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 Trinity
Center Airport/James E. Swett Field (O86) |
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Trinity Center Swett Airport is located in the community of Trinity Center in the scenic northern portion of the County and lies adjacent to the Trinity Alps Wilderness and Trinity Lake. Trinity Center Airport is the most active airport in the county. Trinity Center enjoys a small, year-round population (many of whom are pilots,) that increases during the summer vacation months. Local attractions include camping and hiking, mountain biking, boating, house boating, fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing, Scott Museum and sightseeing. For the 2013 season, KOA campground will provide transportation to and from the airport. The campground is a 1.7-mile walk from the airport tiedown area, has lots of tent campsites and is located on the lake just across the creek from the northwest end of the airport. KOA has a store, hamburger stand (burgers, sandwiches, pizza, etc.), pool, kids playground, and boat docks. When you make your reservation, let them know that you will need to be picked up at Trinity Center Airport. Then call them the day before your arrival to confirm your ETA. See the Trinity Lake KOA website for campground and reservation information. AWOS commissioned at O86 — 134.30 or 530-266-3220. Trinity Center Airport is the cover story in the May/June 2006 issue of Pilot Getaways Magazine.
Local weather and webcam
AOPA Airport Support Network volunteer Airport Information Note: The popular (and calm-wind) runway is 14. This airport can get busy on weekends and holidays. Please make frequent position reports when arriving and leaving the area. And, make all standard runway movement announcements.
Area and Airport History Trinity Center was established in 1851 and is now located 40 miles north of Weaverville, on Highway 3. The town is located on the old Scott Ranch. This rural town includes a grocery store, gas station, restaurants, Post Office and various services. The current town site is actually the third site where the town has been located. The "original" Trinity Center was a mining town and was moved because of flooding and its proximity to good mining veins. The new town, "Old" Trinity Center, was 2 miles from the current town site. Old Trinity Center was covered with water in 1961 when the hydroelectric and water storage project created Trinity Dam and Lake. The original Scott Ranch homestead was also covered when the lake filled. When the Trinity Lake level is low, you can still see the old runway while flying into Trinity Center. The runway is normally underwater, upriver, north of the current site. Many of the Old Trinity Center buildings and homes were moved to the new town site in 1959--including the Oddfellows Hall at the corner of Scott and Mary, and are still in use today. The early residents used Trinity River water to help them mine for gold and grow agricultural products. Today, water provides electricity and recreation. The water also provides irrigation for vineyards that produce award-wining wines, local agriculture and sustains livestock on some of the remaining ranches. Much of the water is diverted to the California central valley. Annual Events and Current Happenings The 3rd Saturday of July is the Trinity Lake Fest held adjacent to the airport at the Trinity Airport Resort. Check the Trinity Lake Fest website for details. On the Sunday of Labor Day weekend the airport at Trinity Center is the focus of the "Trinity Lake Lions Fly-in & Bar-B-Q", with entertainment, craft fair and just plain fun. From May to September, the Scott Museum is open and the many fine displays of items from local families show life more than 150 years ago. See the NorthTrinityLake.com website for a local event calendar, and check the North Trinity Lake facebook page for happenings. Who is James E. Swett? Colonel James Swett (1920-2009), a longtime Trinity Center resident, became one of the top-scoring
WW II Grumman F4U aces, with 15 1/2 victories in 94 missions in the Corsair. He had
already earned the Congressional Medal of Honor flying the F4F Wildcat
before switching to the F4U. We are privileged to have had Jim in our community and to have our airport named in his honor. |
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