Historic Stinson Municipal Airport Gets Facelift
On Wednesday, November 19, 2008, the City of San Antonio had the
official ribbon cutting and opening ceremonies for a major addition
to the terminal building at Stinson Municipal Airport (SSF).
Care has been taken to preserve the legacy of the old terminal
building by leaving much of the original structure intact. The
expansion provides space for several new tenants, including Palo
Alto College, which will be moving most of their aviation studies
to the terminal. In addition, there are improved weather and lounge
areas for pilots and passengers, and the airport cafe's size has
quadrupled.
Historic Stinson Airport is the second oldest
continuously-operating general aviation airport in the United
States, and is the designated general aviation reliever airport for
San Antonio International Airport. Recently SSF has also been a
major operations hub for Hurricane Ike relief efforts.
The airport's history dates back to 1915, when the Stinson
School of Flying was founded by siblings Marjorie, Katherine, and
Eddie Stinson, who rented the 500 acre tract from the City of San
Antonio for $5 per year, Stinson Airport Manager Tim O'Krongley
said.
After World War One, the airport reverted back to the city. "And
it remained an airport used primarily by barnstormers and
experimental pilots until the late 20's or early 30's, and that's
when things really took off," O'Krongley said.
Soon the airport was a regular stop for American, Braniff, and
Eastern Airlines, and a new terminal building was built by the
Works Progress Administration in 1936.
During World War Two, the airport was used as a training base.
The Air Force took over operations and constructed numerous
buildings on the grounds, many of which are still standing.
SSF currently boasts two flight schools, an air cargo operator,
an aviation museum and three fixed-based operators, and logs more
than 150,000 aircraft operations annually. Recently experiencing a
110 percent increase in the number of aircraft based on the airport
and a 100 percent occupancy rate, there are plans for even more
expansion in the near future.
"So the Master Plan has driven a lot of new capital programs,
including expansion of the Terminal building, new T-hangars, a
possible runway extension and a lot of runway improvements,"
O'Krongley said.
"And of course behind it all is the spirit of the Stinson
family, three people who had a love of flying so strong it
continues to tower over San Antonio even today," the airport's
website waxes nostalgically.
(Aero-News thanks Ryan Short for his pictures from the
ribbon cutting event)