When San Benito County’s development boom hit in the 1990s,
thousands of people moved here to escape the hustle and bustle of
the Bay Area or to take advantage of comparatively inexpensive home
prices.
When San Benito County’s development boom hit in the 1990s, thousands of people moved here to escape the hustle and bustle of the Bay Area or to take advantage of comparatively inexpensive home prices.
Hugh Bikle, on the other hand, had his eyes on the sky.
Bikle, who owns Hugh’s Vintage Aircraft Museum, said he kept his planes in Hollister for more than a decade prior to moving here. Eventually, he and his wife realized they wanted to get away from Mountain View, and San Benito County seemed like an obvious destination.
“I was spending two days a week at the airport already,” Bikle said.
Bikle believes his experience is a common one – talk to pilots and you’ll find others who were drawn by the area’s airport. After all, local aviation buffs agree that Hollister’s weather – where the sky is usually bright and clear – is pretty much perfect for flying.
“We’re literally sitting in one of the best locations in the world,” said Drew Pearce, who has been an instructor with the Hollister Gliding Club for the past 15 years.
However, great weather alone is not enough guarantee a bright future. It’s become a common saying among city leaders that the airport remains one of Hollister’s under-appreciated treasures. County Marshal Robert Scattini, a private pilot who has been flying at the airport since 1960, calls the airport the city’s “unpolished jewel.” Mayor Brad Pike has said it’s “a sleeping giant.”
That’s high praise, but the city still needs to figure out how to wake the giant.
Airport Manager Bill Gere said he has a plan to turn the airport into a major economic engine. The key, Gere said, is drawing corporate jets and businesses to the airport, both of which bring plenty of tax revenue.
But to make those plans a reality, Gere is going to need a lot more money than the city has to give. Gere said he’s pursuing a $43 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration, which would be used to lengthen the runways, relocate hangars and buy 200 acres of land adjacent to the airport. That land could house a new restaurant, a new hotel and more.
Andy Richards, who manages the FAA’s Airport District Office in Burlingame, told the City Council in 2005 that the federal government would support efforts to make Hollister’s airport “more viable.”
However, a letter from the California Department of Transportation sent to Gere in February warns that federal funding could be jeopardized because the City Council has not yet approved the airport’s draft master plan, and the airport layout plan has not been submitted to the FAA. The letter also expresses concerns with the airport runways, which are cracked and lined with fading paint.
Gere acknowledged that the airport needs to take care of some immediate maintenance needs before he can move on to his bigger plans.
“We’ve got our book of dreams, while the FAA has its practical requirements,” Gere said.
Gere’s plans have drawn considerable criticism from a number of longtime airport tenants. Some have said they’re worried that a bigger airport would serve corporate jets and businesses at the expense of local hobbyists who fly for love, while others are skeptical that Gere’s plans will go anywhere.
Luckily, the politics and bad blood haven’t diminished love for the airport. Hollister resident John Weatherly said he’s been flying at the airport since it was built to serve as a Navy base in World War II, and he still makes it out there every day. Many tenants said the airport has become a second home.
There are plenty of newcomers, too. Pearce said that the gliding club teaches between 50 and 100 students every year. Aspiring pilots can start as early as 12 years old and get their licenses when they’re 16.
Gliders, Pearce said, are easier to control than powered aircraft, and a great way to start flying. The U.S. Air Force trains recruits on gliders, he said.
“You wash up at that, you’re not going to be a fighter pilot,” Pearce said.
According to Pearce, an average two-hour lesson costs around $300. When asked how much money a student is likely to spend before getting his or her license, Pearce said it could be anywhere between $2,000 and $10,000, depending on their experience level.
So is it worth it to throw thousands of dollars – and possibly much more – into aviation? Clearly, the people who own the 150 planes housed at the airport think so, even if they have trouble explaining it..
When asked why he’s spent more than 60 years in aviation, John Winchel, the aircraft museum’s mechanic, said, “My mom says I walked out the door one day, looked up, saw an airplane and I never looked down since.”
