Picture this. You are standing where once planes took flight. This is Telegraph Atlantic Airport. Or at least where it used to be. This seemingly empty patch of land near the intersection of the 5 and 710 freeways holds a fascinating story. A story of daredevil pilots and tragic accidents. A story of the early days of aviation in Los Angeles.
Telegraph Atlantic Airport wasn’t always known by that name. It began life as Ace Field in the 1920s. Later it became Sprott Field in 1931. Telegraph-Atlantic Airfield was the most popular name. It thrived for a time. Then it disappeared. No one seems to know exactly when the airport closed.
The location was on Telegraph Road. It was west of Atlantic Boulevard and south of Telegraph. Think of the Bristow Park area. It’s likely under the 5 freeway today. The airport saw its share of drama. In 1932 the LA Times reported on the death of Major John Clifford Bryan. A well-known Southern California aviator and World War I pilot. He plunged 2000 feet to his death over the airport. This tragic event is just one chapter in the airport’s dramatic history. The airfield witnessed airplane crashes. One photograph at the UCLA library shows the wreckage of another plane.
Today there are no runways or hangars. There is only this quiet space. A quiet space that holds the memories of a bustling airfield. A place where dreams took flight. A place where tragedy struck. Telegraph Atlantic Airport. A forgotten piece of Los Angeles’ aviation past. A place to remember. A reminder that even the grandest endeavors are not always eternal. A place where history rests beneath the asphalt. A place where a piece of Los Angeles aviation history lies silent.