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Flashback Fridays--20 Years at Burbank for Southwest Airlines

blusk
Aviator C

We like to think that all of the 68 airports (soon to be 69 with the addition of the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport in May) that Southwest Airlines serves are important, but some hold a unique historical distinction, like the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank.  Southwest’s history at Burbank goes back 20 years to April 16, 1990. 

Until 1947, Los Angeles International was a minor commercial airport on the edge of the city.  Burbank, along with the long-gone Grand Central Airport in Glendale were the primary commercial airports for the greater Los Angeles area.  And while on the subject of Southern California airports, until the dawn of the jet age, almost every airline passenger in the world flew on an airframe built in Southern California by either Lockheed at Burbank, Convair in San Diego, or the two Douglas plants in Santa Monica and Long Beach.  This week for Flashback Friday, I want to take a look back at Burbank’s long history and at Southwest’s inaugural Burbank flight 20 years ago.  Special thanks  go out to Lucy Burghdorf at the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority for supplying these fantastic early photos of the airport.  To see the airport’s web site, click here.

The Burbank Airport opened with a big air show as the United (Airlines) Airport on May 30, 1930.  As we can see in the photo below, a large crowd saw Army Air Corps airplanes put on quite a show.  Note how rural this part of the San Fernando Valley was 80 years ago.

Because of the Lockheed plant at the airport, the Burbank facility was considered to be a high threat target for Japanese naval aircraft during the first part of World War II.  The factory, terminal building, and parking lots were covered with ingenious camouflage netting that was designed to make the facility look like city streets.  Below, we see the underside of the netting over the parking lot and the terminal entrance.

 

After the end of World War II, the airport, now known as the Lockheed Air Terminal, was the primary commercial airport for the Los Angeles Area.  As we saw a few weeks ago, Los Angeles International didn’t become the primary airport until late 1947.  The view below is probably from 1945 or early 1946 because of the aircraft depicted. The TWA L-049 Constellation is just a few yards away from its birthplace (to the upper left corner out of the photo), and it is still in the original all-metal livery.  Another clue to the date is the DC-3s belonging to United, American, and TWA. American and TWA replaced their DC-3s on flights to the coast with newer equipment as soon as they could after the war.  (United had local service routes in California up until the mid-1960s.) 

The Lockheed plant, which has been razed, is world famous in aviation circles.  Commercial airliners produced here included the pre-war single-engined Vega; the speedy Lockheed twins; the four-engined Constellation series, which included the ultimate piston airliner, the L-1649; and the turboprop Lockheed Electra II.  (The L-1011 TriStar was built in Palmdale.)  Among the many military aircraft produced here were the P-38 Lightning, the Hudson patrol bomber (the military version of the Lodestar), the U.S.’s first jet fighter, the F-80, and the first versions of the P-3 Orion, the Navy’s patrol bomber version of the Electra—just to name a few.  (Actually, a true aviation historian just reminded me that the Bell P-59 was the first US jet fighter, but the F-80 would be the first "successful" fighter.)  Burbank was the original home to Lockheed’s “Skunk Works” that would go on to design such aircraft as the F-104, U-2, SR-71, and F-117 Stealth Fighter.  The view of the plant below is from the early 1970s.

After the airlines moved to LAX, Burbank became the home to charter carriers like Flying Tigers and supllemental carriers.  With the rise of air travel demand in California, intrastate carriers like PSA had large operations at Burbank.  After PSA was acquired by US Airways in 1988, the larger carrier began a withdrawal from intra California routes.  Southwest opened our operation at Burbank on April 16, 1990, and the photos below come from our own archives.  The first is a view outside of the terminal’s main entrance.

Inside, Herb was talking to representatives from the Los Angeles media.

At the ribbon cutting ceremonies, Herb used a really big pair of scissors.  I don’t know if you can see, but it looks as though dollar bills are part of the ribbon.

 

Meanwhile, things looked a bit hectic at the checkin gate. Our Employees are working Flight #604 to Oakland.

By our first birthday in Burbank, we had become the airport's largest carrier.  Interestingly, Burbank is the only airport we serve without jetbridges, and folks walk out on the ramp and board the aircraft the same way they have since the airport opened 80 years ago.

8 Comments
ptahcha
Explorer C
WN employees wore bows and ties back then?
A_Customer_of_B
Adventurer C
Southwest sucks for backing out of flying to Canada. I'll be dead by the time you guys finally fly to Charlotte, NC or Atlanta and my great grand children will probably be dead by the time anyone can leave the country or even go to Hawaii via your airline. People are sick and tired of waiting for Southwest to grow up!
Steve_Burnham
Explorer C
Luv the flashback posts.
slynch716aolcom
Explorer C
we all know what MHT will look like in 5 years if something isn't done to stop this madness.....Way to screw over the FIVE gate operation in MHT, gate 11,12,14,15,15A. MHT has been there for this airline for the last 12 years. I LUV SWA, but watching them slowly shut the door on an airport that opened service greatly witthe them is unbearable, theyve been there through thick times and thin times. you guys were only caring for the thick not thin. also going to MHT weekendly i noticed a very steady decline in service there for SWA. Online fare at MHT and PVD and 60$ more than boston's fare's...... on july 14th 2010 flights from BOS-BWI-JAX cost 69$ on way. same dates out of MHT(50 miles northj) cost 139$ one way. If something isn't telling you there that SWA is slowly driving out of mht then idk what to say.
Amanda15
Explorer C
Awesome pictures. I love standing in the parking lot of Fry's Electronics down the street and watching planes take off and land. (I also get jealous every time I pass the airport because I don't get to fly right then, but maybe that's just me.) The best part about still having no jetbridges at BUR is we get to deplane through the aft door as well, which makes it a heck of a lot easier! 🙂
southwestfan23
Explorer C
Hi for the first time I am new to the southwest blog and I would also like to say that , I am flying southwest for the first time for vacation this year! I really LUV southwest, I don't no why but I just do! Also when I get older I hope to be an employe of southwest.
luvtoflyswa
Explorer A
To the anonymous person who's complaining, you're the one who needs to grow up!
Jason17
Explorer C
I LUV the BUR operation, my favorite airport to fly into as one can walk right off the plane onto the field! Plus dual boarding, front and back stairs.