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Did you know the airport in San Carlos next to the Hiller Aviation Museum is not the first airport San Carlos has had?
Indeed, let’s take a journey back….
This mid-Peninsula airfield’s history dates back to World War 1. It was established by a veteran of the war, J. Paulding Edwards.
The hanger, which was 300 feet in length, was located along the western end of today’s Terminal Way. The actual field itself was north of Cordilleras Creek and east of today’s Old County Road.
The name of the airport was California Aviation Corps Field at San Carlos. The initial Pilot’s License was issued on July 10, 1917, to Lieutenant Prince, who was from the United States Aviation School in San Diego.
The Cooley family, consisting of Charles and Frank Cooley, took over the airport in 1923. Charles was the main flight instructor, while his father, Frank, operated the airfield.
In 1935, a different airfield began around the foot of today’s Twin Dolphin Drive. The Cooleys eventually determined they needed a longer runway, so in 1948, they opened yet another airport, which is at the location of today’s airport.
In 1952, Frances Michaud became the owner of the property and renamed it San Carlos-Belmont Airport. The runway was lengthened to 7,000 feet.
The airport was again renamed San Mateo County Airport, Inc. in 1957.
The County purchased it in 1964.
As of 2020, 323 aircraft, 287 single-engine, 23 multi-engine, four jets and nine helicopters, were based at the airport. One commercial airline, Southern Airways Express, operates flights to Truckee and Santa Barbara.
Everything else is just history
Could there have been another airport in Belmont? I had a friend who lived on Hiller Street in Sterling Downs, starting in the 1950s. She loved to garden and had to amend the soil regularly. She claimed that the soil had been compacted when that area was used as a runway before homes were built.
Donald, yes, your friend is right. An aerial photo from 1946 shows several airplanes parked roughly where Hiller Street is now, and what looks like a long grass runway (Chesterton Avenue today).
There was an airport in Belmont, which will be a topic for another piece.