The Aviation History of Greater Riverside

Ever since aircraft changed the scope of the First World War, flight became both a passion and business in Riverside. Early barnstormers needed places to park, refuel and service their aircraft, so airports started popping up. Alessandro Field became March Field in 1918. By World War II, seventy-five thousand troops were deployed at March. Today's March Joint Air Reserve Base has been a vital wartime training and relay installation and a sentinel of peacetime. In 1925, Roman Warren, known as the Cowboy Aviator," established Riverside Airport, which later became Flabob Airport. Take to the air with authors Marge and Tony Bitetti as they trace Greater Riverside's history of flight--from Banning, Corona and Riverside Municipal Airports to Perris Airport, Skylark Field and others."

In 1997, Marge Bitetti earned her master's degree in business management from Webster University. Her undergraduate degree is in radio-TV broadcasting from California State University, Long Beach. In 2003, she completed training at Riverside Community College and earned a certificate in grant writing. She currently works as a writing consultant and for businesses and nonprofits in the Inland Empire. She is a member of the Author's Guild. Tony Bitetti's engineering background contributes to his knowledge of requirements for quality documentation. He has over twenty-two years of experience in quality documentation, including graphic design and desktop publishing, as well as creating, controlling, editing, proofreading and maintaining brochures, newsletters, pamphlets, plans and procedures, specifications and technical manuals. A United States Congressman representing the 44th Congressional District in California's Riverside and Orange Counties, Ken Calvert has introduced and backed legislation supporting aviation and aerospace, including the Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial Act and the 2005 reauthorization of NASA. He was born in, and resides in, Corona.