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This year the Clark County Department of Aviation will celebrate the 60th anniversary of McCarran International Airport.
The nation’s sixth-busiest airport has certainly come a long way since 1948, the year Clark County purchased the property east of Las Vegas Boulevard that local aviation pioneer George Crockett had used for his smaller Alamo Airport. McCarran Field was dedicated on Dec. 19, 1948, and aviation in Southern Nevada has grown steadily ever since.
When it opened nearly 60 years ago, McCarran was home to just four airlines that offered a combined average of just 12 flights per day. While Bonanza, Western and TWA have long since faded into history, United Airlines has remained a McCarran staple. Combined with more than 30 other carriers here today, McCarran’s modern airline partners operated nearly 1,150 local flights per day by the end of 2007.
This year’s celebration got off to an early start through a partnership with the Clark County School District. At the start of the current school year, local middle school students were asked to create original artwork depicting key events in local aviation history. Nearly 400 young artists submitted entries and 12 winning images were chosen to adorn a 2008 wall calendar that was distributed to DOA employees, business partners and local residents.
More events will follow. Later this year airport leaders plan to host an airport tour for students enrolled in Rancho High School’s aviation magnet program, as well as throw a special birthday celebration this December.
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