Vintage 310 Returns to Flabob Airport

After ten-year restoration, vintage aircrafts nostalgic return to
Flabob airport planned.

On June 17th, pilot and former Riverside resident Scot Douglas will
realize a closely held lifelong dream by flying to historic Flabob
airport in Rubidoux CA. What makes this event so special is not only
the significance of the destination but also the aircraft in which
Douglas will be arriving. Douglas, a 1976 Rubidoux High School graduate grew up hanging around his father’s flight training, aircraft
maintenance shop and air charter facility at Flabob. When Douglas’s
father died in 1978, his mother had no choice but to liquidate the
business along with the modest fleet of aircraft. Among the airplanes
sold was a 1956 Cessna 310, which had been the flagship of the charter operation.

Douglas moved out of the area shortly after his father’s death and his
involvement in aviation came to an end. However, whenever in town to visit he would always make it a point to stop by Flabob, just to walk around and check the status of the Cessna 310, the only aircraft of his fathers that remained on the field. Douglas was saddened to see that the aircraft was not being flown regularly, and was, over the years, slipping into a state of total disrepair. In 1985, during what would be his last visit, Douglas found that the aircraft no longer occupied its normal spot and thought surely it had been shipped off to some nearby salvage yard.

By 2000 Douglas had returned to aviation and had settled permanently in Ashland, Oregon. One day while sharing mental lists of favorite
airplanes with a group of fellow pilots, Douglas leaned of an early
model Cessna 310 in Paso Robles, California that was for sale. Though
not in the market for an aircraft, the attractive asking price prompted
Douglas to contact the seller, a conversation that resulted in an
appointment to take a personal look. When Douglas arrived at the Paso Robles airport the excitement of having the opportunity to look at an aircraft similar to that of his fathers was overshadowed by the
realization that the plane at which he was looking was in fact the very
same one his father had once owned. While reviewing the aircraft logs
Douglas was shocked to discover that in the 22 years that had past
since his mother had sold it, it had flown only 9 hours and that the
last inspection entries were written in his fathers hand and dated in
1976. With very little thought given to the challenge of bringing it
back to airworthy condition Douglas agreed to purchase the aircraft.
After several weeks and countless phone calls arranging for necessary
repairs the aircraft was flown to its new home where the restoration
process began. Because of the financial impact of such an undertaking
Douglas had to exercise extreme patience, yet did so without losing
sight of his ultimate goals; to bring it back to original 1956
condition and above all else, someday pilot it back to Flabob Airport.
Not lost on Douglas is the ironic timing of his visit which happens to
coincide with both his fathers birthday and Fathers Day weekend

(A very special “Thanks” to the kind folks at Flabob, The
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 1 and EAA President
Jerry Cortez.) Flabob Airport / Experimental Aircraft Association

Among general aviation enthusiasts, Flabob is one of the most
popular and beloved ‘small’ airports in the western United States. With a rich history dating back to the mid 1920’s Flabob has long been a Mecca for homebuilt and experimental aircraft manufacturers.
In 1925 The Riverside Chamber Of Commerce created a Commission on
Aeronautics and soon after leased a portion of Evans Ranch in Rubidoux as the site of the city’s new airport. With the help of the Junior Lions Club an area was cleared for what would be called Riverside Airport.

In 1943, Los Angeles business partners Flavio Madariaga and Bob Bogen bought the little strip, and in 1945 established Flabob Airport.
Mechanics, experimental aircraft designers and builders at Flabob
quickly developed a national reputation as leaders in their craft. By
1953 the activity by these builders attracted the attention of Paul
Poperezney who was establishing a group called the Experimental
Aircraft Association (EAA). Mr. Poperezney asked Flabob’s experimental
aircraft pioneer Ray Stits to join his group on the condition that
Stits relocate to what was to be EAA headquarters, Milwaukee, WI. Stits refused. So interested was Poperezney in forming an association with Stits that the EAA bylaws were changed allowing Stits and other Flabob pilots and mechanics to form a remote Chapter. EAA Chapter 1 at Flabob was established in 1953 and held it’s first meeting in 1954, taking place less than six months after EAA’s very first Oshkosh, “Fly-In”.
EAA 1 continues to be an active and vibrant part of Flabob Airport and
is the largest of the EAA chapters. For information on Flabob Airport,
which hosts a monthly “Open Hangar”, or EAA Chapter 1, which hosts an annual “Open House”, visit them on the web at flabob.org and
eaach1.org..

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Additionally When I was three years old my mother found herself going through a rather painful and bitter divorce. My aunt recommended a rather unusual way to deal with the difficulties of such an event and that was to take flying lessons. So in 1961 my mother went to Flabob Airport and began taking lessons from the owner and operator of Grieve Air Service, Mr. Floyd Grieve. Well, my Mother got a little more out of the deal than she bargained for, not only did she get her pilots certificate but a little over a year later she and Floyd Grieve were married. Never having met my biological father and because Floyd came into my life when I was so young, he has been the only father I have ever known and whenever that title is every used by me, there is no doubt in anyone’s mind about whom I am referring.

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