Since then, the base off the 215 Freeway just south of Riverside has housed World War II bombers, nuclear-armed B-52s and tanker planes. The newest tenants — next generation KC-46A Pegasus tankers — are expected to keep March open for decades to come.

Before the first of 12 Pegasuses touches down at March in the next few years, major work is needed to prepare for their arrival. That’s happening now thanks to at least $250 million in funding allocated by Congress.

When finished, the upgrades will add a new hangar, flight simulator and other facilities to help the new tankers support the United States’ military prowess by extending the range of warplanes through mid-air refueling.

“This is really great news for March,” said Jamil Dada, the base’s civic leader and board president of the March Field Air Museum.

The combined cost of the tankers and renovations represent a more than $2 billion investment into March, Dada added.

The third oldest U.S. Air Force base in the country — it started as March Field in 1918 — March had to beat out bases nationwide for the right to host the KC-46As.

The Air Force’s 2024 announcement that March will be the tankers’ new home brings stability to an installation that employs almost 10,000 people and injects hundreds of millions of dollars annually into the Inland Empire economy.

Thousands of jobs evaporated when March Air Force Base downsized to an air reserve base in the 1990s. Today, more than 4,000 acres of ex-Air Force base land have been turned into dozens of businesses, parks, trails, senior and veteran housing, a Metrolink station and infrastructure improvements.

While March is technically a reserve base, Dada said it has more activity than a lot of Air Force bases, including F-16 Fighting Falcon jets on around-the-clock alert and MQ-9 Reaper drones.

The KC-46As will replace the base’s KC-135 Stratotankers, an airplane first developed in the 1950s. The new tankers, which can refuel multiple aircraft — the KC-135s can only fill up one at a time — can also carry cargo and passengers and serve as flying ambulances.

The KC-46As need upgraded facilities at March because “the new aircraft requires a lot more space than the old one,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Thomas Smith, who is involved with planning the new buildings and renovations.

One of the first upgrades involved replacing three antennas that are key takeoff and landing aids for pilots. Two new, taller antennas replaced the old ones, which would have been blocked by the upgrades, Smith said.

About $133 million is being spent on a new, two-bay maintenance hangar that will be bigger than its predecessor.

The new hangar will be built slightly higher above the ground to accommodate the KC-46As, according to Smith. Concrete pavement at March is also being ripped up and replaced “so that it ramps up into the new hangar at the proper elevation,” Smith said.

Another upgrade involves renovating a “fuselage trainer” building where aircrews practice procedures like loading cargo into a KC-46A. The existing trainer building “is physically big enough, but it needs new stuff inside of it,” Smith said.

Other projects include a new flight simulator to train on the KC-46As instead of the KC-135s, Smith said. The new tankers will require 144 new military personnel to be assigned to March, he added.

Dada said the KC-46As are due at March in 2028, a timeline delayed by issues at Boeing, the new tankers’ manufacturer.

Because of the delay, “the Pentagon was saying ‘OK, we’re going to use this $250 million for other bases that are already doing stuff now and we’ll have to get you guys more money later,’” Dada said.

That potentially jeopardized the funding because “you don’t know when you’re going to get it back and you may not get it back if there’s a new (presidential) administration,” he said. “Then you lose the airplanes and then you get back in the back of the line to get the airplanes.”

Dada said he joined other civic leaders and lawmakers in a fight to save March’s $250 million allocation. The fact that Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, chairs the House of Representatives’ defense appropriation subcommittee “was a big advantage we had,” Dada added.

“Now that we’ve broken ground, the money is in the bank for March.”

Bringing the KC-46As to March required a collaborative effort involving the government, community leaders like Dada and people at various levels of the Air Force, Smith said.

“It took hundreds of people to make this happen,” he said.

The post What’s being built as part of March Air Reserve Base’s $250 million facelift appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Just after 11 a.m., smoke was reported near Harley Knox Boulevard and Patterson Avenue, just east of Interstate 215.

Several engine crews arrived at the location, which was engulfed in flames near the plastics manufacturing plant. Fire raged in a “pile of plastic pipes, extending into a field and along the shoulder of Harley Knox within a one-block space.”

The March ARB Fire Brigade, along with personnel from the Riverside Fire Department and other agencies, assisted county firefighters.

Sheriff’s deputies shut down both sides of Harley Knox, between I-215 and Oleander Avenue, for public safety.

No evacuations were ordered, though surrounding business employees were asked to shelter in place, according to reports from the scene.

Preliminary reports showed that upwards of 50 vehicles were damaged, and three or four commercial structures were threatened as the flames spread into the field near Patterson, but firefighters stopped the blaze’s forward rate of spread just before noon.

Officials say the fire has been nearly contained, and the number of vehicles damaged would likely tbe reduced.

Fire investigators believe that a malfunctioning electrical transformer may have sparked the blaze.

SoCal Edison technicians were summoned to the location to carry out an inspection and make repairs.

