek to deprive Angelenos of access to Whiteman (a public facility), all of its various services (emergency services, general transit, public services, education, etc.) and damage the local infrastructural network Whiteman is a crucial part of, the group also wants Angelenos to subsidize their ambitions.  -  By seeking for taxpayers to pay for land remediation, the group is not only demanding to have the land for their interests but also pushing for LA County taxpayers to bear all costs of their dreams' foundations: your dollar, their development.  -

Most of the signatories to the letter are known affiliates--past and present--of local nonprofits and politicians associated for years with anti-Whiteman politics. This is not a random group of upset citizens or concerned parents, it is effectively nothing more than the same anti-airport names operating under yet another new name...astroturfing.   -  As a bit of context: a May 5th anti-Whiteman march featured 12 people, including letter signatory Teodora E. Reyes. Reyes is a former Pacoima Beautiful affiliate who focused heavily on anti-Whiteman campaigning and is currently employed by the office of California State Senator Caroline Menjivar.  -  Other similar past anti-airports events have generated similar attendance results (ranging from ~10 to ~100 people), even with the 'assisting' presence of nonprofits' staff members, friends and affiliates to boost apparent turnout. "   - Matthew Stone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUPERVISOR HORVATH PROPOSES THE ENHANCEMENT OF SAFETY MEASURES AT WHITEMAN (MOTION 16 - JUNE 30 MTG)

SUPERVISOR HORTHAN PROPOSES SAFETY MOTION (16)

VIEW THE ENTIRE MOTION HERE

 

 

WAC on INSTAGRAM

 

 

 

 

06/19/2026   Honoring the Hagopian's who have dedicated their volunteer efforts toward the preservation and betterment of Whiteman Airport.  VIDEO - They are featured as part of the WAC releases on Instagram.  Just Click on the image.

 

 

 

 

 

(SFVS/el Sol Photo/Danara Castañeda)

06/18/2026   From the San Fernando Sun/el Sol:  Community Members React to Latest Local Plane Accident Out of Whiteman Airport 6/17 Written by Maria Luisa Torres.

Lazaro Gonzalez, who works at a hangar near Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, was arriving to work on Tuesday morning when he noticed a commotion – firefighters, onlookers and a completely wrecked small plane in the parking lot outside of the landing area.

Just eight weeks after the April 20 crash landing of a single-engine Cessna in Pacoima – where it ended up upside down in the parking lot of an O’Reilly’s Auto Parts store on Van Nuys Boulevard – it was yet another plane wreck out of Whiteman, Gonzalez realized.

“It’s scary because, you know, I work here and sometimes I’ll be here for three or four hours, maybe five hours in the hangar,” Gonzalez told the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol about the accident happening so close to his workplace. “Sometimes I ride my bike back and forth [in this area] for maybe one hour … so it’s gonna be a little scary for me after this [crash].”

The accident involving the single-engine plane was reported at 9:11 a.m. on June 16, just beyond Whiteman’s runway, near 12653 W. Osborne St. The plane had landed on the runway, but its landing gear didn’t deploy properly, causing it to skid through a perimeter fence before stopping in the adjacent parking lot. - The 77-year-old pilot was transported to the hospital, visibly distressed, but suffered only minor injuries. You can read the entire account Here

 

Published Content

06/18/2026   Webmaster Ron Berinstein on behalf of SCAUWG.ORG responded to the above Article published by the "Sun." The comments from this post that also appeared on Facebook were published.

Comments:
1. Whiteman Airport was there since the forties. Everyone surrounding it located there later by their choice. LA City Zoning regulations deemed it safe. Everyone buying property near the airport had to sign escrow papers SAYING THAT THEY KNEW THERE WAS AN AIRPORT NEARBY!

2. Airports by law cannot, and do not control pilot qualifications. Those are federal matters. Should that not be the case, Monica Rodriquez could argue to close city owned Van Nuys Airport, as Van Nuys has had many, many, more accidents associated with it than Whiteman.

3. How about LAX? Should nearby residents propose closing LAX because an Alaska Airlines jet crashed while preparing to land and everyone on board was killed? Edwards AFB? Should it close because a B-52 just crashed killing 8? Should Reagan International close because of the recent helicopter / jet accident?

