Nearly 60 years ago Wally Reichelt bought a 1930 American Eagle Eaglet airplane for $1,250. An Eaglet is a very light, fabric-covered, parasol-configured monoplane with a maximum gross weight of 882 pounds. The engine is a nine-cylinder Salmson radial that produces 40 horsepower.
This Eaglet monoplane is the reason that the Sonoma Valley Airport is in existence. While working at Albany, California (near Richmond), Reichelt would fly up to the southern end of Sonoma County on the weekends. In 1947 he bought a piece of land with a Quonset hut and hangared his Eaglet inside. As the years passed, Reichelt - with help from his family and local friends - kept on improving the airport. Today Runway 7/25 is 2,700 by 40 feet, and Runway 17/35 is 1,500 feet long. Reichelt passed away five years ago, but his adult children still own and run the airport. Part of Reichelt's legacy was a love of older airplanes, and that attitude reigns to this day. More than 80 classic airplanes are based at Sonoma Valley Airport.
Why all this history? So California fliers would know the story behind the Sonoma Valley Airport. This airport is often called the Schellville-Sonoma airport to differentiate it from Sonoma Skypark, located one mile to the north. The Saturday I landed there I saw a Lockheed PV–2 Harpoon, two Boeing PT–17 Stearman biplanes, a Navy SNJ–4, a Cessna 170B, and other assorted tailwheel-equipped airplanes. I'd flown into a time warp. This impression was reinforced a little later when a couple taxied in together and shut down their beautifully polished his-and-hers Swifts.
After I found visitor parking - it's on the grass strip between the two rows of hangars - the first person I ran into was Christopher Prevost.
Within a few seconds, Prevost revealed what the Sonoma Valley Airport was about when he said, "There are three or four Ryan STAs here, a P–40, a P–51; we've got Great Lakes biplanes coming out our ears; a Tiger Moth and a load of Stearmans - I've got four myself."
The mystery of why one man needed four Stearmans was cleared up when Prevost showed me his card; he owns Vintage Aircraft Co. ( www.vintageaircraft.com). This company offers biplane, warbird, and glider rides. When Prevost isn't flying rides, he's busy rebuilding a Curtiss P–40 Warhawk. Vintage's Stearmans are three-seaters - at least two have 450-horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-985 engines - offering couples a chance to sit together and enjoy a variety of open-cockpit biplane rides ranging from the smooth and peaceful "scenic" to the thrilling "kamikaze," which features loops, rolls, hammerheads, Cuban eights, and other aerobatic maneuvers.
But back to the Eaglet. For 40 years this little airplane has sat in the back of one of Reichelt's homebuilt hangars. In August of this year, after a full restoration, it's been returned to flying status. It's a grand little airplane - it must be the granddaddy of all ultralights.
Scaggs Island VOR
The Sonoma Valley Airport is at the southern end of the Sonoma Valley, which is served by five airports. All five lay within a 12-nautical-mile radius of the Scaggs Island VOR (SGD 112.1 MHz), which is located five miles east of Sonoma Valley.
Sonoma Skypark is only one mile north of Sonoma Valley. Preferred traffic patterns for these two airports are right traffic to runways 8 and 7, respectively, with a downwind pattern entry (no 45-degree entry) to Skypark's Runway 8 to avoid traffic pattern conflicts. Pilots flying into Sonoma Valley must realize that many local aircraft are not equipped with communication radios and may be flying very slowly. Keep a sharp eye for other traffic.
Afternoon winds can turn both Sonoma Valley's Runway 7/25 and Skypark's Runway 8/26 into crosswind fields. If the thought of landing in a crosswind on a 45-foot-wide runway is not comforting, or if there's any doubt about making a successful landing, both Napa County Airport and Petaluma Municipal Airport have wider runways. Sonoma Valley Airport is not approved for night flying, and fuel sales stop at 7 p.m.
San Francisco Class B airspace
The airports clustered around Scaggs Island VOR are located just north of the 30-mile Mode C veil surrounding the San Francisco Class B airspace. Seven miles to the east of the VOR, the special-use airspace for Travis Air Force Base begins. In addition, Napa County Airport is located in Class D airspace with a ceiling of 2,500 feet. In spite of all this, it's not difficult to get into any of the area airports. If you're unclear of how to navigate around and through this airspace, spend a few minutes with your local flight instructor.
Vineyards
The time warp at the Sonoma Valley Airport is only one of the many attractions in the Sonoma Valley. In 1857 the first wine grape cuttings imported from European vines were planted at the Buena Vista (now historical) winery in Sonoma. Today this county is home to more than 30 award-winning wineries, and the Sonoma Valley is a federally designated wine appellation region. Fliers can either rent a car or make arrangements for a guided wine-country tour by limousine. Numerous businesses exist solely to provide new wine seekers or experienced wine lovers and tasting-room trekkers with guidance, transportation, and lodging as they sample the local vintner's craftsmanship. For more information, see the Web site ( www.winecountry.com).
Old Sonoma
If California history holds a fascination for you, then you'll want to set aside a few days for rambling around this area. In 1846 a small band of 33 American settlers, upset upon hearing rumors that Mexico was planning to exclude gringos from California, rode into Sonoma, lowered the Mexican flag, and raised their homemade "Bear Flag of the California Republic." For three weeks, the bear flag flew in Sonoma's plaza before the United States declared war on Mexico, landed a force in Monterrey, and took possession of the entire West Coast without firing a shot.
Today many of the buildings that surround that historic plaza - including the Swiss Hotel, the Blue Wing Inn, the Casa Grande Barracks, the Salvador Vallejo Adobe, and the Sonoma City Hall - are preserved. A few blocks away is the Vallejo Home State Park, featuring the 1852 residence of General Vallejo, who was also the town's founder. Historic Sonoma isn't a flying 1930 Eaglet, but in its own way it is very impressive.
Variety
These are only a few of the many attractions available from the airports clustered around the VOR. Sears Point Raceway is a few miles to the south on Highway 121. A state historical park featuring the home of author Jack London (who died in 1916 at age 40) is just west of the town of Glen Ellen, located 10 miles north of Sonoma.
Flying golfers may want to pack their clubs so they can savor a round on the Sonoma Golf Club or one of the other courses in the area. Accommodations in this area range from economical to exotic. A starting point for planning any trip to the Sonoma Valley is the chamber of commerce Web site ( www.sonoma.com).
Historical buildings, fine accommodations, tempting eateries, and a time-warped airport are powerful attractions in the Sonoma Valley.
E-mail the author at [email protected].
Related Articles
