Southern California Logistics Airport

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For the military use of this facility prior to 1993, see George Air Force Base

Southern California Logistics Airport (IATA: VCV, ICAO: KVCV), also known as Victorville Airport, is a public airport located in the city of Victorville in San Bernardino County, California, USA approximately 20 miles north of San Bernardino.

Prior to its civil usage, the facility was known as George Air Force Base, (1941-1992) which was a front-line United States Air Force base.

[edit] Facilities

Southern California Logistics Airport covers 2,300 acres (9.3 km²) and has two runways:

• Runway 17/35: 15,050 x 150 ft (4,587 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt/Concrete
• Runway 03/21: 9,138 x 150 ft (2,785 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt/Concrete

[edit] Airport Overview

The federal government is responsible for helping the Victor Valley recover from the closure of George Air Force Base in 1992. The conversion of the former George Air Force Base to Southern California Logistics Airport [SCLA] was designed to provide major corporations with logistics needs access to a global intermodal logistics gateway to the Western United States. Located near Interstate 15 in California’s Victor Valley, the 5,000 acre (20 km²) complete intermodal business complex is approximately 20 miles north of downtown San Bernardino, 40 minutes north of Ontario airport and 23 miles north of San Bernardino International Airport.

In July 2000 the Department of Commerce awarded the Southern California Logistics Airport the designation of Foreign Trade Zone. The designation was intended to make it much easier for the Victor Valley Economic Development Authority to convince international carriers to use the airport as a base for shipping foreign products to Southern California. During that same period, the Department of Transportation approved a $4.9 million grant for the Southern California Logistics Airport to extend its main runway from 10,050 feet to 13,050 feet to accommodate international jet transports. The airport authority required the 3,000 ft extension to ensure that cargo planes could depart fully-loaded in summer heat. The longer runway was also required efficient use of the facility as the main transportation hub for the 70,000 troops a year traveling to and from the Army National Training Center at Fort Irwin.

The Fiscal Year 2002 military spending bill earmarked $1.3 million to allow the U.S. Army to continue using the Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA) to transport troops enroute to training exercises at Fort Irwin. The airport has proven to be one of the most efficient and safest locations for travel to and from the Army's National Training Center for the 60,000 troops who rotate through each year. Company D of the 158th Aviation Regiment is a general support aviation company that moved in under a five-year contract the Army signed with SCLA and the city of Victorville. The unit is part of the 244th Aviation Brigade of Fort Sheridan, IL.

The airport has been used for many Hollywood movies, including Face/Off and Jarhead, and was namechecked (as Victorville) in The War of the Worlds (1953 film).

In late 2006, SCLA became home to Air Tanker 910 which is on contract to the California Department of Forestry (CALFIRE). Tanker 910 is the only wide-body jet currently in-service and uses SCLA as its re-loading base for fires occurring anywhere in California.

On August 9, 2007 DARPA announced that for their 2007 Autonomous Vehicle Competition both the Urban Challenge NQE and final event will take place at the urban military training facility located on the former George Air Force Base. DARPA selected the location because its network of urban roads best simulate the type of terrain American forces operate in when deployed overseas. “The robotic vehicles will conduct simulated military supply missions at the site. This adds many of the elements these vehicles would face in operational environments,” explained Dr. Tether.

[edit] See Also

• California World War II Army Airfields

[edit] External links

• Southern California Logistics Airport (official site)
• Southern California Logistics Airport / George Air Force Base (GlobalSecurity.org)
• Airliners.net
• FAA Airport Diagram(PDF), effective 5 June 2008
• Resources for this airport:
  • AirNav airport information for KVCV
  • ASN accident history for VCV
  • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
  • NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart for KVCV