Flabob Airport and The Tom Wathen Center
Serving, Preserving & Educating About Aviation
Bringing aviation to life through access to the airfield, hands-on experiences and sharing history.
Our Mission
The Tom Wathen Center uses the fascination of flight to inspire learning and open doors of opportunity for the next generation. At the historic Flabob Airport, we preserve aviation history while nurturing tomorrow’s innovators.
Our Vision
To preserve Flabob as an airport and campus where people of all ages can experience, learn, and be inspired for generations to come.
Explore Our History in Eras
How a small dirt airfield became one of Southern California’s most unique aviation communities.
Era I:
1917 - 1937
After the closure of March Field in 1923, Riverside’s aviation spirit lived on through a rough new civilian airfield west of the Santa Ana River. Led by barnstormer Roman Warren, the airport quickly became a center for daring flights, flight instruction, and the growing excitement surrounding early aviation.
Era II:
1938 - 1999
After a devastating flood destroyed the original Riverside Airport in 1938, pilots relocated downstream to what would become Flabob Airport, where Flavio Madariaga and Bob Bogen built a thriving aviation community by hand. Over the following decades, Flabob became a nationally recognized center for homebuilt aircraft, aerobatics, and aviation innovation, attracting legendary builders, pilots, and pioneers.
ERA III:
2000 - Present
In 2000, Tom Wathen saved Flabob Airport from redevelopment and transformed it into a center for aviation education, preservation, and hands-on learning through the Tom Wathen Center. Today, Flabob continues to inspire future pilots, mechanics, engineers, and aviation enthusiasts through youth programs, schools, restoration projects, and a thriving community built around the spirit of flight.
Flabob's Full History
More than 100 years old, Flabob has a rich history. Please click below to read a longer account.
Our Leadership & Team
Working together, we strive to make Flabob Airport an enjoyable and safe place for pilots, students, and visitors.
