By Tara Finestone
Whiteman Airport’s future cannot stop at a resurfaced runway.
It will receive $337,403 as part of nearly $109 million in federal funding going to airports across California. The money will cover design work for future runway and taxiway improvements.
It is a start, but it is the minimum. Whiteman needs more than plans on paper. Los Angeles County should pursue every available source of federal funding to make those improvements a reality, reconnect the airport with the community and prepare it for the next generation of aviation.
What Could Real Modernization Look Like?
The Whiteman Airport Coalition believes the airport can be safer, more welcoming and better connected to the surrounding neighborhood.
To help begin that conversation, the Coalition contacted LA-based Cordoba Corporation to create conceptual renderings for the Civil Air Patrol area.
These are concepts, not approved plans. The renderings explore several possibilities:
■ A landscaped green space where residents and families can gather
■ A restaurant or cafe overlooking the airfield
■ A public viewing area for watching aircraft take off and land
■ More inviting spaces for community events, aviation programs and youth activities
It would not be the first time Whiteman offered that kind of gathering place. Locals still remember Rocky’s, the airport restaurant where friends shared pitchers of beer, grabbed a hamburger and watched planes take off and land. This potential development area could be that and so much more.
The Future of Flight is Already Arriving
Modernization should also mean preparing Whiteman for the way aviation is changing.
Earlier this month, Archer Aviation began a multi-state demonstration tour of its Midnight electric air taxi with a flight between the general aviation airports in Salinas and Hollister. The aircraft traveled approximately 34 miles, reached speeds of 125 mph and completed each leg in about 12 minutes.
One Hub Will Not Make a Network
Archer has also acquired control of the master lease at Hawthorne Municipal Airport, which it plans to use as the central hub for its LA electric air taxi network. The company is also developing a vertiport in downtown LA and preparing to serve as the official air taxi provider for the 2028 Olympic Games.
But one hub will not create a regional network on its own.
Electric aviation companies like BETA Technologies are working with Archer to build what amounts to a charging network for an air taxi superhighway. To make it work, they will need local airports with existing runways, available land and easy access to communities across the region.
Air Taxi Superhighway
Decisions about which SoCal airports will become part of that network are starting to take shape now.
Whiteman sits in the heart of the San Fernando Valley, one of the largest population centers in the region. It already supports local businesses, flight training, aviation education, nonprofit organizations and public safety operations. With the right investment, it could also become part of that Southern Californian electric aviation network.
LA County should be part of that conversation now, talking with aircraft manufacturers, infrastructure providers, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other regional partners. If the county waits until the network is already in place, Whiteman could miss a major transportation and economic opportunity.
For too long, the focus has been on whether Whiteman should remain open. It is time to start talking about where it could go next.
Tara Finestone is a consultant with the Whiteman Airport Coalition.
