Thank You Nick Mann, Selah High School Student for designing our airport's new sign March 2009
Thanks to Mr. Lowell Joerg of Tucson, AZ., a small part of history was returned to the airport.
Mr. Joerg found this First Flight Air Mail envelope (see below), dated August 11, 1937, in an antique shop in Tucson and was kind enough to send it to us. We appreciate his consideration.
Yakima Airport's 80th Anniversary Celebration was held on September 13, 2008.
The airport's 'unofficial' 80th birthday was in 2006. The parcel of land between 16th and 24th just south of Washington Avenue was used as a private airstrip between 1926 and 1928.
Yakima County purchased the 40 acre field in 1928 and 'officialy' dedicated the airport in June of 1928. The airfield has been in continuous operation for over 80 years!
For those of you interested in the history of aviaiton in the Yakima Valley, you can visit McAllister Museum of Aviation. They have a great collection of historical data, pictures and aviation artifacts.
Airport Receives First Oshkosh Striker Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicle in Washington State!
In July of 2005, the airport took delivery on a high-tech Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Vehicle. The new vehicle, an Oshkosh STI-1500 Striker, employs advanced electronics to assist firefighters in their ARFF duties.
One of the new features is a forward looking infra-red camera system. This will assist firefighters in locating aircraft anytime visibility is low (such as foggy conditions) and identifying 'hot-spots' on aircraft.
The vehicle cost $620,000, 95% of which was paid for by a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration. The airport's Passenger Facility Charge covered the remaining 5%.
The ARFF truck was presented to the City of Yakima Fire Department at Station 94 at the airport. The City of Yakima provides highly trained Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting personnel. The airport also provides the specialized equipment used to combat aircraft fires.
Photo courtesy of City of Yakima Fire Department, Station 94.
