Historic California
Posts, Camps Stations and Airfields:
Big Bear City
Airport
Acquisition information
for this site is neither specific or complete. Based on available
information, military acquisition and use of this airport was
sporadic during the 1930s and 1940s. In 1934, the Army Air Corps
entered into a lease with the Big Bear Land and Water Company
for an indeterminate number of acres associated with the airport.
During World War II, the Army acquired use of the airport but
the nature of the real estate instrument under which the property
was used, the number of acres, and date of acquisition is unknown.
Starting in 1948, an unknown number of acres associated with
the airport was available for use by the Marine Corps. The nature
of the real estate instrument under which the Marine Corps acquired
use of the facility is unknown.
Information describing
the use of this airport by the military is neither specific or
complete. Between 1934 and 1937, the Army Air Corps established
a flight training facility at the airport. During World War II,
the Army Air Forces used the airport for flight and survival
training. A camp was established on the north side of the airport
property. The extent to which the Marine Corps used the airport
for flight training after World War II is unknown. No information
is available regarding the extent to which military improvements
were constructed during any portion of the military use of the
airport site.
The lease governing the
use of the airport by the Army Air Corps was cancelled in 1937.
The date the Army Air Forces terminated use of the airport during
World War II, or the date the Marine Corps terminated use of
the airport after 1948 is not known. The acreage associated with
the Army Air Corps, Army Air Forces, or Marine Corps use of the
airport is unknown. No military improvements are present at the
airport today. The site is a municipal airport operated by the
Big Bear Airport Commission.
Source US Army Corps of Engineers,
Los Angeles District