4. There are hundreds of car accidents on our freeways and roads daily nearby Pacoima. Should San Fernando Road and the nearby freeways with the cars and trucks that emit pollution, and have homes and businesses on both sides of them, cease operations immediately pending studies?

5. Residents know this: Should the airport close, imposing a tremendous overload and congestion for at least two other local airports, and possibly flight delays, and certainly delayed emergency firefighting responses, the associated redeveloped land use will most certainly turn public land to private-for-profit enterprise, and cause area residents to face higher rents and receive eviction notices, and be forced to relocate in order to accommodate new construction.

6. LA County has seen fit to allocate over one million dollars composed of community social fund monies, combined with airport revenue and other funds to study land use for an airport necessary for area emergency service and already given the FAA benefit of perpetuity, and special airport reliever status.

7. Supervisor Horvath says she supports improving local fire response service and advocates for an improved Whiteman airport, yet for years she has denied funding for Whiteman. Additionally, LA County sends Whiteman revenue to at least two other County owned airports starving Whiteman of its own revenue.

8. It’s time that our politicians start actually representing what is truly good for our communities, and not what may be good for the pocketbooks of certain special interests.

9. The helicopter base chief has said Whiteman is necessary for them to provide efficient response. The devastating fires were fought by helicopters from Whiteman. The Sandy fire was fought by Whiteman Helicopter first responders. Search and Rescue is headquartered there, Thousands of free rides for community children have been made available from there.

10. Whiteman Airport needs to stay public. Low-income housing can be built elsewhere, thus protecting the area residents from strain on natural resources and the resulting traffic congestion

 

06/18/2026  Community Members React to Latest Local Plane Accident Out of Whiteman Airport - The San Fernando Valley Sun  -  Additional accident coverage from the San Fernando Sun/el sol and report of WAC released comments.

6/16 ACCIDENT (credit: KTLA)

 

Rodriquez on Facebook (credit Fox Local)

 

06/17/2026   City Councilmember Monica Rodriquez on video addressing the 6/16/2026 WHP accident.  She charged that this was the fifth accident in six years, that WHP is a threat to her district residents, and is unregulated.  Critics of the councilmember who appeared to be visibly aging suggest that she is either vastly uninformed about the regulations imposed by the FAA, and even CalTrans, and that cities impose whilst addressing airports, or she should be more honest.  "Let her try to build an airport! She will quickly find out just how much airports are regulated!" " was one comment. On social media her assertions went overwhelmingly unwelcomed.  Another comment: "Monica Rodriquez said she messaged Supervisor Horvath stating that the County is not "being responsive to the safety concerns...," (and other charges). One might inquire about how many messages of that character Councilmember Rodriquez has sent to Councilmember Imelda Padilla, whose district includes Van Nuys Airport, and that has experienced many more accidents associated with it, than those quoted at Whiteman and haven't resulted in a single community resident fatality."  One can view the Fox Video here.

'

06/16/2026     LA County Public Works Supports Call for Enhanced FAA Pilot Oversight and Aviation Safety Measures - From LACDPW - "LOS ANGELES (June 16, 2026) — Los Angeles County Public Works is supporting Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath’s call for enhanced Federal Aviation Administration oversight, pilot training, and safety programs at County-owned general aviation airports following recent aviation incidents that have raised concerns among residents and stakeholders. The latest incident, which occurred earlier today at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, involved a pilot who crash landed his Cessna single-engine aircraft with the wheels up—colliding with airport fencing before coming to a stop in the onsite parking lot. The pilot received minor injuries.  -   In a letter sent to federal aviation officials, Supervisor Horvath urged the FAA to evaluate opportunities..."    Continue to read Here.

06/19/2026   Guest Comment:  "As in their previous correspondence to the Board of Supervisors, Public Works is on board with taking care of business...the problem remains the official(s) beholden to anti-airport special interests who demand upgrades be blocked." - Matthew Stone

06/16/2026   Supervisor Horvath immediately issued comments regarding the most recent (6/16/26) accident.  Actually, it might be said that the accident provided an opportunity to issue a press release stating her previously held political platform.  Critics of the Supervisor mention that should she desire to represent her district faithfully, she might consider withholding hyperbole and speak maturely, rather than scrip speech with official looking graphics, that allegedly she knows is lawfully irrelevant, but is designed to be a rally call for her political benefit, at the community's expense.

