Santa Monica Airport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Santa Monica Airport Santa Monica Municipal Airport Clover Field
2006 USGS airphoto
IATA: SMO ICAO: KSMO FAA LID: SMO
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	City of Santa Monica
Operator	Santa Monica Airport Commission
Serves	Southern California
Location	Santa Monica and Mar Vista, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Opened	15 April 1923
Elevation AMSL	177 ft / 53.9 m
Coordinates	34°00′57″N 118°27′05″W / 34.01583°N 118.45139°W / 34.01583; -118.45139
Website	Official website: http://www.smgov.net/departments/airport/
Map
KSMO Location in California
Runway
Runway Length Surface ft m 3/21 3,500 1,067 Asphalt
[[Helipad|]]
Number Length Surface ft m H1 40 12 Asphalt
Source: Federal Aviation Administration,

Santa Monica Airport (also known as Santa Monica Municipal Airport) is a public airport in Santa Monica, California. It's mostly used for general aviation, which means it handles private planes, corporate jets, and flight training, not big commercial flights.

The airport is about 2 miles (3 km) from the Pacific Ocean. It's also about 6 miles (10 km) north of Los Angeles International Airport. The airport is set to stay open until 2028. It covers a large area of 215 acres (87 hectares).

One of the airport's old airplane storage buildings, called the Barker Hangar, is now a place for public events. Many awards shows and concerts happen there. It has even been used as a set for the TV show Supermarket Sweep.

Airport History

Early Days as Clover Field

The airport was first called Clover Field. It was named after a pilot from World War I, 2nd Lieutenant Greayer Clover. This airport was also the home of the Douglas Aircraft Company.

A very important event happened here in 1924. The first time anyone flew around the world started and ended at Clover Field. U.S. Army pilots flew special planes called the Douglas World Cruiser. They took off on March 17, 1924, and returned after flying about 28,000 miles (45,000 km).

You might have heard of Cloverfield Boulevard. This road and the Cloverfield movies get their names from the airport's original name.

World War II Era

During World War II, Clover Field was a very busy place. The Douglas Aircraft Company built many important planes here. These included the famous Douglas Commercial "DC" series of airliners, like the DC-3 and DC-4.

Thousands of military transport planes, such as the C-47 and C-54, were also built in Santa Monica. To protect the airport from enemy attacks during the war, Hollywood artists helped create a fake "town" over the airport. This made it look like a normal neighborhood from the sky.

After World War II

In 1958, the Douglas Aircraft Company wanted to make the runway longer. They needed more space to build and test their new DC-8 planes. But people living nearby didn't want the runway extended. So, the city said no.

Because of this, Douglas Aircraft moved its plane production to Long Beach Airport. This was a big change, as the company had employed 44,000 workers in Santa Monica during World War II.

How the Airport Works

Facing east toward Century City with planes landing

The Santa Monica Airport has a control tower that helps guide planes. In 2014, the airport handled about 83,381 plane movements (takeoffs and landings) in a year.

The airport is surrounded by homes. Because of this, the City of Santa Monica has strict rules about noise. They want to keep the noise from planes down for the people living nearby.

Here are some of the noise rules:

• Noise Limit: Planes cannot make more than 95.0 dBA of noise. This is measured at special spots near the runway.
• Night Curfew: Planes cannot take off or start their engines between 11 PM and 7 AM on weekdays. On weekends, the quiet time lasts until 8 AM. There are exceptions only for medical or public safety emergencies.
• Flight Training Limits: Certain types of flight training, like "touch-and-go" landings, are not allowed on weekends, holidays, or late at night on weekdays.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is in charge of how planes fly and use the sky. The city cannot make new laws that would affect how planes operate or use the airspace around the airport.

There are a few restaurants at the airport. Typhoon has a view of the runway. Spitfire Grill is nearby on Airport Avenue.

The Museum of Flying is located at the airport. It has a collection of old and historic aircraft. A new building for the museum has opened on the south side of the airport.

One of the airport's oldest buildings is home to the U.S. Civil Air Patrol's Clover Field Composite Squadron 51.

Landing Fees

Since August 1, 2005, planes that are not based at Santa Monica Airport have to pay a fee to land there. This fee helps the airport cover its costs, as it doesn't get money from the government to operate. The fee is based on how heavy the plane is. In 2013, the fees increased.

Airport Park

A public park called Airport Park opened on 8.3 acres (3.4 hectares) of land that used to be part of the airport. The park has a soccer field with artificial grass, open green spaces, and a special area where dogs can run without a leash.

The Airport's Future

Approaching Santa Monica Airport from the east

The city of Santa Monica has asked people for their ideas about the airport's future. The city wanted to end an agreement from 1948 that said the land had to be used for aviation forever.

However, in 2014, a judge said the city's lawsuit was too late. The city appealed this decision. The debate about the airport's future is still ongoing.

In November 2014, voters in Santa Monica passed something called Measure LC. This measure puts limits on what can be built on the airport land if it closes. It says the land can only be used for "public parks, recreational facilities or open space."

Some people want the airport to close because they worry about safety. However, there have been no deaths on the ground in the neighborhood around the airport in over a century.

On January 28, 2017, city officials and the FAA agreed to close the Santa Monica Airport on December 31, 2028. The 227 acres of airport land will then be given back to the city. The plan is to turn this land into parks, open spaces, and areas for recreation, education, or culture.

To reduce the number of jet planes, the city decided to make the runway shorter. They did this by repainting the runway and moving some navigation tools. The runway was shortened from 4,973 feet to 3,500 feet on December 23, 2017.