Reid–Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County is in the eastern part of San Jose, in

Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259 as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County form the ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Santa Clara County owns it and is near the Evergreen district of San Jose where aviation pioneer John J. Montgomery experimented with gliders in 1911. Reid–Hillview Airport was also the official general aviation airport for the 2016 Super Bowl in

Levi's Stadium Levi's Stadium is an American football stadium located in Santa Clara, California, United States, just west of the much larger city of San Jose, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It has served as the home venue for the National Football League (N ...

(in nearby Santa Clara, CA). Reid–Hillview is a

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...

airport; with no scheduled airline service. As with most general aviation airports

air charter Air charter is the business of renting an entire aircraft (i.e., chartering) as opposed to individual aircraft seats (i.e., purchasing a ticket through a traditional airline). Regulation Charter – also called air taxi or ad hoc – flight ...

operations are available. The airport has a

control tower Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled a ...

that operates from 07:00 to 22:00 local time. The FAA classifies Reid–Hillview as a

reliever airport A relief airport or reliever airport is an airport that is built or designated to provide relief or additional capacity to an area when the primary commercial airport(s) requires additional capacity, on a long-term or temporary basis. Reliever ...

for

San Jose International Airport San José Mineta International Airport —officially Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport—is a city-owned public airport in San Jose, California. Located northwest of Downtown San Jose, the airport serves both the city and the Sa ...

(SJC).

History

Groundbreaking for Reid–Hillview airport came in 1937. Bob and Cecil Reid built the Garden City Airport in 1935, which was quickly closed to make room for

U.S. Route 101 U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a major north–south highway that traverses the states of California, Oregon, and Washington on the West Coast of the United States. It is part of the United States Numbered Highway Syst ...

. Their second site was northwest of the Hillview golf course, hence the name. Until 1946, the single runway was unpaved. Reid–Hillview was a single runway airport until 1965, when a second runway was added. The control tower opened in October 1967. The airport was the origin for an emergency supply airlift to the Watsonville Municipal Airport following the

1989 Loma Prieta earthquake On October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. Pacific Time Zone, PST, the Loma Prieta earthquake occurred at the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California. The shock was centered in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Santa Cruz Cou ...

, after mountain and coastal roads were blocked, cutting off Santa Cruz and

Watsonville Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, in the Monterey Bay Area of the Central Coast of California. The population was 52,590 at the 2020 census. Predominantly Latino and Democratic, Watsonville is a self-designated sanctua ...

from relief efforts by ground. The Watsonville Airport estimates that it received of supplies via the airlift during the week following the quake. John McAvoy and Bill Dunn of the Reid–Hillview Airport Association received the 1990 Grand Award from the Bay Area's Metropolitan Transportation Commission for organizing the airlift. The airport continues to be used in emergency operations, including during the SCU Lightning Complex fires in 2020. Santa Clara County published an over 120-page master plan proposing improvements and expansions at Reid–Hillview. In the mid-2000s, the county announced they would demolish the second story of the airport terminal to make room for new offices for airport administration. They failed to follow up on this plan, and the second story has been sitting idle ever since. In the document, the county also planned on adding small expansions to the runway to allow turboprops and small business jets to land. Although turboprops and small business jets still land in the current runway, this minor expansion will allow a larger flow of these types of aircraft to land. In 2010,

San Jose State University San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a Public university, public research university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the List of oldest schools in California, oldest public university on the West Coast of ...

's aviation program relocated to Reid–Hillview. The university operates out of the Swift Building, where it holds classes during the academic year. In 2018, the Board of Supervisors voted to study consolidating general aviation at

San Martin Airport San Martin Airport (formerly ''South County Airport of Santa Clara County'', colloquially ''South County Airport'') — formerly Q99 — is a public non-towered airport located east of San Martin, serving Santa Clara County, California, United ...

. On December 4, 2018, and again the following year, the board voted against accepting additional

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...

