CARMEL VALLEY HISTORIC AIRPARK SOCIETY

HISTORY OF THE AIRFIELD

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Carmel Valley Vintage Airfield and Carmel Valley Village lie upon the 19th Century Mexican Rancho Las Laureles granted to Jose Manuel Boronda in 1840. One hundred years later, year-round residents in the future Village area numbered about twenty-four. Today the community totals over six thousand and the growth all began as the Byington Ford Airpark.

Carmel-By-The Sea pioneer Byington Ford first settled on the Monterey Peninsula following his service in World War I. He worked for Del Monte Properties heading their real estate department for twelve years. Ford had played varsity baseball at U.C. Berkeley while earning his law degree, and although he decided to pursue real estate as a career, he fulfilled his love for baseball by playing in the famous Abalone League with other pioneers such as Samuel F.B. Morse and author Jimmy Hopper. To raise money for a league diamond, they staged plays at the Carmel Arts and Crafts Theater, recognized today as The Golden Bough. Ford acted in numerous smash hits as can be seen in Carmel's historical archives. In 1931 he formed the Carmel Realty Company, still a major force in the city today.

While Byington Ford established a place for himself in the history of Carmel-By-The-Sea, his brother Tirey founded the Del Monte Aviation Company at the Monterey Airport. In fact, Tirey taught Byington how to fly. Convinced that mass production of small aircraft would put a plane within the reach of anyone who could afford a car, Byington bought the northeast corner of Rancho Las Laureles for an airpark. Aside from Robles del Rio vacation homes, the only landmarks along Carmel Valley Road were the White Oak Dairy and some old barns. To get to Ford's new spread, a traveler had to drive eleven miles on a dirt and mud road from Highway One.

Byington Ford developed a tailor-made project for pilot-owners who would want to be at home a minute or two after getting out of their planes. The grassy piece of acreage he chose had served bush pilots for landings even before Ford identified it for his venture. The planned strip enjoyed a "channel" wind up-valley all day long -- ideal for take-offs and landings.

Ford recorded house lots adjacent to the airfield that would constitute a village of "hangar houses," and Tirey built a prototype hangar house off Ford Road at the west end of the airfield to serve as an example for the airborne community of the future.

Byington Ford held the grand opening of Airway Ranch on December 7, 1941, a day of infamy for the United States as well as for Ford's Airpark. President Roosevelt declared war on Japan the next day. Building materials became scarce and civilian flights were prohibited along the West Coast. Airway Ranch became known as the Double "F" Ranch -- "Ford's Folly." The project was put on hold while Byington Ford joined the Army Air Corps to aid the war effort.

Following the War it became apparent that there would not be a plane in every garage, so Ford had to adjust his enterprise, combining sales to plane owners with sales to home seekers, and he enjoyed a brisk trade. Ford also developed a core group of services in the Village. The Airway Market, first known as the General Store, a barber shop, a drug store and soda fountain, a beauty shop, and a liquor store were built in 1946-47. All were in walking distance of the Airpark and decorated to resemble a Mexican village. Historians credit Ford with starting the first commercial development and the only full-scale village ever to have developed in the Valley. Today's thriving business center of restaurants, inns and nearby wineries became known as Carmel Valley Village and had its historical roots planted by this core.

Only two true hangar houses were ever built: Tirey's, which later burned and one other, still standing, on the north side of the runway. Non-pilots bought up many of the runway Airpark sites, and to suit their many tastes Byington created ranch-house sites of one acre to three acres and envisioned hillside homes where residents could look down on incoming planes. A clubhouse built for the Airpark later became an integral part of the Village's Blue Sky Lodge. The State of California licensed the airport in 1949, a few years before the present owner, Peter Delfino, purchased it. Byington Ford retired to reminisce about Carmel's wooden sidewalks, old friends, and the Abalone League.

Delfino liked having an airport available for flyers, although he did not own a plane himself. He hosted a number of aviation events, including antique fly-ins. Throughout the 1980s he charged no fees, offered no services, no control tower, no radio communications or navigation aids, no lights, no gas pump, no mechanic, no telephone, and no office. To date, the Airpark displays no permanent structures of any kind.

Running the airport was largely a grassroots effort. Delfino shooed horseback riders off the runway, work parties cleaned up the runway and filled potholes, and donations were collected to keep the grass mowed. The historical integrity of the Airpark, in spite of the community it generated, has been totally preserved and is validated by Federal Aviation Administration certification.

Today, Village residents as well as pilots are able to enjoy the twenty-five acres of open space in an increasingly developed valley. The perimeter trail around the field is enjoyed by countless people for walking, running, horseback riding and dog walking. Santa Claus deplanes here each Christmas during the annual Santa's Fly-In.

More importantly, the Airpark's presence overcomes emergencies caused by road closures, and it serves as a vital staging area for helicopters and fire equipment.

Pilots of small planes unable to land at fogged-in Monterey and Salinas, and running low on fuel, have found a safe haven at the Carmel Valley Vintage Airfield. Lastly, the Airpark allows out of county residents to fly directly into Carmel Valley Village to enjoy all the services and amenities the local community has to offer -- exactly the way Byington Ford envisioned it.

More photos of the airfield are featured in our Photo Album.

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CARMEL VALLEY HISTORIC AIRPARK SOCIETY P.O. Box 683 Carmel Valley, CA 93924 E-mail: info@vintageairfield.com