This developing report will be updated as further information is released.

The post Fire Near March Air Reserve Base Damages ‘Numerous Vehicles’ appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

In a 5-0 vote without comment, the board authorized the sheriff’s department to make the six-figure outlay for a contract with C&S Engineers Inc. The funds will be drawn entirely from the agency’s current fiscal year budget.

“The proposed hangar will be 20,000 square feet and will serve as the main maintenance hangar for the sheriff’s existing and future aircraft,” according to an agency statement posted to the board’s agenda. “This location is suitable for meeting the needs of the Aviation Unit’s growth with staff and aircraft.”

Officials said the facility would have room for three aircraft and is proposed on the southeast end of the airfield, close to the Million Air Hangar on Heacock Street. Million Air is a fixed-based operator serving civilian flights into and out of the base.

Sheriff’s aircraft currently operate out of Hemet-Ryan Airport and Jacqueline Cochran Airport in Thermal.

“The MARB Joint Powers Authority property has been identified as the most strategic location (for operations), as it is the closest airport to central Riverside, the sheriff office’s headquarters, and it is vital for quick responses to critical calls,” the agency stated.

C&S Engineers will manage the architecture and design plans, which call for 10 offices, 20 workstations, outdoor fuel tanks, a break room, restrooms, locker rooms, a small gymnasium, security fencing and a parking lot.

The last environmental impact report completed for the site was approved in 2012, so the firm will be responsible for reviewing the previous assessments to ensure compliance with state and federal law to determine whether a supplemental EIR is necessary, according to officials.

The post Sheriff’s Dept. Gets OK For Permanent Aircraft Hangar At March ARB appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The gates open at 8 a.m. and close at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The show will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m.

Driving Directions to the base are:

• Cactus Gate is 363 Graeber Street, March Air Reserve Base, off I-215 Northbound.

• Riverside Gate is 625 Riverside Drive, March Air Reserve Base, off I-215 Southbound.

• Pedestrian Access:

Upon Arrival:

Security will inspect bags, and attendees must have identification. Drones are not allowed at the venue.

You can bring folding chairs and handheld umbrellas, wagons, strollers, snacks, and water bottles. You are not permitted to bring coolers, drugs, alcohol, or weapons. See afull list of permitted and non-permitted items here.

The online program shows the depth of military prowess that will be on display, including the Thunderbirds and teams of skydivers known as the “Wings of Blue.”

A detailed map shows where you can stroll among the planes, from fighters to trainers, warbirds to helicopters, and first responders to air force recruiters.

Take a seat to watch the show in the free open seating area, or pay for premium flight line or box seats. And here’s a peek at some of the performers and static displays.

Col. Bryan M. Bailey spoke on the event in a letter to attendees.

“You will witness the raw lethality and unmatched capabilities of our military and civilian aviators as they push the limits of flight to demonstrate the might of American airpower,” he wrote. “From high-speed military demonstrations to awe-inspiring civilian performances, and from cutting-edge aircraft to interactive ground displays, every aspect of this event reflects our commitment to defending freedom and advancing the frontier of aviation.”

Learn more at socalairshow.com.

The post SoCal Air Show At March Air Reserve Base Draws Weekend Crowds appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

March Air Reserve Base will again host the free event Saturday, April 12, and Sunday, April 13.

Headlining the show will be the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team, which will deliver the final performance of each day at the base near Riverside, a news release states.

Also at the show will be the Canadian Skyhawks Parachute Team and about a dozen civilian acts that will include parachute teams, stunt planes and warbirds.

There also will be demonstrations of KC-135 Stratotankers taking off and displays of the air refueling operations of KC-135 and C-17 planes.

Food and beer will be on sale.

Gates will open at 8 a.m., with opening ceremonies at 9 a.m. Flying begins at 9:15 a.m. and the event will end at 4:30 p.m.

Parking is free, but guests are urged to use a cellphone app to find their parked car after the event, the release states.

For information or for reserved seating, click here.

The post Southern California Air Show returning to March Air Reserve Base appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

“We’re always evaluating our network to make sure it fits our business needs and to improve the experience for our employees, customers, and partners,” he said. “We’ve made the decision to cease operations at our Riverside Air facility. All employees are able to transfer to other facilities we have nearby, and there will be no impact on our customers.”

There are currently about 400 workers employed at Amazon’s March ARB warehouse.

Amazon planes will instead take to the tarmac at San Bernardino International Airport, Stephenson said. Current employees will be offered comparable jobs at one of the more than three dozen sites within 50 miles of the air base, which are located in Riverside, Ontario, and San Bernardino.

The future of the March Air Reserve Base, including a proposed 34-acre development that would significantly expand civilian flight operations, is meeting opposition from area residents concerned about rising noise and pollution levels. Meanwhile, one of the firms backing the venture argues it’s compatible with the base’s purposes.

Known as the Meridian Gateway Aviation Center Project, the plan proposes docking bays for seven cargo airliners at a time, and the final Environmental Impact Report is due in 2025.

