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El Toro MCAS

FlyinRock

Registered User
That was some wild driving! I spent several years at El Toro starting in 1953-4 and all I can tell you is the hills are to the east! It breaks my heart to see all the weeds and the appearance of desolation. I'd guess the hangars are to the southwest from the clips. Wow.
I left there in 1961 and my last visit was probably in 1970?+- just before it passed into history.
wowww.......
 

efini_kid

New Member
damn that was some amazing driving! sad to see a base goin into such bad shape but still a badass video
 

Rocketman

Rockets Up
Contributor
That was some wild driving! I spent several years at El Toro starting in 1953-4 and all I can tell you is the hills are to the east! It breaks my heart to see all the weeds and the appearance of desolation. I'd guess the hangars are to the southwest from the clips. Wow.
I left there in 1961 and my last visit was probably in 1970?+- just before it passed into history.
wowww.......

I was born there March 2nd 1955. My old man flew Panthers for VMA-223.

I've always loved being able to say El Toro when asked about my place of birth.
 

Ave8tor

Bringing the Noise!™
pilot
Crikey!! Guy with the biggest balls in this video has to be dude on the Segway. It sure is sad to see such a beautiful base (and Tustin too for that matter) fall into disrepair. Before I left for TBS, my civilian job had me driving all over the Orange County area. I would always see these guys with their cars and cones all lined up on the runways. Pretty cool to see it from this angle though.
 

A4sForever

BTDT OLD GUY
pilot
Contributor
MCAS El Toro ... it stunk ... literally. Too many flatulent cows in the area 40 years ago. And for being in the LA area, it had to be one of the lousiest, smelliest, suckingest (?) places in the SoCal OP AREA.

I stayed in the BOQ there a couple of times in the '60's ... WW2 style "Q" w/ a common head in the center of the building ... more like a barracks than a "Q". When I went through there years later, prior to the BRAC closure -- I always made certain that we stayed "in town". :)

I always wondered why they closed El Toro and kept Miramar open. Politics ... it's not like the airspace is any better. :)

MCAS EL TORO - Wiki

 

RHPF

Active Member
pilot
Contributor
MCAS El Toro ... it stunk ... literally. Too many flatulent cows in the area 40 years ago. And for being in the LA area, it had to be one of the lousiest, smelliest, suckingest (?) places in the SoCal OP AREA.

I stayed in the BOQ there a couple of times in the '60's ... WW2 style "Q" w/ a common head in the center of the building ... more like a barracks than a "Q". When I went through there years later, prior to the BRAC closure -- I always made certain that we stayed "in town". :)

I always wondered why they closed El Toro and kept Miramar open. Politics ... it's not like the airspace is any better. :)

Literally the exact opposite description of a close friend who was stationed there through part of the 70s and 80s. I believe the 'Q' was a hotel on the beach in Laguna at one point. Either way, it would be an awesome station now (compared to anywhere, let alone the current alternative).

I guess it all depends on when you were there. It is now scheduled to become a 'Great Park' (larger than Central Park is how it was touted), houses, and shopping.
 

Ave8tor

Bringing the Noise!™
pilot
Mebbe your friend liked cow farts ... ???

Things have changed quite a bit since. Irvine and its surrounding areas are the hot spots in Orange County now. Expensive land, plus with the Irvine Spectrum right down the road, makes that area the most sought after. I use to get building permits at the city of Irvine on a weekly basis, and the had a scale model of the Great Park. Looked pretty nice, but don't know how much people would actually spend time there, since the vehicle constraints aren't nearly as bad as in NYC and the fact that it's not in a densely populated area (comparatively speaking).

And as far as the cow smell goes, it's not an issue unless the winds are from the north (Santa Ana winds). I use to live in the pass between Yorba Linda (where all the recent fires were) and Corona (where all the farms are), and it was barely perceptible, usually only in the morning.
 

gaijin6423

Ask me about ninjas!
Weren't they supposed to turn the thing into a civilian airport? That was the talk around the MCAS Pendleton/MALS crowd just prior to it being closed down, anyway.
 

picklesuit

Dirty Hinge
pilot
Contributor
Man I love the smell of cowfarts...smells like money! Of course I did work at the dairy to make money in college...scoopin shit, pullin' teats, delivering calves...what a great life!
 
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