Almanac note · History and culture
Flabob Airport keeps old aviation close to the ground
Flabob Airport in Jurupa Valley blends early Riverside-area flight history with aviation learning through the Tom Wathen Center.
Flabob Airport gives Jurupa Valley a place where local history still feels alive. It is a small airport. Its story reaches back to the early days of flying around Riverside, when dirt fields, barnstormers, and hand-built machines were part of the scene.
The history gets colorful fast. The airport’s account follows Roman Warren, a cowboy aviator who helped run the old Mission Boulevard field in the 1920s. It also explains how Riverside leaders wanted a real airport when flying was still new, risky, and a little wild.
Today the airport is tied to the Tom Wathen Center, which uses aviation for education. The place has a nice mix: old aircraft stories, hands-on learning, and a working airfield all in one spot.
For a local visit, treat Flabob as a small aviation world rather than a big museum. Look for event days, youth programs, and airport cafe hours. The best part is the setting itself: planes, hangars, history, and a corner of Jurupa Valley with its own rhythm.
Where to see it
Flabob Airport, west of the Santa Ana River in Jurupa Valley. Use the airport and Tom Wathen Center pages for events, programs, and visitor details.
Official sources
Official source trail
Reviewed July 6, 2026
California Porch explains the path. The official source is still the place to confirm the current rule, fee, form, map, deadline, or office decision.
Use the official page before you spend money, file paperwork, rely on a deadline, or change a property.
Connected places
Where it fits on the map
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