In flight

Unlike the others, the San Francisco Airport isn’t located in its host city. Instead, it’s located in an unincorporated part of San Mateo County, adjacent to Millbrae and San Bruno. Back in the late 1920s, the city of San Francisco, understanding the need for an airport while recognizing that adequate space wasn’t available within the city limits, sent a “request for proposals” with detailed requirements to those Bay Area airfields that existed back then, hoping that one could serve. The airport that best fulfilled those requirements (but one)? Redwood City.

Few Redwood City residents know that the city once had its own airport. And not just any airport. According to at least one source, when San Francisco was on the hunt, Redwood City’s was one of the country’s three oldest operating airfields. And for a time, Redwood City’s airfield boasted one of the three largest aircraft manufacturing plants in the United States.

So why didn’t San Francisco choose Redwood City’s airport? It met all of the city’s other requirements, but was simply too far from San Francisco. Instead, that city purchased Mills Field, the land where SFO now stands. Unfortunately, the opening of San Francisco’s airport may have been a large nail in the coffin for Redwood City’s airport.

Redwood City Airport, as it was known for a time, existed from 1916 to around 1940. It was located roughly between today’s Veterans Boulevard and Bay Road, with Chestnut Street marking its northern end. Its southern end was somewhere between where Second Avenue and Marsh Road are today. The airport’s runways were pretty much where the Broadway Plaza shopping center stood until recently, with the airport’s hangars being located to the west, where the county’s Grant Corporation Yard is today.

Redwood City Airport was founded by one Silas Christofferson. He ran a flying school in Alameda County that, in 1916, he moved to Redwood City. Once in Redwood City he not only ran his flying school, but also constructed an aircraft manufacturing plant. Unfortunately, while flying in an air show at the Redwood City airport later that same year, Christofferson failed to pull out of a steep dive and plowed into the ground in front of the crowd. He survived the crash — barely — only to die a few days later due to a punctured lung.

After Christofferson’s death, various owners continued to operate the flight school and the manufacturing plant. In 1920, the airfield lease was purchased by Walter T. Varney, and the field briefly became known as Varney Field. In 1930 Redwood City’s airfield was sold to a Mr. Sanders; between 1932 and 1933 it was known as “Sanders Airport.” After that, the airport was sold yet again, and a part of the field was sold off to Redwood City for use as a corporation yard — for storage of vehicles and supplies.

Throughout its life, Redwood City Airport saw its share of aviation notables. Eddie Rickenbacker, the World War I fighter pilot, flew from Los Angeles to Redwood City. After an overnight layover, he then made the first recorded coast-to-coast flight (with stops; the first was in Reno), beginning in Redwood City. In early 1920, Amelia Earhart flew into Redwood City to visit friends and to observe the flying school. Seventeen years later she would embark (from Oakland) on her ill-fated attempt to circumnavigate the world.

The last listing for Redwood City’s airport in the pilot’s airport directory was in 1939. It must have closed sometime between 1939 and 1943, though, since the 1943 USGS topographical map no longer included the Redwood City airport. But the airport hangar remained until at least 1948, since it is visible in aerial photographs from that year. Any remaining airport buildings were torn down in 1970, except for the Aviation Café across Chestnut Street — which for a time was the Hideaway Restaurant.

Few people know that, for a time, Redwood City figured prominently in the world of aviation. While I’m glad that it ultimately wasn’t chosen to be the location of San Francisco’s airport — that would have significantly changed the character of Redwood City — I do hope the city will someday do something to recognize this mostly forgotten chapter in the city’s rich and varied history.

Greg Wilson is the creator of Walking Redwood City, a blog inspired by his walks throughout Redwood City and adjacent communities. He can be reached at greg@walkingRedwoodCity.com. Follow Greg on Twitter @walkingRWC.