Just a quick question… Was there ever an aircraft named/called Firestar?
I ask because I work down near the old Natomas Field, slightly southeast of KSMF and west of KMCC. I took a drive over to it over lunch one day (it isn’t often you get to see an abandoned airfield), and noticed that Beazer Homes was building over there, further encroaching on the old field (All that’s left is that big hanger with Natomas Field on it, that bus, and a smaller building on the other side of that bus.
Well, apparently, they are naming the streets there after an aviation theme. Beechcraft Way, Sally Ride Way, Endeavor Way, etc. Well, there’s a street over there called Firestar Way. My question… was there an aircraft called Firestar at some point in history?
Took a trip out there again today. So far, the names of the streets in this housing development:
Beechcraft Way
Firestar Way
Spitfire Way
Endeavor Way
Chuck Yeager Circle
John W. Young Way
Judith Resnick Way
Greg Jarvis Way
Amelia Earhart Way
Appropriately, the housing development is called “Natomas Field, by Beazer Homes”.
Airport Road is still there, but closed. they still have the old Natomas Field sign up; I may get a picture of it before the development completely takes over.
What I find even more ironic, is that during normal/calm winds, that housing development is in the KSMF departure corridor! If you have a look at the DUDES9 departure, they are right underneath that turn to join the SAC R-058. Actually, NCT has them turn to a 090 heading instead of 120 so they avoid the arrivals in the pattern to 20 at KSAC.
Adding to that that there isn’t a barrier blocking the noise from I-5, and have an MD80 climbing out… I’d love to hear what they have to say about the noise.
Wasn’t that long ago that you could have departed KSMF in the Concorde at 3 AM and nobody would have heard you.
That is the one downside to building an airport way out of town, the thousands of people that end up working there want to live closer to work, so here comes Beazer.
Just a thought, maybe if they bulldoze all of the farmland and build houses and streets all around KSMF they can get rid of the winter fog problem…
Divert the river too, that would help… progress, gotta love it. lol.
Wanna bet that either the old Natomas airport manager or a County Supervisor owns, or owned, a Firestar?
progress, gotta love it. lol.