(FAA) funding that would have been contingent on Reid–Hillview's continued operation through 2051. Previously accepted grants require the county to keep the airport open through 2031. In November 2020, it voted to begin the process of closing the airport in 2031 and redeveloping the land. Between 2019 and 2020, Santa Clara County undertook a community process to explore possible future uses for the airport site, resulting in a draft Reid–Hillview Vision Plan with the following vision statement: :This East San Jose neighborhood will be a place of empowerment built on our culture, diversity and history, and sustained by education, well-being, and economic opportunity for the community. In August 2021, Santa Clara County released a study that found elevated blood lead levels in children living near the airport. On August 16, 2021, airport officials responded to the study by announcing that fixed base operators would switch to unleaded aviation fuel. After which Santa Clara County's supervisor, Cindy Chavez, testified at the

United States House Oversight Subcommittee on Environment The Subcommittee on Environment was a United States congressional subcommittee, subcommittee within the U.S. House of Representatives United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Oversight and Accountability Committee. It was dis ...

in opposition of the national use of leaded aviation fuel. The hearing resulted in the committee committing to declaring leaded aviation fuel a health hazard by 2023. On August 18, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to close the airport as soon as the FAA approves of its closure, which would be no sooner than January 1, 2022, and mandate the use of unleaded fuel as soon as possible. The board also voted against funding an expansion of San Martin Airport, raising concerns that general aviation traffic would be diverted to

, which is also capacity-constrained and surrounded by urban development, including the low-income, minority Washington-Guadalupe and

Alviso Alviso is a district of San Jose, California, located in North San Jose on the southern shores of San Francisco Bay. Originally an independent town, founded in 1852, today Alviso is San Jose's only waterfront district, primarily residential in n ...

neighborhoods.

Environmental impact

For years, local activists have pushed to close the airport, supported by Santa Clara County Supervisors Blanca Alvarado and

Cindy Chavez Cindy Chavez (born April 7, 1964) is an American politician serving as the Manager of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, since 2024. She previously served on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors from 2013 to 2024 and on the San Jose City Counc ...

. Residents and officials have cited the airport's proximity to 21 schools and childcare centers as a concern due to the airport's use of 100LL

avgas Avgas (aviation gasoline, also known as aviation spirit in the United Kingdom, UK) is an aviation fuel used in aircraft with spark-ignited internal combustion engines. ''Avgas'' is distinguished from conventional gasoline (petrol) used in moto ...

, which contains lead. Activists consider the airport's continued operation to be an example of

environmental racism in the United States Environmental racism is a form of Institutional racism in the United States, institutional racism, in which people of colour bear a disproportionate burden of environmental harms, such as pollution from Hazardous waste in the United States, hazard ...

, arguing that 97% of the adjacent

East San Jose East Side San Jose (abbreviated as ESSJ), commonly called The East Side and less commonly as the East Valley, is the eastern region of the city of San Jose, California. The East Side is made up of numerous neighborhoods grouped into two larger ...

neighborhood at risk of lead poisoning identifies as predominantly non white, predominantly low-income Latino and Vietnamese-American residents. This study also discussed the national use of leaded aviation fuel in piston-engined aircraft, contributing to 70% of airborne lead. A 2021 study by Dr. Sammy Zahran found unsafe levels of lead in the air above the southeastern side of the airport, exceeding the acceptable limit set by the

National Ambient Air Quality Standards The U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS, pronounced ) are limits on atmospheric concentration of six pollutants that cause smog, acid rain, and other health hazards. Established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency ...

; in response, that side of the airport was closed to visitors. A study commissioned by the county and released in August 2021 found elevated

blood lead level Blood lead level (BLL), is a measure of the amount of lead in the blood. Lead is a toxic heavy metal and can cause neurological damage, especially among children, at any detectable level. High lead levels cause decreased vitamin D and haemo ...

s in children living within a 1.5 miles radius of the airport. The study found that children in the affected region experienced blood lead levels of 0.83 micrograms per deciliter. This is nearly double the blood lead levels of children during the

Flint water crisis The Flint water crisis was a public health crisis from 2014 to 2019 which involved the drinking water for the city of Flint, Michigan, being contaminated with lead and possibly ''Legionella'' bacteria. In April 2014, during a financial crisis, ...

