Relaunched annual Airport Day set for Nov. 8

Aircraft enthusiasts will want to head to the Boulder City Airport on Saturday, Nov. 2, to check out a variety of planes and helicopters.

Airport Day will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with free admission and parking.

“This is will be the second year for the event and it’s shaping up very nicely,” said Airport Manager Marissa Adou. “This is a fantastic event for the entire family to come out and experience the airport.”

Papillon Terminal will be the main entry for the event this year, where the public will be able to walk through the facility and right onto the ramp to enjoy the event.

“You can meet the pilots, chat with industry professionals, and learn about a variety of careers in aviation,” Adou said.

She said the most popular part of last year’s event, and sure to be this year’s as well, is the Young Eagles Program, which provides free flights for kids ages 8-17.

“This program is amazing and is aimed at engaging youth in aviation,” she said. “A lot of today’s pilots can remember their first flight through EAA and it sparked a lifetime love in aviation. My first flight in an airplane was through a similar program while in grade school; as you can see - aviation has stuck with me.”

There will be food trucks on hand, as well as Valiant Supply will be on site with their T-Shirt Bar. Papillon celebrates 60 years this year and is offering six-minute helicopter flights for $60.

“You will get a great view of the town and the lake on the ride,” Adou added.

Looking back

According to the city’s website, the airport was opened on Nov. 19, 1933 on land leased from the Bureau of Reclamation. At the time, the airport was named the Boulder City Airport; however, the airport was also referred to as Bullock’s Field, after the individual originally leasing the land. At the airfield’s inception, the airport was used for general aviation purposes only. The first commercial operator to base its operation at Boulder City Airport was Grand Canyon Airlines, providing air tours through the tour company Grand Canyon-Boulder Dam Tours in 1936.

The Boulder City Airport experienced consistent traffic through the late 1940s. During World War II, the rate of civilian air traffic slowed and the airport was largely used as a layover location for military aircraft. In the late 1940s, TWA left the Boulder City Airport. This resulted in a significant decrease in air traffic. With the sudden loss of TWA as a based air carrier, coupled with the increasing attraction of Las Vegas, many travelers began going straight to Las Vegas as opposed to Boulder City. This was made possible by the construction of the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.

Eventually, the Boulder City Airport was condemned in 1949. In 1958, the Boulder City Elks Club bought the terminal building to use as a meeting location. Shortly thereafter, the airport was reopened following renovations in 1961. During the early 1980s, construction began on a new airport in Boulder City. Following its completion, the historic Boulder City Airport was closed and the new Boulder City Municipal Airport was opened.

For more information, visit bcnv.org/airportday.