Supervisor Horvath response to the 6/16 accident

 

06/15/2026   The Whiteman Airport Coalition (WAC) has announced their brand-new website. Whitemanairport.com.  There is a link enabling quick comments to local political leaders.  Their press releases will most certainly be posted on the site.

 

 

  • Visit our "email local leaders" page here and fill in your full name, neighborhood and email. Be sure to use your real info so our elected leaders know they're hearing from actual constituents.
  • Then, select which groups you want to message. Choose from LA County Board of Supervisors, LA County Public Works or the LA City Council. You can even select all three!
  • After that, just hit the "Open draft email" button and your auto-generated email will pop up in your default mail application (you can also manually copy and paste it if necessary).      * Hit send, and off it goes.

 

 

06/13/2026   Whiteman Airport Association Display Day will be held tomorrow June 14, 2026 from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Signings of paperwork will be in Hangar HH09 from 10:00anm until 1:00pm.   -   Other items of interest:

Hangar Property Tax Bills.  Some Tenants have received Delinquent Tax notices for the past two tax years.  They never received tax bills for those years but are now considered delinquent with late fees attached.  Apparently, a decision was made early on not to tax these hangars B Row (possibly other Tee Hangars) and Spinach Hangars (V and W Rows) because the taxes did not meet a certain threshold.  That decision was reversed and the tax bills are now due.  If you received these bills you can contact the Assessor's Office and request them to waive the late fees.  I do not know if that will have an impact, but if you do not personally make the request, you will not receive relief.
Aircraft Property Tax Bills recently came out and I found out that a number of exemptions, although approved by the Marine and Aviation Division, have not been processed by the Assessor's Office.  If you received a tax bill and have applied for an exemption, contact the Marine and Aviation Division to confirm the exemption has been processed.  They will direct you from there.
06/12/2026

06/12/2026  From the Mission Hills Neighborhood Council website: https://www.mhnconline.org/mission-hills-hears-about-entities-benefitting-our-community/

An excerpt:  Whiteman Airport Coalition

The coalition shared about the many businesses, nonprofits and jobs provided as a result of the Whiteman airport Peri. They noted that the airport is so profitable it is supporting two other airports. They invited everyone to come to the Community Day on June 27 to a free family festival to learn more about aviation.

The airport has been granted to operate in perpetuity and each time contracts are conferred, they too stipulate how long the airport must be open. Nonetheless, the county is using funds intended to maintain the airport to instead study closing the airport. This has depleted the airport from funds that can help it continue to operate safely and prevents it from entering long term leases which would also benefit the airport and the community. In addition to the jobs that it provides for the surrounding community, it is noted that the airport actually provides a buffer to airplane noise from the Burbank airport. Currently the noise is generated by mostly small single engine airplanes. The airport has a three mile zone around it for the safe operation of those planes. Should the airport be closed, then the large noisy jets that fly into Burbank would be permitted to fly directly over the neighborhood currently protected by the Whiteman Airport.

06/12/2026   This excerpt from Horvath staff. This quotation is something to concern ourselves with:

“Barton Heliport and Whiteman Airport are separate facilities and should not be viewed as interdependent. The future of Barton Heliport is not predicated on the future of Whiteman Airport,” said Constance Farrell, Horvath’s Communications Director.

“Barton Heliport is not large enough to accommodate the Fire Department’s operational needs, including the addition of two Sikorsky Firehawks funded through voter-approved Measure E,” she added.

Guest comment: "I believe we can agree that Farrell's statement is plainly false, given what we have heard from LA County Fire and airspace realities (coordination with BUR).  -  Whether Farrell is being intentionally deceptive or simply uninformed is not clear (but we can certainly speculate); however, what is clear is that Farrell is only a political mouthpiece...a spokeswoman, not a pilot, a firefighter or an aerial firefighter. Whatever her other credibility, Farrell's standing to speak on Barton matters pales in comparison to that of the LACoFD fire chief who operates from Barton. (Horvath and her staff should absolutely be deferring to the FD--not that I expect that.)"  - M.S.

