| Manzanar Airport |
| A World War II-era airport was located just across U.S. Highway 395 from the Manzanar Relocation Center central area. Built for the Army in 1941 for bomber pilot training, testing experimental aircraft, and aircraft emergencies, it apparently was never used by the relocation center. |
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| All that is left are some grown over runways that you drive over on the way to the Reward Mine |
| I just recently received the following email and picture from Richard Whiteside who flew his first solo flight out of Manzanar Airport in Nov. 29, 1942. |
| Hi Bill, I searched Google to see if the old Manzanar Airport showed up. ...Lo and behold it did! I soloed there Nov. 29, 1942 as a civilian, when I was only 16 years old! The Jap camp was in full operation then and we flew over it on our base leg. I have some good friends today here in Visalia that were in it then. All the pilots I knew then are dead now. I lived in Tulare, Calfornia at the time and we couldnt fly as a civilian within 150 miles of the coast line. But we could fly at Manazanar! Enclosed is a link to a photo of my self on the left, and Tex Rankin (world famous stunt pilot, shown on the right). Tex soloed me himself as a favor to my dad and mom. Tex was killed in Seebee crash in 1947. During WWII Tex had Rankin Acadamy in Tulare, it was a Army Air Corp Primary Flying School. In 1944 I became a private pilot, and in 1948 I became a commercial pilot, and logged 3500 hours total time. Richard H. Whiteside Visalia, CA 93277 |
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