Palmdale Regional Airport
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Palmdale Regional Airport, United States Air-Force Plant 42, or IATA Airport Code:PMD is an airport in the city of Palmdale in Los Angeles County, California, United States.
This airport is one of the largest in the world in area covering over 5,800 acres (23 kmē). It serves predominantly as a manufacturing plant for aircraft used by the United States Military Forces. It is also planned for commercial service.
Commercial Service
The airport currently has a small commercial air terminal owned and operated by the Los Angeles World Airports department of the city of Los Angeles. Originally acquired by LAWA in 1966 to be developed into "Palmdale Intercontinental Airport," surpassing the air traffic of LAX. LAWA has since over the decades not developed its Palmdale airport lands to the full potential it possesses. This was due to two main reasons: perceptions by the traveling public that Palmdale was too far away to suit their desires, and the inability for Los Angeles city government leaders to obtain the political will from the voting public to develop the airport. Only recently, since 2000, have steps been taken to actually work towards the construction of the larger terminal. The current terminal has been vacant since 1996 when United Express Airlines pulled out of the terminal. Convincing airlines of the marketability of the airport has thus far been difficult because of the airline industry's "hub and spoke" system which tends to shun new airports in an effort to improve airline profitability. Additionally, many San Fernando Valley L.A. residents erroneously believe Palmdale's airport is too far away for their tastes. In reality, considering automobile travel time on congested freeways and streets, as well as LAX passenger unloading/parking difficulties, Palmdale - with free airport parking to boot - offers the airline passenger a quicker ground transportation travel time from Sherman Oaks than the standard LAX airport car trip down the San Diego 405 freeway. These outdated airline industry/passenger perceptions on what Palmdale has to offer do not square with the present day Palmdale.
Current negotiations are underway to attract a new commercial carrier to the existing terminal. It is the desire of many Southern Californians to use this airport as an alternative to expanding LAX and Bob Hope Airport. Most of the communties surrounding those airports do not want the added traffic volume and noise to the area. Expansion of Palmdale Regional is also welcomed by a good number of Antelope Valley residents, and is seen by some Valley residents as the long awaited foundation for stabilizng the local economy.
However, those associated with Plant 42 aerospace contractors are in many cases apprehensive about a large airport becoming established, though they tend to support a small to mid sized operation. These aerospace engineers, mechanics, firefighters, and other skilled tradespeople see the entry of a large airport as the deathnell of what they have long strived to maintain - a secure environment away from prying eyes in which to develop, manufacture and flight test advanced aerospace projects and "black" projects which they see as vital to the national defense of the United States. They point to what has happened at Burbank Airport (now renamed Bob Hope Airport) as a template for what could befall Plant 42 and its operational future. (There are presently no aerospace contractors manufacturing advanced or "black" projects working out of Bob Hope Airport.)
Military Usage And Manufacturing
The City of Palmdale refers to itself with the nickname the "aerospace capital of the United States", and Plant 42 at Palmdale Airport has been the site of research, development, final assembly, flight testing and/or servicing/modifications of the Space Shuttle, X-15, B-2 Spirit & F-117 Nighthawk, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, SR-71 Blackbird, Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, and many other aircraft that have been used in the United States Military, NASA and various air forces and airlines around the world. USAF Plant 42, where the aforementioned aerospace projects occurred / occur is home to major operations of the following aerospace companies: Boeing, Lockheed Martin and its famed Skunk Works, Northrop Grumman, and BAe Systems. The Boeing building (formerly North American Rockwell) at Plant 42 / Palmdale Regional Airport is one of the largest buildings in the world. It was used in the Tom Hanks movie The Terminal to house the duplicate JFK terminal set since it was the only building in the Southland area large enough to house it.