, which were around 0.45 micrograms per deciliter. Nationally, over 360,000 children live in neighborhoods surround airports which use leaded aviation fuel.

Fixed-base operators (FBOs)

At Reid–Hillview,

fixed-base operator A fixed-base operator (FBO) is an organization granted the right by an airport to operate at the airport and provide aeronautical services such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down, and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance, flight instruction ...

s (FBOs) compete for fuel sales, aircraft rentals and/or flight training. * AeroDynamic Aviation, formerly

Amelia Reid Amelia Reid (November 13, 1924 – March 3, 2001) was a mathematician, pilot, flight instructor, businesswoman, airshow performer, and airport advocate. She was the founder of Amelia Reid Aviation (now AeroDynamic Aviation) and is known as Califo ...

Aviation * Air Accord * The Flying 20's * Nice Air Aviation * San Jose Fuel Company * Squadron 2 Flying Club * Trade Winds Aviation * Victory Aero MaintenanceVictory Aero Maintenance
/ref>

Ground transportation

Capitol Expressway (County Route G21) is at the entrance to the airport at Cunningham Avenue.

Rental cars/taxi

Enterprise car rental is available on the field next to the Airport Shoppe.

Bus

The

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, more commonly known simply as the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), is a Special district (United States), special district responsible for public transit services, Congestion management agen ...

(VTA) has its

Eastridge Transit Center The Eastridge Transit Center is a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) bus terminal located at the Eastridge Mall in the Evergreen District of San Jose, California. The station is located alongside Capitol Expressway near Tully Roa ...

across Tully Road at Eastridge Mall, about a half-mile walk southbound along Capitol Expressway. VTA runs bus rapid transit from the Diridon train station in downtown San Jose to the

. Construction has also started on a light rail extension from the Alum Rock station to Eastridge.

Other airport amenities

As of 2016, Reid–Hillview Airport had vending machines, a pilot's lounge and break room. Santa Clara County passed a new law stating the terminal would no longer allow unhealthy food or drinks to be sold inside. This meant that coffee and all the vending machines that used to be there would no longer exist in the terminal. Now, all that remains is a water drinking fountain and bathrooms. However, there is still a seating area inside the terminal.

References

External links

Reid–Hillview Airport
(official site)
Reid–Hillview Airport Association

Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 62
– local chapter of the

Experimental Aircraft Association The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Since its inception, it has grown internationally with over 300,000 members and nearly 1,000 chapters worldwide. ...

Santa Clara Valley Chapter of Ninety-Nines
– local chapter of the

Ninety-Nines The Ninety-Nines: International Organization of Women Pilots, also known as The 99s, is an international organization that provides networking, mentoring, and flight scholarship opportunities to recreational and professional female pilots. Foun ...

International organization for women pilots *

Civil Air Patrol Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a Congressional charter, congressionally chartered, federally supported Nonprofit corporation, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliaries, auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CA ...

Squadrons based at RHV: search & rescue, aerospace education
Squadron 80
– senior squadron, adult volunteers
Squadron 36
– cadet squadron, youth volunteers
Live webcam at AeroDynamic Aviation
* Photos and video
search for "reid-hillview airport" at Flickr

search for "reid-hillview airport" at WebShots

search for "reid-hillview airport" at YouTube

at

Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency may refer to the following government organizations: * Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland), Australia * Environmental Protection Agency (Ghana) * Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) * Environmenta ...

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Reid-Hillview Airport Buildings and structures in San Jose, California Transportation in San Jose, California Airports in Santa Clara County, California Airports established in 1937 Environmental racism in the United States