By Alhambra Resident Fame Rybicki

The Alhambra Airport located on East Valley Boulevard was built in 1929 at the cost of $1 million. The dedication of it was attended by thousands of people. In 1930, it had the largest airplane hangar in the world.

Western Airlines' inaugural continental airmail service made its debut at the airport on Oct. 16, 1920. Later, Western Air Express became Transcontinental World Airlines (TWA). Because there was an attractive four-story tower at the terminal, it was the location of many Hollywood movies. Besides being a commerical airport, it also was used to teach private flying lessons.

When Great Britain went to war with Germany in World War II, the Alhambra Airport was the official shipping station from 1938 to 1940 for the Lockheed Company to fly in hundreds of bombers to the airport for disassembly and shipment to Great Britain.

For a number of years, the entries for the Rose Parade were built in the unused hangars.

At the time, the Alhambra High School District was in dire need of expansion. After being unsuccessful in its bid for several other sites, it was able to locate its new high school, Mark Keppel (named for the County Superintendent of Schools) on Hellman Avenue, just south of the airport.

The Alhambra Board of Education felt the proximity of the airport to the school was a potential danger to the students, particularly after an airplane crashed into a home on Hellman Avenue before the school was completed, and later when a biplane made a forced landing on the field where the school's tennis courts are now located. When the school board received a notice from the Civil Aeronautics Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce that the Harlow Aircraft Company was applying for a license to permit flights for civil use, the Alhambra school board was instrumental in having the airport declared unsafe.

The airport property was sold in 1946, and became a $6 million shopping center and housing development of 604 homes.

I have very fond recollections of the airport because my oldest sister, Jean Ratkowski Hussin, was one of the earliest women fliers and often took me with her to the airport. Many times, I dressed in jodpurs and goggles and went up to fly around Alhambra and the San Gabriel Valley. Her fiancee was one of the Alhambra Airport fliers who was killed when his plane crashed in Montebello.