33°53′24″N118°14′37″W / 33.89000°N 118.24361°W /33.89000; -118.24361
Compton/Woodley Airport | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | County of Los Angeles | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 901 W. Alondra Boulevard, Compton, CA 90220[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 99 ft / 30 m | ||||||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2007) | |||||||||||||||
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Compton/Woodley Airport (IATA:CPM,ICAO:KCPM,FAALID:CPM) is a public airport inCompton, southernLos Angeles County,California, 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest ofDowntown Compton.[2] It is the oldest continuously operating airport in the Los Angeles basin. TheFAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2007–2011 categorized it as arelief airport.[3]
It is used forgeneral aviation as an alternative toLos Angeles International Airport, about 8 miles (13 km) west.
Colonel C.S. Smith landed in an open field near the town of Compton in June 1924. He felt the field, owned by the local school board, would make an ideal airport location, and negotiated for the airport's founding.
Between 1924 and 1936 the airport and its land passed through several hands until Earl Woodley took over the lease in 1936. He purchased land for a crosswind runway.
During the war years of 1941 to 1946, civilian flying was restricted and the airport was used by the military as a truck depot. After the war, Woodley resumed operations and eventually became owner of the land. When he died in 1962, the airport was threatened with closure when it was purchased by an investment company. Pilot groups, citizens, the mayor of Compton, and the entire Compton City Council encouraged the Board of Supervisors to condemn the land and allow the county to purchase it. In June 1966 the entire airport property of 77 acres was purchased for $2,948,883.[4]
Compton/Woodley Airport covers 77 acres (31 ha) and has twoasphalt runways (7L/25R and 7R/25L), each 3,322 x 60 ft (1,013 x 18 m). In 2012 the airport had 66,000general aviation aircraft operations, averaging about 180 per day. 175 aircraft are based at this airport: 151 single-engine, 14 multi-engine, 1 jet, 8helicopters, and 1 glider.[2]
The Compton Airport is mentioned in the opening bars ofDr. Dre's "Big Ego's" on his multi-platinum album2001.
InAirline episode 46,[5] Robin Petgrave,[6] the founder of the flight school Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum,[7] gives a cast member's son a plane ride at Compton Airport with his flight school.
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