From the files of the Mountain Democrat
Courtesy of Mr. Dick Mitchell
Q May 17, 1929
On May 16th five men started work on developing the Placerville Airport. Two trucks and two tractors were supplied by Supervisor P. J. Hall. Reiber & Son and Placerville Hardware gave a box of blasting powder each for the removal of trees and rocks. The U. S. Forest Service gave $150 toward the project.
Q May 24, 1929
Placerville Airport is rated A-1 by the Ninth Army Air Corp. Officers recently conducted an inspection of the field and rated it very high. Members of the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce made a series of excursions during the week to view the work. The principal enthusiast in the development of the airport has been J. W. Mitchell, the Chamber of Commerce Aviation Committee Chairman.
The field is situated on the Swingle property, east of Placerville. It has been taken under a four-year lease by the chamber with an option to purchase for $7500. It includes 120 acres and affords a runway for taking off in a general easterly and westerly direction measuring approximately 3000 feet.
Financing of the field up to Tuesday night was by means of a Forest Service appropriation of $125 with the prospect of an additional $25 available on July 1, 1929. The field has been cleared of brush, trees have been cut and blasted out, and a number of large boulders have been blasted out. Grading was in progress during the latter part of the week.
With the exhaustion of available funds Tuesday night, the secretary of the chamber was authorized to proceed with solicitations to finance the completion of the conditioning.
Airport donors are:
| Don Goodrich | $5.00 | John Winkelman | $1.00 | |
| Duff Hutchison | $5.00 | Frank Hull | $1.00 | |
| Fox Brothers | $5.00 | L. L. Hanley | $1.00 | |
| P. Perkins (labor) | $20.00 | Lake Meat Market | $2.50 | |
| Volz & Romberg | $1.50 | P. F. G. A. | $5.00 | |
| Placerville Hardware | $9.50 | Reiber & Son | $9.50 | |
| Shell Oil | $12.65 | Standard Oil | $12.65 | |
| Union Oil | $12.65 | Bank of America | $5.00 | |
| Rev. C. Null | $1.00 | C. Edner | $2.00 | |
| C. E. Hand | $2.50 | J. B .Blair | $5.00 | |
| Ted Atwood | $5.00 | H. S. Lyon | $1.00 | |
| C. Curtis | $1.00 | P. Merenzoni | $1.00 | |
| A. A. Tucker | $2.00 | Placerville Auto | $5.00 | |
| Edwin Smith | $1.00 | M. Howland | $1.00 | |
| R. D. Hopkins | $5.00 | Ivy Garage | $1.00 |
Q May 31, 1929
Leveling has been completed. Members of the committee are looking into the possibility of having lights installed for night landings.
Q August 2, 1929
A special program will be held to open Placerville Airport. It was to be held on August 11th but this will be changed due to the fruit harvest season. Dedication will now be during the 3rd week of September.
Q August 23, 1929
Dedication of the Placerville Airport will take place September 15th. On that day thousands of letters are to be mailed as part of the celebration.
Q October 18, 1929
Placerville Airport received its initiation on Sunday, November 13, when a Stearman biplane equipped with a Whirlwind motor became the first plane to land at the airport for the purpose of providing transportation. It flew to the airport from Los Angeles. The pilot, Jack Lynch, said that it is a great airport.
Q December 6,1929
The first airplane accident at the airport happened on Sunday, December 1st. Ken Kleaver wrecked the lower wing and chipped the prop when the brake on one wheel held fast and pivoted the plane into brush. The ship nosed over. Mr. & Mrs. George Green were passengers and J. Beilsby was the pilot when the engine of their plane conked out shortly after takeoff. The pilot turned back and landed O.K.
Q Placerville Airport (circa 1993)
Today the airport, with its 4,200' runway, is home to approximately 185 aircraft; about 100 are hangared. It is estimated the direct and indirect economic impact of the airport to the community is over $2,000,000 per year.
During 1993-1994, the Placerville Airport (designated PVF by the FAA) will generate revenues from operations of well over $370,000. These revenues cover all operations, repayment of state loans and many capital improvements.
Property taxes on aircraft based here and possessory interest taxes on leaseholds amount to nearly $50,000 annually, half of which goes to local schools and the rest to the County's General Fund. This airport does not receive subsidies from the County's taxpayers -- it contributes! Further, the Airport has received nearly $1.3 Million in State and Federal Grants over the past six years and has nearly $1 Million in capital projects planned for 1993-94.
