Penny Hansen
Special to Marinscope
I booked the Wine Country flying options of Charles M. Schultz Sonoma County Airport weeks in advance to visit my sister and extended family in Orange County the week before Christmas. I flew in a 76 passenger jet that departed on time. My drive to the airport was 45 minutes and the flight was 1 hour and 10 minutes to John Wayne Santa Ana Orange County Airport. Return flight, on time.
Then the travel world shifted with Christmas Holiday chaos of a major airline melt down with thousands of delays and flight cancellations in all the Major USA airports that disrupted arrival plans, caused traveler heartache and enormous luggage pile up and terrible airport employee working conditions.
This experience provided a new appreciation for avoiding the major airports when possible and not driving through Marin and San Francisco or Oakland to get to SFO or OAK. As a Marin Air porter frequent passenger, a Novato Hamilton Station Bus departure of 3 hours is required before my SFO flight departure.
Sonoma Airport has a long history dating back to being a military Airfield in December 1943.
The 478 Fighter Group was assigned to Santa Rosa and began training replacement pilots who were sent overseas upon completion. In 1959 the former Navy Airfield was deemed “excess by the federal government and eventually converted to civil aviation.
Plans in 1975 envisioned the need for a general aviation with a parallel runway. In 1982 a Facility Plan revision that updated the 1975 that called for an Airport Plan that was approved by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors in 1984.
Supervisors also created an “Approach Protection” rule against the development of incompatible land uses in the vicinity of runway approaches due to noise and safety considerations. Three farm parcels were purchased at market value to extend the runway to meet FAA specifications. The Sierra Club voiced concern that larger 747-type aircraft would be louder.
This was followed by the Environmental Review Process that was approved by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors in 2012.
The airport is multi-use for aviation and aviation related tenants; The Pacific Coast Air Museum, Cal-Fire, Civil Air Patrol, Reach helicopter air medical responders serving Northern California. Private Corporate Jets, Flight Training and Charter Rentals complement the seven daily commercial flights: 3 LAX and 1 each going to Vegas and Seattle, Dallas, Santa Ana, Burbank and San Diego.
The passenger demand is increasing as the destinations and daily frequencies vary.
The casual, rustic redwood feel and vineyard ambiance is blended with the legendary whimsy of cartoonist Charles M. Schulz décor in a brand new high ceiling terminal for airborne Snoopy’s surveillance.
In March of 2000 the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors voted to change Sonoma County Airport to Charles M. Schultz Sonoma County Airport. To quote Jon Stout, Airport Manager, “We are the welcome door to our County.”
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