Category Archives: General

This year's Thunder Over The Valley airshow will honor wounded warriors and unique groups of veterans from the Santa Maria Valley. The event, which will be held at the Santa Maria Public Airport, will run Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Special honorees will include 442nd Infantry Regiment Nisei, Filipino Guerillas and …

After initially determining a budget last year, the Santa Maria City Council voted to increase the city’s total operating funds by an additional $7.6 million at its regular Tuesday meeting. Last year, the council approved two one-year budgets but planned to do a midcycle review. This being the review, the city reassessed operational needs and …

Bill Bayliss sees the world in a way few others do: cruising the skies at about 1,500 feet doing around 35 mph. He is one of the lucky few who get to pilot one of the most enduring symbols of corporate America, the Goodyear Blimp, which celebrated its 90th birthday in the skies above Santa …

Planes Upgraded to Jets Instead of Props Passengers flying out of Santa Maria are now heading to San Francisco. Direct flights to Los Angeles are no longer. The airport made the switch Wednesday with two United Express flights traveling to San Francisco International Airport from Santa Maria Public Airport at 6 a.m. and 2:03 p.m. …

Flights from Santa Maria Public Airport are about to get easier with more options as United Airlines begins flying to and from San Francisco International Airport instead of Los Angeles International Airport on May 6. With the change, travelers will have access to 35 unique one-stop destinations that are not offered at LAX and access …

Travelers using Santa Maria Public Airport will soon be flying on regional jets instead of turboprop aircraft and will have easier connections to dozens of cities as a result of upgrades announced today by the Airport District. United Airlines flights serving the Santa Maria Public Airport will begin flying to and from San Francisco instead …

An Air Force Master Sgt. got a surprise welcome at Santa Maria Public Airport on Wednesday afternoon. About 45 people, including more than a dozen uniformed airmen, shouted "Welcome home!" as Vanessa Boyd exited the secure area of the airport and walked through a corridor of supporters holding American flags. Boyd, who is stationed at …

Martinez Back From Persian Gulf Deployment It was a welcome home fit for a hero Tuesday as the community lined the corridor at the Santa Maria Public Airport to welcome home Petty Officer 3rd Class Vincent Martinez after a nine-month naval deployment to the Persian Gulf. “I love being here. It feels great being home,” …

The Santa Maria Fire Department responded to a structure fire in a hangar at the Santa Maria Regional Airport on Tuesday afternoon. Fire officials said that firefighters responded to a find a small plane on fire in the hangar. One person, who was working in the hangar, suffered a minor injury. The fire was reported …