KNZJ, MCAS El Toro, CA

[MikeD]

KNZJ, Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California, was commissioned on 4 November 1942, and served as the home of USMC fighter/attack, all weather attack, reconnaissance, and transport/tanker operations for the west coast. As home of the 3rd Marine Air Wing and Marine Air Group- 11, it was a Master Jet Base. In its heyday of the late 1970s/80s, MAG-11 hosted at El Toro: VMFA-314, VMFA-323, VMFA-531, VMFA-134, VMA-211, VMA-214, VMA-311, VMA(AW)-242, VMFP-3, and VMGR-352. Selected for closure in the 1993 Base Realignment And Closure round, MCAS El Toro closed on 2 July 1999.

Originally planned to be a civil airport for airline and GA operations, replacing and closing John Wayne/Orange County Airport, two separate proposals for that conversion were defeated. Today, not much remains of the former MCAS. Runways 7 L/R - 25 L/R are almost gone, and only a small portion of the approach end to midfield of Runway 16 L/R remains. Some hangars and small ramp space sections on the NE, SE, and SW sections remain as well as the ATC tower and attached base operations building, all in a dilapidated state, but that is about it. And what is left is slowly disappearing. The 3rd MAW, MAG-11, and subordinate units, moved from El Toro to MCAS Miramar, after Miramar was transferred from the USN to the USMC, and the famed Naval Air Station Miramar became an MCAS, and took over from El Toro as the west coast Marine Master Jet Base.
In my pictures, you’ll see the former ATC tower and base operations. The hangar labeled as HMM-163 is the former VMFA-314 hangar. The one labeled HMM-164 is the former VMFA-323 hangar, and the one labeled HMM-268 is the former VMFP-3 hangar. The former VMFA-531 hangar has been demolished. These hangars were temporarily the home of the three HMM CH-46 squadrons, after those units had moved to El Toro in the short time following the closure of nearby MCAS Tustin, and before MCAS El Toro’s ultimate closure.

The only general-aviation related operation still ongoing on the field is the El Toro VOR/DME, still located on the field.

Photo credits: MikeD

 

[A Life Aloft]

Those are some great photos, Mike. Pretty sad to see what has become of a once corner stone, very busy base. During WWII and the Vietnam war, it was humming. They had so many open houses and air shows there too. When the base was built, there was nothing there for miles except for agriculture fields. It became the Master Jet Station for the Fleet Marine Group of the Pacific. Everything eventually flew in and out of that base from jet fighters to trainers to bombers to cargo/transport planes and several types of choppers. I really wish they would have built a museum there on the grounds.

Skyhawks flying over the base

 

[trafficinsight]

Used to go to the El-Toro airshow every year.

 

[Wardogg]

Was stationed there in 94

 

[little_cricket]

Used to go to the El-Toro airshow every year.

Me too... I miss that base... It would have been a great civilian airport.

 

[OCArmory]

Would have made a great civilian airport. A real home where General Aviation and Airlines would have had space to live together. Such a waste

 

[mechan9]

made a great civilian airport. A real home where Gener

Used to go to the El-Toro airshow every year.

Same here. I think it was either '87 or '88 that an F-18 crashed during a demo but the pilot managed to safely eject.

Here's a story about an enlisted Marine taking an A-4 for a joyride.

Marine Accused of Taking El Toro Jet on 2 a.m. Joy Ride

A record-breaking young glider pilot, now an enlisted flight mechanic, took an unauthorized pre-dawn joy ride Friday in an $18-million jet fighter based at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, officials said.

www.latimes.com

I wonder what he's up to these days.

 

[MikeD]

There was the F-86 in ‘93 also

 

[trafficinsight]

There was the F-86 in ‘93 also

I was there for that.

 

[ChasenSFO]

I was there for that.

Wow, can't imagine processing that as a kid.

 

[mrivc211]

I remember when I was in recess break around 10am in the 4th grade, F-18's would be in the pattern flying right above us for El Toro. They were loud. I flew over the old base a few months back, as its mainly a practice area for flight schools out of SNA. When the controller asked me where I was, I told him over El Toro Airport. He responded back saying El Toro has been closed for decades, there is no airport there!! duh

 

[U_of_I_Tweak]

Same here. I think it was either '87 or '88 that an F-18 crashed during a demo but the pilot managed to safely eject.

Here's a story about an enlisted Marine taking an A-4 for a joyride.

Marine Accused of Taking El Toro Jet on 2 a.m. Joy Ride

A record-breaking young glider pilot, now an enlisted flight mechanic, took an unauthorized pre-dawn joy ride Friday in an $18-million jet fighter based at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, officials said.

www.latimes.com

I wonder what he's up to these days.

There was the F-86 in ‘93 also

And the alien attack of July '96.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Murdoughnut]

And the alien attack of July '96.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

Ahh you beat me to it!