In November, March JPA CEO Grace Martin said Gateway, as with all projects proposed to the JPA, is undergoing a thorough “vetting process.” The final EIR will be left to the JPA Commission to consider, and based on that, make modifications to the plans or reject them altogether.

The post Amazon Pulls Planes, Warehouse From RivCo’s March ARB: What To Know appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The Meridian Gateway Aviation Center Project has been in the planning stages for four years, but its ramifications became the center of controversy with the release in May of a draft environmental impact report that profiled all aspects of the project.

“We believe the impacts will be negative,” Catherine Fischer of Murrieta told City News Service. “We want to keep this area nice. But the Inland Empire already has some of the worst air pollution in the country. The sky is supposed to be blue, not dark brown. With Gateway, we’ll have not only more airplanes emitting pollution, but all the diesel trucks. It’s so damaging to our health, especially our children’s.”

Fischer’s group, Community Alliance for Riverside’s Economy & Environment, CAREE, has been sounding the alarm on Gateway’s potential downsides, mailing thousands of “Save March” circulars, asking residents to contact the March Joint Powers Authority Commission to express their concerns.

The group cited many of the points contained in the draft EIR, a nearly 700-page document that generated more than 200 comments.

One of the EIR’s highlights was the “significant and unavoidable” finding tied to aircraft noise. Under the current operations model, Gateway would lead to 128 additional two-way flights every month, and during the Holiday Season, that would increase to 256 flights. The total number comes to over 10,000 more arrivals and departures annually, all involving cargo aircraft at the March Inland Port Airport, the section of the base dedicated to civilian functions.

Riverside-based environmental consulting firm Dudek, which prepared the EIR, noted the traditionally accepted baseline noise levels tied to commercial operations is 65 decibels during the day and 60 at night. If Gateway goes live, some residential areas near March could experience peak noise levels closer to 70, the study found.

The EIR also pointed to inevitable increases in pollutants, acknowledging the “project would exceed operational regional thresholds of significance for volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide emissions.”

The project site is within a tract designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1991 as a priority for Superfund Program rehabilitation due to the “use, storage and disposal of hazardous materials and waste.”

The area immediately surrounding the base has been ranked between 78 and 98 on the CalEnviroScreen tabulator that identifies pollutant impacts to disadvantaged communities. It’s an inverse scoring method, so a higher score — one over 50 — reflects “a higher pollution burden,” according to the California Environmental Protection Agency.

The EIR said greater emissions would be inevitable with more aircraft and more trucks in and out of the docking bays of the proposed 180,000-square- foot warehouse where the planes would be delivering and retrieving loads.

“There’s the airplane noise, traffic and the pollution that, overall, would be degrading to our quality of life here,” said Chris Bardeen, a chemistry professor at UC Riverside who has lived in the Mission Grove area of the city, beneath March’s flight paths, for 20 years. “There’s a bigger effect on health. What sticks in my craw is these guys could come in and ignore the community’s concerns, do a poor job on the EIR and still probably get everything they want. Once they build this, we’d have no power whatsoever.”

The CAREE activists challenged cargo hauler DHL when it was utilizing March as a west coast hub in the 2000s. Aircraft noise at all hours was a major complaint, brought before the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. DHL pulled up stakes during the Great Recession. Amazon is now a major user of the March Inland Port Airport.

“If the residents surrounding March are going to be subjected to more aircraft noise, I’d prefer to have that noise from military aircraft, performing national security operations,” Supervisor Kevin Jeffries, who sits on the March JPA Commission, told CNS. “Developing vacant land on the base, adjacent to the military runway, for the purpose of private sector cargo flights would seem only to complicate future military flight operations.”

Jeffries’ fellow supervisor and JPA Commission member Yxstian Gutierrez did not respond to requests for comment, nor did any of the council members from Moreno Valley and Perris. Riverside City Councilman Jim Perry told CNS his staff “is still in the process” of analyzing the EIR.

Fischer and Bardeen said there’s a nexus between Gateway and a nearby industrial park development, the 800-acre West Campus Upper Plateau, which is proposed in JPA-controlled space west of Interstate 215. Elements of the same consortium are spearheading both projects.

“Warehouses near an air cargo port generate more income,” Fischer said.

One of the co-developers of the projects, Upland-based Lewis Group, said they’re “completely independent” of one another.

“We are very supportive of the (Gateway) project,” Lewis Group Vice President Randall Lewis told CNS. “Gateway is consistent with the goals of the March JPA General Plan. It supports March ARB through infrastructure enhancements. The proposed flight operations comply with the existing joint-use agreement. The benefits that Gateway will provide will (improve) the region for many years to come.”

March JPA CEO Grace Martin said Gateway, as with all projects proposed to the JPA, is undergoing a thorough “vetting process.” The final EIR, due out next year, will be left to the JPA Commission to consider, and based on that, make modifications to the plans or reject them altogether.

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