Stockton Metropolitan Airport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stockton Metropolitan Airport
Aerial view of the airport in 2017
IATA: SCK ICAO: KSCK FAA LID: SCK WMO: 72492
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	County of San Joaquin
Serves	Stockton, California
Location	San Joaquin County, California
Elevation AMSL	33 ft / 10 m
Coordinates	37°53′39″N 121°14′18″W / 37.89417°N 121.23833°W / 37.89417; -121.23833
Map
FAA airport diagram
Runway
Runway Length Surface ft m 11L/29R 10,249 3,124 Asphalt 11R/29L 4,448 1,356 Asphalt
[[Helipad|]]
Number Length Surface ft m H1 70 21 Concrete
Statistics (2019)
Aircraft operations (through April 30, 2019) 82,714 Based aircraft 180
Source: Federal Aviation Administration

Stockton Metropolitan Airport (also known as SCK) is an airport located near Stockton, California. It's used by both regular people flying on airlines and by the military. The airport is owned by San Joaquin County, California. It's considered a "primary commercial service" airport, which means it handles many passenger flights.

Airport History: From War to Peace

The airport has a long and interesting history. It started as a military training base during World War II.

World War II: Stockton Army Airfield

Before World War II began, the U.S. Army decided to build a training base at Stockton Municipal Airport. This happened on August 15, 1940. The base was called Stockton Army Airfield. It was used to train pilots and other air force members.

Many smaller airfields nearby were also part of Stockton Army Airfield. These included:

• Kingsbury Auxiliary Airfield
• New Jerusalem Auxiliary Airfield
• Modesto Auxiliary Airfield
• Tracy Auxiliary Airfield
• Franklin Auxiliary Airfield

Stockton Army Airfield became a very important place for moving supplies. It had many miles of train tracks connected to major railroads. This helped deliver military supplies quickly. In March 1945, after the last training class finished, the airfield became a transport hub. It helped move planes and supplies for the war effort.

After the War: A New Purpose

After World War II ended in October 1946, the military no longer needed all of Stockton Army Airfield. Much of the land was given back for public use. The City of Stockton and San Joaquin County started running the airport again in December 1946.

Some parts of the airfield were still used by the U.S. Army. These areas were renamed Sharpe General Depot Field Annex in 1947.

Korean War and Cold War Use

During the Korean War (which started in June 1950), the Sharpe General Depot Field Annex grew. It was used to support soldiers and their families. It also stored military equipment, like diesel locomotives.

In 1958, the site also became a place for maintaining U.S. Army aircraft. This included both helicopters and small planes. However, by 1961, these aircraft maintenance activities moved to another base.

Vietnam War and Changes

On July 11, 1964, Stockton Municipal Airport was officially renamed Stockton Metropolitan Airport. This showed its growing importance as a public airport.

During the Vietnam War, the Sharpe Army Depot Field Annex became very busy again. It was a key location on the West Coast for sending supplies to U.S. military members in Vietnam. Many soldiers were stationed there, and the site provided services like housing and medical care.

However, in the early 1970s, fewer soldiers were needed. The military positions changed to civilian jobs. Because of this, the Army decided it no longer needed the Field Annex.

End of Regular Army Presence

The Sharpe Army Depot Field Annex was closed in 1973. All the land and buildings went back to San Joaquin County. Today, a few buildings from World War II are still there.

Military Presence Today

Even though the regular Army left, the airport still has a military presence. The California Army National Guard uses parts of the airport. They have an armory and facilities for maintaining aircraft. This is why Stockton Metropolitan Airport is still called a "joint civil-military airport." The main military aircraft you might see there are the CH-47 Chinook and the UH-72 Lakota helicopters.

Airline Flights: Past and Present

Past Passenger Jet Service

Over the years, many different airlines have flown from Stockton.

• United Airlines served Stockton from 1946 to 1980. They were the first to offer jet flights in 1968.
• Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) and later USAir flew from Stockton from the 1970s to the early 1990s.
• Other airlines like the original Frontier Airlines, Continental Airlines, and Hughes Airwest also offered flights.
• In the early 2000s, America West Express flew to Phoenix, but they stopped in 2003.