06/12/2026   Opinion Recently Shared:  "...some background info to the latest WAC release prior to the SVANC meeting. The plaza with the Subway just off the end of the runway is up for sale and makes mention of the airport's ongoing political battle as part of the sales pitch. As I related to her, I do not believe that there is much to that comment and there are other explanations for why the owners may be seeking to sell (little San Fernando Road just beside it is an epicenter of RV encampments). Still, it did attract some interest and speculation." - M.S.

06/11/2026   An update: Whiteman Airport Coalition presentation (by Estevan Roth) at the Sun Valley Area Neighborhood Council meeting was well received and their Community Impact Statement supporting was voted forward (I believe it's passed outright and to be send along to the City Council now)

    • Because Roth is not traditionally the main presenter for the WAC, he did bid me to assist him a little with some comments and points, which I did (a few specifics such as the scheduled retirement date of 100LL and a few other small bits)
      • One neighborhood councilor did express some concerns about lead while explicitly making her support for continued airport operations clear; Roth and myself did speak to her concerns--she ultimately abstained from signing onto the letter (which passed 10-0 with her abstention)
    • One point I hammered in my own comments--brief as they were--was the blocking of safety efforts by anti-airport voices like Pacoima Beautiful
    • Beyond that, the meeting was mostly uneventful...SVANC is known to be friendly to WHP
  • The various officials' representatives (for Horvath/Monica Rodriguez/Celeste Rodriguez/Caroline Menjivar) made no statements regarding the airport at all

example: available property

06.10.2026  The Case for Redeveloping Blighted, Vacant Properties Before Closing Whiteman Airport - From WAC - "Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors continues to spend time and millions of taxpayer dollars studying closure and redevelopment scenarios for Whiteman Airport.-  But here is the question nobody will seems willing to answer: Why is the County considering closing one of the region's most important public assets while vacant and underutilized properties sit idle all around the San Fernando Valley?  -  The Redevelopment Sites Already Exist  -  Just down the street from Whiteman Airport sits several boarded-up commercial buildings on a prime piece of real estate at the corner of Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Osborne Street. Neighbors tell us it’s remained vacant for decades."

Webmaster Comment:  The answer to the above question is relatively simple: The County owns the airport.  The County would have to purchase the locations referred to in this article.  Yat the case is compelling as the County is committing funds toward closing the airport that could otherwise be used more profitably.  You can read this very well illustrated commentary from WAC by Clicking Here.  -  Caution: This link may not work with VPNs engaged.

06/06/2026   Another Lead Study [though not directly pointed at WHP]

COUNTY BOS ORDERED LEAD STUDY - ENTIRE DOCUMENT CLICK HERE

0607/2026   Guest Comment: "So far, I've not been too hurt to hear the lead issue because inaction on leaded paint, pipes, etc while caterwauling about the airport only proves a lack of genuine interest in solving lead matters...perhaps this new effort will change that, though this still seems to be passive tracking rather than action (a large scale effort against legacy leaded paint and the like). The way I see it, the entire issue is fading and becoming truly nothing more than a talking point with 100LL headed into the sunset. The longer the pols wait and the closer the phaseout gets, the less credibility pols can pretend to have with other sources sitting idle with no retirement on the books."  - M.S.

6/03/2026   Aviation Commissioner Rudy Villarreal rumored to resign his commission seat following his electoral victory;  Rudy Villarreal (Lakewood City Council District 2, California, candidate 2026)  -Commissioner Villarreal captured 52% of the vote.- SCAUWG.ORG welcomes the political contribution the commissioner will offer as a Lakewood City Councilmember, and wish him our very best!

06/03/2026   Guest Comment: Some notes regarding the June 2nd Public Election:  [Nothing too surprising]

  • Predictably, Horvath easily secures reelection--but it's not the 'mandate' she claims (<200,000 votes amid a district of ~2 million)
  • Monica Rodriguez (unopposed) wins with a listed 100% of the vote -- Rodriguez' campaign account actually boasted about this, apparently unironically
    • At the WHP Airport Association meeting, I opined Rodriguez' folks would fawn over these returns--numbers that'd "would make Saddam Hussein blush"

Rodriguez' endorsed allies (1 of 3 successful):

