- City:
- Delano, CA
- Site Type:
- Infrastructure and Utilities, Airports
- New Deal Agencies:
- Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), Federal & Military Operations
- Completed:
- 1940
- Quality of Information:
- Moderate
- Marked:
- No
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
Delano Municipal Airport was built during the New Deal with funds budgeted for the Development of Landing Areas for National Defense. It was built by the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) with the aid of the Works Progress Administration or WPA.
Local sources say the airport opened in April 1940, but the WPA project was approved in early 1941. It could be that the project was accelerated ahead of schedule, as was often the case with military projects by 1939-40.
The airport covers 546 acres and has one paved runway measuring 5,651 by 75 feet.
In late 1943, the airport was turned over to the Army Air Forces for the duration of the war. After the war, it reverted to Kern County and then passed to the City of Delano in 1973. It is still in operation.
The modest terminal building is of recent vintage, but the small hangers and the radio tower could well be from 1940. The single runway has undoubtedly been repaved.
Source notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delano_Municipal_Airport
https://cityofdelano.org/89/Delano-Municipal-Airport
WPA project card #165-1-08-235 in the National Archives, Microfilm Publication T937, “Index to Reference Cards for Work Projects Administration Files, 1939-1942.” New Roll #2.
Site originally submitted by Richard Walker on December 12, 2021.
Site Details
| Federal Cost |
|---|
| $371,000 |
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