Flabob Airport keeps old aviation close to the ground

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.