If he'd been an aviation buff, comedian Rodney Dangerfield might have said airports don't get no respect. In the past decade or so he would have probably added the word anymore because it seems people are constantly trying to close airports to develop shopping malls, build houses, or simply to eliminate the noise. In such an environment it might be hard to look at a "For Sale" sign and decide on the spot that your future and that of your family lay in 3,900 feet of asphalt and the rundown buildings of a High Desert airport. If you are a pilot, be thankful that Gerd Schneider and his wife, Claudia, did just that, because Hesperia could have been another airport that probably would have ceased to exist in the near future.
Like many European pilots, Gerd and Claudia, both German, learned to fly in Florida. They soon began to appreciate flying in the United States after completing their private pilot flight training and returning to Germany. "ATC, airports, governments, all had their hands in our pockets for money, and we didn't enjoy the freedoms pilots do here," says Gerd. After learning that Hesperia Airport was for sale they flew to California to make an inspection. There and then the couple decided to sell their small transportation business and seek happiness in owning and operating the Hesperia airport in the High Desert of Southern California. So far they appear to be succeeding.
Located 70 nm northeast of downtown Los Angeles, the airport and lodge were built in 1957 by a local developer to fly investors into the southern part of the High Desert. Back then, the High Desert was virtually, well, desert, and Hesperia was nothing much more than a stop on the road to Las Vegas. Some homes and commercial buildings were built alongside the runway in the ensuing years, and in 1980 the restaurant building was expanded, more tiedown space added, and the runway paved. Over the intervening years the privately owned, public-use airport has seen both good and bad times.
Since they moved onto the airport in November of last year the Schneiders have managed to complete an amazing number of projects. The Silverwood Airport Lodge, a small motel right off the runway, has been totally remodeled. The rooms are equipped with TVs, VCRs, showers, coffeemakers, and hairdryers. An outdoor pool and patio area that had seen better days will be operational before summer hits the High Desert. The restaurant, now called Amelia's Landing, has just reopened after extensive remodeling. Lindbergh's Lounge, a piano bar adjacent to the restaurant, is planned for evening and weekend entertainment, and a large second-floor banquet room that overlooks the runway is scheduled to be made over sometime in the future.
Silverwood Flight Training, also owned by the Schneiders, operates six airplanes and occupies a large portion of the terminal building. Classrooms, video materials, a computerized testing center, and an IFR simulator plus a full-time chief instructor make Hesperia an ideal location for learning to fly, a weekend flight review, or just a new area to visit. And having learned to fly in Florida over a period of several visits, the Schneiders knew what they did and didn't like about staying in motels, eating in restaurants, and learning to fly in airplanes that didn't always work as they should have. Both are determined to offer good accommodations at a reasonable cost, plus flight training and airplanes that are safe and reliable.
For the fly-in visitor the High Desert area around Hesperia offers a number of attractions. Silverwood Lake recreation area, 15 minutes by road to the southeast, is a large man-made lake in the foothills of the San Bernadino National Forest that offers boat rentals, water-skiing, fishing, and swimming. Fly over the lake before you land — you won't be disappointed. And for those interested in hiking, the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from Canada to Mexico, also passes through Silverwood Lake State Park. A few miles away is Lake Arrowhead, another popular lake that Southern Californians escape to when the temperature reaches three figures. Fifteen minutes' flying time east of Hesperia is the Big Bear Mountain area that is a popular summer and winter resort (see " California Flying: Big Bear Valley Beckons," April Pilot). The center of the tourist-oriented town is literally just outside of the airport and down the street — well worth some time just strolling around. On departure from Big Bear's 6,600-foot-high airport be aware that at any time of the year, depending on temperature, density altitude can approach 10,000 feet.
There is no airport at the village of Wrightwood and the ski resort of Mountain High 30 miles to the west of Hesperia, so a car is needed for the 45-minute trip. (Car rentals can be handled through the Hesperia Airport front desk.) On a hot summer day in the desert, Wrightwood's 5,000-foot altitude can also offer a more comfortable temperature and the opportunity for a drive along the scenic Angeles Crest Highway atop the San Gabriel Mountains. A lonely road in places, civilization can seem very far away when, in fact, the Los Angeles Basin is sometimes visible below to the south, along with the rapidly filling western Mojave Desert to the north.
The Cajon Pass, just south of Hesperia, is the Sante Fe Railway's main route into and out of the Los Angeles area. Rising from around 1,000 feet in San Bernadino to 3,400 feet at the top of the pass, 100-car freight trains require up to five locomotives pulling at the front, and two or three helping in the middle, in order to climb the grade. While fans of older trains would argue that steam locomotives belching smoke and attacking the pass were much more spectacular, watching 10,000 tons of diesels and double-stacked containers snake their way relentlessly up the pass, to literally shake the earth as they pass by at a crossing, is still impressive.
Keep the car and drive a few miles north on Interstate 15 to the Roy Rogers exit for the museum of the same name. A movie-star cowboy hero from another time, Rogers died in 1996, but his museum lives on as an eclectic collection of memorabilia from his many years in the movie business. The most popular exhibit, however, standing with front legs pawing the air, is Roger's stuffed horse, Trigger. As many who went to Saturday morning serials at the local movie theater will testify, Rogers could get Trigger, the Wonder Horse, to do almost anything.
The other western attraction, Calico Ghost Town, was a real mining town at the turn of the century before being turned into an attraction by the Knott's Berry Farm family. Barstow is an easy 50-mile flight from Hesperia, but you will still need to rent a car at the airport for the ride to Calico Ghost Town. The alternative is to drive from Hesperia, but that choice doesn't allow for overflying the Victorville airport (previously George AFB) on the way to Barstow. Since September 11, both the Victorville and Mojave airports have become well-known parking lots for hundreds of excess commercial airliners. Overflying Victorville to view the sad scene requires only a transition request from the control tower.
VFR flight is possible for 300-plus days a year at Hesperia (which makes it an ideal location for flight training), but below the Cajon Pass in the Los Angeles Basin the weather can be totally different. San Bernadino and the Riverside area, surrounded by mountains, are prone to fog, haze, and smog that can limit VFR flight into and out of the Basin. Pilots needing to depart the Basin early in the morning will often spend the previous night at Hesperia — from there they can get an early start without worrying about waiting for fog and haze to burn off.
Like most of Southern California, the towns of Apple Valley, Victorville, and Hesperia have grown over the past decade, but the area still hangs on to its rural heritage. Kids still play on dirt bikes, people ride horses on the street, and a cup of coffee is still cheaper than in Los Angeles. Gerd and Claudia Schneider have made a long-term commitment to the airport and are now beginning to advertise their flight training school in Germany. Income from Silverwood Flight Training will allow them to continue their plans to upgrade the airport to make it an even more attractive destination. Will they suceed? Only time will tell, but as an optimistic Claudia says, "In Germany we rarely see the sun in winter. Here the sun shines practically all year. They will come." She hopes you will, too.
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