  • City Attorney: Hydee Feldstein-Soto (defeated: Feldstein-Soto has been trounced, a very distant 3rd place)
  • City Controller: Zach Sokoloff (17 pts behind incumbent Mejia, probably defeated; I am not sure the 50+% 'autowin in primary' condition applies to this seat)
  • Mayor: Karen Bass (headed to November runoff - Bass' future is something of a wild card in today's politics)
LA City Council District 3 seat:

This is perhaps the most interesting aspect of the night's events, because of its apparent potential for a 'proxy war' between various anti-WHP elected officials and known figures. However, at this time it's not clear how serious the divide between them (over their prospective CD3 candidates) is:

  • Tim Gaspar: leading with 49% of the vote currently
    • Endorsed by Monica Rodriguez, John Lee
    • If Gaspar can clear 50%+1 of the vote in the primary, he can bypass the November election altogether
      • Rodriguez actively pursued and used the 'June primary autowin' tactic in 2022 to avoid the November elections
      • Given Gaspar's current tallies, it seems very possible
  • Barri Worth Girvan: trailing with 39% of the vote
    • Endorsed by Lindsey Horvath, Caroline Menjivar
    • Menjivar staffer Teodora Reyes and Pacoima Neighborhood Councilmember Walter Garcia appeared with Girvan in a San Fernando Valley Young Democrats event
  • C.R. Celona: predictably trounced...he had no money to speak of and never had a serious chance on that basis
Overall, it'll be interesting: it might be advantageous to see the CD3 race turn bloody, as discord among these pols and known anti-WHP actors might help the pro-airport cause. We do not yet know how competitive or bitter these two sides are about one another.
Beyond the CD3 race, the most prudent matter to tend to is probably investigating Hilda Solis' successor (Maria Elena Durazo) in Supervisorial District 1. I have not read too much about Durazo yet--she'll be of direct relevance soon, so I'll have to catch up sooner or later on her. - M.S.

 

06/03/2026    Guest Comment: Whiteman Airport Association 06/02 Meeting Notes: It was a fairly sedate meeting with about 12 people in attendance. However, there are a few key points to relate from it and the recent AvComm meeting in El Monte:

  • The Trifilleti report has been pushed back again:
    • Jim Miller related Jason Morgan's AvComm meeting statements that Trifiletti is now seeking:
      • To conduct more small 'focus group' meetings in July with a larger meeting for the community
      • Host another community event off-airport akin to the December event (perhaps in August)
      • Projected release of the Trifilleti report is now late 2026; nothing concrete
      • If there was any details or discussions about a need/request for further monies, resources, etc with the AvComm, Jim Miller did not relate these

06/02/2026   -  The Whiteman Airport Association will be meeting tonight to discuss a number of items of interest. 

Olsen Ebright, Head of Digital, Atlas Consulting, our Public Relations firm will be at the meeting.  He has been compiling video interviews of people about what the airport means to them and how they have been positively impacted by the airport.  This is a chance to discuss your personal story about Whiteman Airport.  The interviews will be shown on various Social Media platforms as part of the Whiteman Airport Coalition outreach.  These are positive uplifting interviews about what we do at the airport.
Hear about the upcoming Whiteman Aviation Community Festival, June 27, 2026.  We will discuss the event and some special operating procedures which will be in place for safety purposes.
We will also discuss some construction activity related to the replacement of the building which used to be the office of Marvi Whiteman and will impact the taxiway adjacent to the Blue hangars. The work will result in the closure of the taxiway for two days.

05/29/2026   Att:  City Council District - West Valley - Resident / Voters.      

SCAUWG.ORG RESPONSE TO A DISTURBING GIRVAN ANSWER

FULL TRANSCCRIPT AND COMMENT - CLICK HERE

Editorial:  To Be fair, besides the continual flow of text messages each characterizing Girvan as the representative of every community segment from the Girvan Campaign regardless of notification of our criticism, Tim Gaspar has chosen to reach out by phone.  SQUAWG.ORG commented in a similar way to a live caller who represented that he would escalate the data.  There was no further response except from similar callers reading from a script and without knowledge of my time-consuming detailed conversation with caller number one.  Likewise, after two requests for comment on his website, C.R. Celona Independent, did not respond either.  Our observation is that at least Mr. Celona is not part of the already established, City Hall "Club."