Sky’s the Limit for Aviation in Riverside

Published: 03/9/2022

 A California Baptist University student and instructor about to take flight at Riverside Municipal Airport. Courtesy California Baptist University

Near-perfect flying weather and a size comparable to Orange County’s John Wayne make Riverside Municipal Airport a prime testing ground for innovation. 

Owned and operated successfully by the City of Riverside since 1953 through both operational revenue and by taking strategic advantage of state and federal grants, the airport is now well positioned for growth as a local economic driver. 

“We are one of three airports in the running to house a company developing electric aircraft,” said Riverside Municipal Airport Manager Kim Ellis, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with more than 30 years of experience in Southern California aviation.

And although aviation has never been a bastion of environmental sustainability, Ellis said Riverside Airport aims to change that as well.

“There are electric vehicle charging stations in our parking lot and we turned much of our grounds into desertscape with low water consumption,” said Ellis.

While not currently utilized for commercial travel, Riverside is the 24th busiest airport in the country with a Federal Aviation Administration contract tower. In addition to general aviation services, the airport fulfills another important niche. It's an aeronautical education hub with six flight schools including California Baptist University’s renowned aviation science program.

In fact, CBU accounts for the largest operation at Riverside Airport and roughly 25% of the activity.  

“We keep them busy,” said Dr. John Marselus, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and

chair of CBU’s aviation science program.

 

 A CBU student and instructor in a flight simulator at Riverside Municipal Airport. Courtesy California Baptist University

The university’s 9,000-square-foot facility at the airport contains classrooms, a student lounge, a flight planning room, and top-of-the-line flight simulators that emulate the aircraft exactly.

“Students can learn everything they are going to do in the air on the ground first,” Marselus said.

Jobs are waiting for the 140 students currently enrolled in CBU’s program because the need for military, missionary, and commercial pilots is at an all-time high.

“A lot of work has been done behind the scenes so our students can keep flying year-round,” said Marselus. “The demand is right now.”

Plus, if students can fly in Riverside, they can fly anywhere. The county is within one of the busiest and most complex sections of airspace in the U.S. 

“Hats off to the control tower at Riverside Airport,” Marselus said of their professionalism and standard of excellence. 

 

A CBU student and instructor in a flight simulator at Riverside Municipal Airport. Courtesy California Baptist University

“A collegial, supportive atmosphere gives students their best chance of success,” Marselus said of the airport’s “small town” feel. 

There is an aviation museum within the airport’s microcosm, and arguably the best cheeseburger in town at the café, Ellis added.

“Riverside is home to a tradition of aviation from the historic March Air Force Base to our many general aviation airports,” Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said. “Aviation is a key driver for continued growth in ways far beyond transportation.”

For more information about Riverside Municipal Airport, go to www.riversideca.gov/airport.

For more information about California Baptist University’s Department of Aviation Science, go to www.calbaptist.edu/department-of-aviation-science.