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On September 17, 1911, Calbraith Perry Rodgers embarked on a historic journey from Sheepshead Bay, New York, aiming to complete the first-ever transcontinental flight across the United States. After numerous stops and crashes, Rodgers landed on the beaches of Long Beach, California, 49 days later. These beaches soon became favored locations for early aviators.
Earl S. Daugherty, a well-known barnstormer, leased land near these beaches and opened one of the world's first flight schools. In 1923, an agreement was reached with the city of Long Beach to establish a municipal airport, officially opening Long Beach Airport on December 20, 1924.
Long Beach Airport attracted notable figures like Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh and also became significant to the US military, which set up facilities in the late 1920s. The 1930s were marked by clashes between the airport and the military as airline traffic increased and the Douglas Aircraft Company began manufacturing there.
