Camarillo Airport is a public airport located three miles (5 km) west of the central business district of Camarillo, a city in Ventura County, California, United States. The airport has one runway and serves privately operated general aviation and executive aircraft with no scheduled commercial service. A separate, uncontrolled runway in the southwest quadrant of the airport is for exclusive use of light-sport aircraft and ultralights, and is not connected to the larger airport. The airport is the site for an annual air show "Wings Over Camarillo", organized by the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force. According to the US Federal Aviation Administration's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, it is categorized as a reliever airport.

History

Camarillo Airport was established in 1942 when the U.S. Public Roads Administration acquired 100 acres of farmland to develop a landing strip for light planes. California State Highway Department constructed an auxiliary landing field with a 5000 ft runway, which was later extended to 8000 ft in 1951 to accommodate what by then had developed into Oxnard Air Force Base. The Aerospace Defense Command, via the 414th Fighter Group at Oxnard AFB, directed the 354th, 437th, and 460th Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons successively. In the years following the closure of Oxnard AFB in January 1970, the Ventura County government actively pursued the acquisition of the former military base property from the Department of Defense for commercial airport use. This initiative ran into public opposition, opposed primarily by local residents concerned about the noise of growing commercial traffic. In 1976, the transfer of the airport was finally approved, provided the runway length was shortened to 6,000 ft by displacing the runway threshold each end, substantially at the eastern end. The agreement also did not allow cargo and large commercial passenger flights. By 1985, the airport was entirely managed by the Ventura County Department of Airports. From 1995 to 2012, one of the last Lockheed EC-121 Warning Stars underwent a major restoration and dominated the tarmac. After completion of work, it was flown out to the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California. The Ventura County Department of Airports began work in 2022 on a layout plan dealing with maintenance and other near-term projects for the airport. On October 8, 2020 the Ampaire Electric EEL completed the longest flight to date for an airplane employing electric propulsion after launching from the airport. The hybrid electric aircraft, developed by U.S. startup Ampaire, will be used in a series of demonstration flights with Mokulele Airlines on its short-haul routes. The plane had just undergone four weeks of flight testing over the Oxnard Plain.

Facilities and operations

Camarillo Airport covers an area of 650 acre and contains one runway (8/26) which measures 6,013 x 150 ft (1,833 x 46 m). It has two helipads, both measuring 50 by 50 ft (15 x 15 m). For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2020 the airport had 108,566 aircraft operations, an average of 297 per day: 94% general aviation, 2% air taxi and 3% military. There were 383 aircraft based at this airport: 301 single engine, 35 multi-engine, 24 jet aircraft, 22 helicopters, and 1 glider. The airport is an FAA-towered facility, with a number of Fixed-Base Operators headquartered at the airfield, including vintage aviation organizations, flight schools, charter airlines, aircraft maintenance providers, and aircraft dealers. The Camarillo Composite Squadron 61 of the California Wing of the Civil Air Patrol is based at this airfield, located near Sky Blue Air, at the east end of the airport. The Ventura County Fire Department and Sheriff's Office each support large, separate facilities at opposite ends of the field to support new recruit and recurring refreshment training. A "Viewport" opened in 2014, providing a child-friendly area to view the airport activities which had become difficult with increased security concerns. The Chapter 723 of the Experimental Aircraft Association and its facilities are located to the west of CAF museum in two hangars.

CAF Southern California Wing and Air Museum

The Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force and its museum are located to the west of the Waypoint Cafe in three large hangars. It is home to a variety of flyable historic aircraft — maintained and operated entirely by volunteers — as well as static aircraft, displays, models, and historical artifacts. The collection of flyable aircraft includes a PBJ-1J Mitchell (the only surviving example), A6M3 mod. 22 Zero, F6F-5 Hellcat, Bf 108 D-1, and Spitfire FR Mk. XIVe, along with privately-owned aircraft (such as a MiG-17F) on public display. The unit features a Cadet Program which introduces kids and young adults to the aviation and aerospace sectors, and provides them scholarship opportunities for flight training.

Accidents and incidents

"Wings Over Camarillo" Air Show

Camarillo Airport continues to host the "Wings Over Camarillo" Air Show every year around the month of August. The airshow traces it roots back to the 1980's and will be celebrating its 45th Annual "Wings Over Camarillo" Air Show in August of 2026. During the Air Show, the Ventura County Department of Airports puts a high regard on safety, and hasn't seen a single accident in over 40 years.