8 Sep 1928
United States
United States
- The National Air Races and Aeronautical Exposition opened a nine-day event at Mines Field, Inglewood, California. Aviator Charles Lindburgh was a featured guest at the event. ww2dbase [Mines Field | Inglewood, California | DS]
26 Sep 1928
United States
United States
- The City of Los Angeles signed a 10-year lease for the property at Mines Field in Inglewood for use as a municipal airport. ww2dbase [Mines Field | Inglewood, California | DS]
11 Feb 1929
United States
United States
- 23-year-old aviatrix Evelyn “Bobbie” Trout landed at Mines Field, Inglewood, California to set an overnight endurance record of 17 hours, 5 minutes while flying the prototype R. O. Bone Co. Golden Eagle Monoplane. ww2dbase [Mines Field | Inglewood, California | DS]
25 Aug 1929
United States
United States
- German airship Graf Zeppelin arrived at Mines Field, Inglewood, California at the end on a 79-hour flight across the Pacific as part of her Round-the-World flight. ww2dbase [Mines Field | Inglewood, California | DS]
26 Aug 1929
United States



United States
- German airship Graf Zeppelin departed Mines Field, Inglewood, California bound for Lakehurst, New Jersey as part of her Round-the-World flight. Due to a morning inversion layer, the 776-foot-long airship had trouble gaining altitude and dug her tail into the ground causing minor damage. ww2dbase [Mines Field | Inglewood, California | DS]



7 Jun 1930
United States

United States
- The Los Angeles Municipal Airport (Mines Field) was officially dedicated, despite having been in operation for two years. ww2dbase [Mines Field | Inglewood, California | DS]

1 Apr 1935
United States
United States
- The North American Aviation NA-16, a fixed-gear, low-wing monoplane, made its first flight from Mines Field, Inglewood, California to become the first North American model-numbered airplane to be flown. The NA-16 evolved into the BT-9 basic trainer, predecessor of a series of trainers that continued in uninterrupted production for 25 years. ww2dbase [Mines Field | Inglewood, California | DS]
1 Oct 1937
United States
United States
- Despite having recently negotiated a 50-year lease, the City of Los Angeles bought the property at Mines Field in Inglewood outright in order to qualify for federal funding through the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The funds were to be used for runway improvements. ww2dbase [Mines Field | Inglewood, California | DS]
9 Sep 1940
United States
United States
- At the North American Aviation factory at Mines Field, Inglewood, California, assembly was completed on the North American NA-73X, the first prototype of the new Mustang fighter. ww2dbase [Mines Field | P-51 Mustang | Inglewood, California | DS]
26 Oct 1940
United States
United States
- At Mines Field in Inglewood, California, United States, test pilot Vance Breese took the North American Aviation NA-73X, prototype for the P-51 Mustang, on a five-minute maiden flight. ww2dbase [Mines Field | P-51 Mustang | Inglewood, California | CPC]
20 Nov 1940
United States
United States
- North American Aviation’s chief test pilot, Paul Balfour, made his first flight in the NA-73X, the prototype for what would become the P-51 Mustang from Mines Field, Inglewood, California (Balfour's first flight in the airplane, not the airplane's first flight). After 12 minutes of flight, Balfour neglected to switch fuel tanks and the engine starved. Balfour made a dead-stick landing in a farmer's field but when the wheels dug into the soft earth, the airplane nosed over onto its back. Balfour was not injured and the airplane was repaired. ww2dbase [Mines Field | Inglewood, California | DS]
26 Oct 1944
United States
United States
- 32-year-old WASP pilot Gertrude Tompkins Silver took off from Mines Field in Inglewood, California in a newly-manufactured North American Aviation P-51D Mustang on a ferry flight to Palm Springs. She was supposed to have taken off to the west, turn 180-degrees over Santa Monica Bay, and then overfly the airfield on an easterly course toward Palm Springs but neither she nor the airplane were never seen again after taking off. Gertrude Tompkins remains the only WASP pilot still unaccounted for. ww2dbase [WASP: Women in the WW2 US Army Air Force | Mines Field | P-51 Mustang | Inglewood, California | DS]
5 Dec 1946
United States
United States
- Commercial airline service began at the Los Angeles Airport (Mines Field). American Airlines, Trans World Airlines (TWA), United Airlines, Southwest Airways, and Western Airlines began passenger operations at the airport. Pan American Airways (Pan Am) made the move in Jan 1947. ww2dbase [Mines Field | Inglewood, California | DS]
11 Oct 1949
United States
United States
- The name of the Los Angeles Airport (Mines Field) was officially changed to the Los Angeles International Airport. ww2dbase [Mines Field | Inglewood, California | DS]
Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Please help us spread the word: Stay updated with WW2DB: |
Search WW2DB
News
- » US Government Plans to Purge WW2 Information (17 Mar 2025)
- » WW2DB's 20th Anniversary (29 Dec 2024)
- » Wreck of USS Edsall Found (14 Nov 2024)
- » See all news
Random Photograph
German troops crossing the Meuse River in a rubber raft, near Aiglemont, France, 14 May 1940Current Site Statistics
- » 1,151 biographies
- » 337 events
- » 44,487 timeline entries
- » 1,243 ships
- » 350 aircraft models
- » 207 vehicle models
- » 376 weapon models
- » 123 historical documents
- » 261 facilities
- » 470 book reviews
- » 28,710 photos
- » 433 maps
Famous WW2 Quote
"We no longer demand anything, we want war."Joachim von Ribbentrop, German Foreign Minister, Aug 1939
Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!