Hughes Airport (California) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hughes Airport
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Private | ||||||||||
| Owner | Howard Hughes | ||||||||||
| Operator | Hughes Aircraft Company | ||||||||||
| Location | current day Playa Vista, Los Angeles | ||||||||||
| Opened | 1943 | ||||||||||
| Closed | 1986 | ||||||||||
| Time zone | PST (-6:00) | ||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (-7:00) | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 75 ft / 23 m | ||||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||||
 The neighborhood in which the majority of the Hughes Airport used to be; location of the runway is just south of where current day Jefferson Blvd runs |
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| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |||||||||||
| Runway | |||||||||||
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The Hughes Airport was a special private airport. It was owned by Howard Hughes and used by his company, the Hughes Aircraft Company. This airport was in Los Angeles, California. It was open from 1940 until it closed in 1985. Today, the area where the airport used to be is a community called Playa Vista, Los Angeles.
Contents
A Look Back: Hughes Airport's Story
In 1940, Howard Hughes bought a large piece of land. It was about 380 acres of wetlands near Culver City, California. This land was perfect for building an airport.
By 1943, a long runway was ready. It was about 9,600 feet long, but it wasn't paved yet. In 1948, 6,800 feet of the runway were paved with asphalt. By 1962, the paved part was even longer, reaching 8,800 feet.
The airport was very busy. It was used for testing many new airplanes and helicopters. These were developed by the Hughes Aircraft Company and Hughes Tool Company. At one point, it was even called the "longest runway on the West Coast."
When planes took off heading west, the airport had to talk to Los Angeles International Airport. This was to make sure flights didn't get in each other's way.
The Famous Spruce Goose
One of the most famous planes built here was the "Spruce Goose." Its official name was the Hughes H-4 Hercules. This giant plane was built at Hughes Airport. Then, it was taken apart and moved in sections to the Port of Long Beach.
There, it was put back together. The Spruce Goose made its first and only flight in 1947. After that, a special hangar was built for it. This hangar kept the plane safe and at the right temperature.
The Spruce Goose stayed there until 1980. Then, it was moved to a large dome next to the Queen Mary ship. In 1988, it was sold again. Today, you can see the Spruce Goose at the Evergreen Aviation Museum.
A team of 300 workers used to take care of the plane. They kept it ready to fly, and they had to keep their work a secret. By 1962, the team was smaller, with only 50 workers. After Howard Hughes passed away in 1976, the team was no longer needed.
From Airplanes to Movie Sets
In the mid-1990s, the old Hughes Aircraft hangars found a new purpose. They were turned into huge sound stages for making movies. The hangar where the Spruce Goose was built is enormous. It's about 315,000 square feet!
Many famous movies have filmed scenes there. These include Titanic, What Women Want, and End of Days. The hangar also appears in the computer game Crimson Skies. This historic hangar will be kept safe. It is important enough to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
What's There Now: Playa Vista
Today, the land where Hughes Airport once stood is a modern community. It is called Playa Vista, Los Angeles. It's a busy neighborhood with homes, shops, and parks.
