This weekend, one of the Inland Empire’s most treasured aviation landmarks invites the community to join in a special celebration as Flabob Airport commemorates 100 years of flight history in Riverside.
Just across the Santa Ana River from Downtown and resting in the shadow of the iconic Mt. Rubidoux, Flabob Airport offers visitors both a step back in aviation time and spectacular views of the surrounding landscape. Looking back at the airport from the tarmac, there isn’t much there to indicate you’re in the 2020s.
Established in 1925 by Flavio Madariaga and Bob Bogan (whose combined first names gave the airport its distinctive moniker), Flabob stands today as the seventh-oldest continuously operating airport in California. Over the decades, this historic airfield has welcomed aviation pioneers, movie pilots and generations of flight enthusiasts.
The airport was purchased by the Tom Wathen Foundation in 2000, ensuring its preservation for future generations and allowing for significant improvements, including runway resurfacing and new hangars.
Event Schedule
Friday: Pre-party
Historic Flabob Cafe open from 7:00 AM
Pizza and beer available for purchase
Historic Flabob Cafe open for dinner
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM: Live music
Saturday: Flying and Festivities (camping chairs encouraged)
Open House featuring multiple attractions:
Wright Flyer Museum
Race Replica Museum
Rocket Lab
American Aviation Historical Society
West Coast Air Creations Restoration Shop
Red Barn Aviation
AK Airbrushing and Autobody (Youth Program)
Food & alcohol available for purchase
7:00 AM: Historic Flabob Cafe opens
8:00 AM: Morning brief
All day: Flying with informal fly-bys
Note: Flight operations paused 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM for public aircraft viewing
10:00 AM & 4:00 PM: History of Flabob presentation
6:00 PM – 10:00 PM: Flabob social at West Coast Air Creations Hangar 21
5:30 PM: Doors open for "Swing Under the Wing" in Hangar 16A (vintage attire encouraged)
6:00 PM: Free swing lessons with ticket purchase
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM: Pete Jacobs Wartime Radio Revue (live big band)
Dance contest during intermission
Sunday: Departure Day
Historic Flabob Cafe open 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Flabob Airport has been an incubator for aviation innovation and education. Home to the very first chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association (founded by Ray Stits), Flabob has served as a launching pad for famous aviators including aerobatic legend Art Scholl and movie pilot Frank Tallman.
Today, under the stewardship of the Tom Wathen Foundation, the airport continues its mission of "Inspiration through Aviation," focusing particularly on educational programs for youth, veterans, and disadvantaged communities.
As visitors walk the grounds this weekend, they'll be treading the same earth where countless aviation dreams have taken flight over the past century—and where new generations of aviators continue to find their wings.
For information on the airport and the weekend celebrations, visit flabobairport.org.
For those interested in learning more about the rich history of Flabob Airport and its place in Riverside aviation history, check out the recent article by local historian Glenn Wenzel. Wenzel, a board member of the Riverside Historical Society and author of two books on Mount Rubidoux, provides fascinating details about the airport's origins and development throughout its century-long existence.
Celebrate Earth Day with a visit to the UCR Botanic Gardens, a 40-acre oasis of natural beauty, winding trails, and plant collections from around the world.
