Douglas World Cruiser Centennial
This past weekend, I had a great time attending the Celebration of the Douglas World Cruiser Centennial at the Santa Monica Airport. There were lots of aviation organizations — people from the Ninety-Nines and the FAA STEM Aviation and Space Education were both excited to talk (and both were especially receptive to discuss opportunities to meet with local Girl Scouts). There was a DC-3 fly-by, many 1930s and 1940s aircraft parked on the apron, and lots of interesting electric plane start-ups.
I’m not sure my daughter was quite as into the event as I was, but she seemed to have fun (free stickers and t-shirts helped). I have really great memories of SMO, both from time spent nearby when my dad worked next door to the airport, and from the adjacent Museum of Flying (since moved to the south side of the airport) from which I was able to take a sight-seeing flight on a DC-3 once upon a time.
I’ll be sad to see the airport close in the coming years, but I think its history is well enough intertwined with that of the city that it’s impact will never be truly lost.