Many types of jet planes used to fly from Stockton, including:

• Boeing 727-200s and 737-200s (United Airlines, Frontier, Continental)
• McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s (PSA, Hughes Airwest)
• BAe 146-200s (PSA, USAir)
• BAC One-Elevens (Pacific Express)

Flights to Mexico

For a while, there was interest in having flights from Stockton to Mexico, especially to Guadalajara and Morelia. Airlines like Aeromexico and Volaris were interested. However, the airport needed a special customs facility for international flights. It took some time to get approval for this facility, and then there were challenges with funding its construction. So, these international flights haven't started yet.

Current Allegiant Air Flights

Allegiant Air started offering non-stop flights from Stockton to Las Vegas in June 2006. This service is still available today. Allegiant also offers flights to Phoenix Sky-Harbor International Airport.

In the past, Allegiant Air also flew to other places like Phoenix–Mesa, Long Beach, Palm Springs, and even Honolulu. However, these routes have since been stopped. The Boeing 757-200 that flew to Honolulu was the largest plane ever used for scheduled passenger flights at Stockton Airport.

Allegiant flights from Stockton are usually very full, with about 90% of seats taken.

July 2009 photo of the airport

Cooperation with Chengdu Airport

In 2015, officials from Stockton Metropolitan Airport signed an agreement with Chengdu Shuangliu Airport in China. They agreed to work together, hoping to one day have flights between the two airports. However, no such flights are planned yet.

Cargo Flights: Amazon Air

In February 2016, Amazon.com started using Stockton Metropolitan Airport for its cargo flights. This was part of "Project Aerosmith," Amazon's plan to start its own air cargo service, now known as Prime Air. Large Boeing 767-300 aircraft fly daily from Stockton. These planes bring packages to and from Amazon's warehouses.

As of October 2017, there were two daily flights from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. One of these flights continues to Ontario International Airport, while the other returns to Cincinnati.

General Aviation Services

Atlantic Aviation is the main company that provides services for smaller, private planes at Stockton Airport. They offer fuel (Jet-A and Avgas) for all aircraft, including Amazon Air and Allegiant planes. They also rent out hangar space for planes.

United Express Service (Discontinued)

In August 2019, United Express began offering flights from Stockton to LAX. This allowed travelers to connect to many other destinations. These flights used a Bombardier CRJ-200 jet. However, this service was stopped in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stockton Field Aviation Museum

The airport is also home to the Stockton Field Aviation Museum. This museum works to save and share Stockton's aviation history. It focuses especially on World War II aviation and the equipment used by the brave people of that time. The museum even hosts an event called "Bomber Camp," where people can fly in real World War II bombers!

Airport Facilities

Stockton Metropolitan Airport covers a large area of 1,552 acres (about 628 football fields). It sits at an elevation of 33 feet (10 meters) above sea level.

The airport has two main runways for planes to take off and land:

• One runway is 10,249 feet long (about 3,124 meters).
• The other runway is 4,448 feet long (about 1,356 meters).

There is also a concrete helipad for helicopters.

The airport has a terminal building that is 44,355 square feet in size. It can hold almost 400 passengers at a time. The airport is also working to add customs facilities. This would allow new international flights to places like Mexico.

In the year ending April 30, 2019, the airport had 82,714 aircraft operations. This means about 226 planes took off or landed each day. Most of these were general aviation (private planes), with some military, air taxi, and airline flights. At that time, 180 aircraft were based at the airport.

Airlines and Destinations

Passenger Flights

Cargo Flights

Airport Statistics

Most Popular Destinations

Getting To and From the Airport

The airport is located south of Downtown Stockton. You can reach it easily from Interstate 5 or Highway 99. Just take Arch Airport Road, then turn onto South Airport Way, and finally turn east onto C.E. Dixon Street to find the airport entrance.

Parking during the day is free. If you need to park overnight, there is a fee. You can also use ride-sharing services like Lyft or taxi companies to get to and from the airport.

As of January 2020, public buses from the San Joaquin Regional Transit District do not go directly to the airport. The closest bus line stops on Arch Airport Road.

Images for kids

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  An Allegiant Air MD-82 awaiting departure to Las Vegas

See also

In Spanish: Aeropuerto Metropolitano de Stockton para niños