Swansboro Pilots Association — A Brief History

One of the oldest local groups in the Swansboro area is the Swansboro Pilots Association (SPA). Over the years, SPA has offered support to local residents and businesses as well as Mosquito Fire Station 75, and kept residents connected with our community. Working hand-in-hand with Mosquito fire chiefs in the past, SPA developed an evacuation plan using the Swansboro airport as the designated Temporary Refuge Area and evacuation point. SPA hosted evacuation drills and assisted with the airport during emergencies.

In the U.S., there are three types of General Aviation airports. These are: Public, Private and “Special Use” airports. Swansboro airport falls within the third group. The main difference in these types are who, or which government agency regulates and controls the airport. All of them fall under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) jurisdiction, but the FAA has exclusive control of public airports. The designation “01CL” was assigned by the FAA to Swansboro airport. Private airports are owned and controlled by property owners who own the runway. The runways of Special Use airports – like 01CL, are those owned and managed by a third party or agency, and are controlled by the Department of Transportation in California. In the case of 01CL, the runway is owned and managed by the Swansboro Country Property Owners Association (SCPOA), of which all the users of the runway are members.

In California, there are very few residentially zoned areas with property owners having direct access to an airport, and even fewer subdivisions with access to their own airport. Such is the case with Swansboro, and makes 01CL a very unique and valuable asset to the community. For example, over the years, there have been numerous Swansboro residents who commuted to work – primarily to the Bay Area. More recently, many Swansboro retirees have continued flying for recreation, and the airport makes it possible for friends to visit by airplane. With the time, cost and traffic hassles of driving in California, it’s no surprise that anyone with an airplane would find that living in Swansboro is a terrific bargain.

Airparks—residential subdivisions where people can keep their airplanes co-located with their homes—sound too good to be true to passionate aviation buffs. Thanks to a few visionary land use planners, aviators, and realtors however, they have been a reality for nearly 70 years. Fred Wilkinson, the son of one of the original developers of Swansboro was asked recently, “Which was developed first, the airport or the subdivision?” He said that they were both developed concurrently.

The reasons for buying into an airpark community are many. For some it’s the desire for country living crossed with an easy commute to work. There are neighbors who aren’t fliers – with all the other amenities in Swansboro, that is natural – but all SCPOA members have rights to the runway, which is a Common Area.

Beyond that, aviation can be a common thread that binds neighborhoods together, despite diverse backgrounds and cultures. In past years, the Swansboro Pilots Association (SPA) has voluntarily maintained the runway, and conducted evacuation drills in association with the Mosquito Fire Department (MFPD), CalFire and the El Dorado Sheriff’s Office (EDSO). The Swansboro Airport is used as a safe evacuation point for Medi-Vac flights, and was the principle “Safe Zone” during the King Fire. Literally hundreds of firefighters and their equipment were set up on the airport grounds. You may notice that most street signs in Swansboro have “Evacuation” route signs leading to the Swansboro Airport.

It pays to be good neighbors. The Swansboro Pilots maintain an annual Scholarship Fund dedicated to college-bound Swansboro/Mosquito area high school seniors, and participated in fund-raising events such as the “Big Boy Toy Show”, organized by the Mosquito Fire Department. Swansboro Pilots sponsor “Community Cleanup Day”, by bringing in two 20 yard dumpsters for residents to discard household debris, and save them a trip to the dump. In addition, SPA has worked with the fire department and MVFA on cleaning up Mosquito Road from the Cutoff to the bridge each summer while the bridge is closed for maintenance.

On monthly “Airport Days”, Swansboro pilots display their aircraft at their hangars, and the community is invited to look at, sit in and learn about the aircraft and airport safety as well. Several Swansboro pilots participate in “Pilots ‘N Paws” flights and “Angel Flights”. These Swansboro pilots donate all costs including aircraft fuel and time to transport orphan animals or Angel Flights for people in need of medical treatment.

In addition, SPA has donated most of the tables and chairs in Frank’s Diner as well as much of the outdoor furniture.

California law states that a homeowner’s association cannot deny dues-paying members the lawful use of a “common area” for its prescribed use. The airport landing strip is such a common area. This law offers local pilots assurance that their investment in the Swansboro community will be protected, despite the comings and goings of elected members of the SCPOA Board of Directors.

The vast majority of Swansboro residents understand that SPA members are a positive factor in the quality of life in Swansboro. What’s more, they realize that the airport is a valuable asset to their community, and with proper management, will continue to remain so for many years to come.

Tom Harris & Kim Purcell contributed to this article.