 

[killbilly]

Huh. I never knew that the USMC flew F-86s. For some reason that I cannot explain, I just thought that only USAF flew them.

Neat pics.

Had my USMC enlistment happened in 1992 as originally planned, I would have ended up out there.

 

[MikeD]

Huh. I never knew that the USMC flew F-86s. For some reason that I cannot explain, I just thought that only USAF flew them.

Neat pics.

Had my USMC enlistment happened in 1992 as originally planned, I would have ended up out there.

look up FJ Fury....

compare to F-86, it’s the lesser known brother.

 

[sweeps]

KNZJ, Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California, was commissioned on 4 November 1942, and served as the home of USMC fighter/attack, all weather attack, reconnaissance, and transport/tanker operations for the west coast. As home of the 3rd Marine Air Wing and Marine Air Group- 11, it was a Master Jet Base. In its heyday of the late 1970s/80s, MAG-11 hosted at El Toro: VMFA-314, VMFA-323, VMFA-531, VMFA-134, VMA-211, VMA-214, VMA-311, VMA(AW)-242, VMFP-3, and VMGR-352. Selected for closure in the 1993 Base Realignment And Closure round, MCAS El Toro closed on 2 July 1999.

Originally planned to be a civil airport for airline and GA operations, replacing and closing John Wayne/Orange County Airport, two separate proposals for that conversion were defeated. Today, not much remains of the former MCAS. Runways 7 L/R - 25 L/R are almost gone, and only a small portion of the approach end to midfield of Runway 16 L/R remains. Some hangars and small ramp space sections on the NE, SE, and SW sections remain as well as the ATC tower and attached base operations building, all in a dilapidated state, but that is about it. And what is left is slowly disappearing. The 3rd MAW, MAG-11, and subordinate units, moved from El Toro to MCAS Miramar, after Miramar was transferred from the USN to the USMC, and the famed Naval Air Station Miramar became an MCAS, and took over from El Toro as the west coast Marine Master Jet Base.
In my pictures, you’ll see the former ATC tower and base operations. The hangar labeled as HMM-163 is the former VMFA-314 hangar. The one labeled HMM-164 is the former VMFA-323 hangar, and the one labeled HMM-268 is the former VMFP-3 hangar. The former VMFA-531 hangar has been demolished. These hangars were temporarily the home of the three HMM CH-46 squadrons, after those units had moved to El Toro in the short time following the closure of nearby MCAS Tustin, and before MCAS El Toro’s ultimate closure.

The only general-aviation related operation still ongoing on the field is the El Toro VOR/DME, still located on the field.

Photo credits: MikeD

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Awesome pics @MikeD thanks for sharing. Grew up not far from there. Wish there was something more left of it. Sidebar, wasn’t Miramar originally a MCAS then of course NAS and back to MCAS?

 

[MikeD]

Awesome pics @MikeD thanks for sharing. Grew up not far from there. Wish there was something more left of it. Sidebar, wasn’t Miramar originally a MCAS then of course NAS and back to MCAS?

yes sir. Miramar wasn’t stolen from the Navy and given to the USMC, it was given back to the USMC.

 

[SFLAX]

Reason the family lived in EL Toro...dad was based there and we never left. I lived on that flight line for almost 10 years, before the gulf war screwed it up. Now it’s being developed for Housing and stuff. OC and California was once a great place to live...oh well. And the reason the airport was never developed was due to the Irvine Company...they owned all the land around the base and said they would build a bunch of big building at the end of the runways before the airport ever gets approved.

 

[RICHARD5]

Mike, thank you for this trip down memory lane and for the pictures. Dad was 3 MAW and we lived on base 1965-1968. I'd like to share some of my memories aboard El Toro.

I'd been in the tower cab several times, once to watch the Blues flying the F-4s. Keep out of the way of personnel, make yourself invisible, enjoy the show, kid.

My first ride in the cockpit of any aircraft was at El Toro. Dad told me to walk straight through the hanger, do not stop, do not make eye contact, proceed directly to that B-25 out on the line. I didn't know what was going on for dad never gave details, only told me what I must do. Fairly soon, the pilot showed up and showed me how to enter the aircraft (ladder between the main gear). We drove around the sky for about forty minutes, me, a kid of ten years, sitting right seat. During those years the Marines still had a small fleet of Mitchells. And in those times it wasn't out of the ordinary that a kid would be wandering a maintenance hanger or even onto the ramp.

My older brother an me would sneak out at night to go lay at the end of the runways to feel the Phantoms take-off in full burner. Yes, feel. Did I say loud? We were ecstatic enjoying the show. Brother and me did that regularly.

Being as bright as I am I thought I had hatched a brilliant scheme. I would lay in the weeds at the approach end so no one could see me. This was during the day so I could watch the aircraft come in. There was a short cut which most of the kids took to get to school. That featured a dirt path which went right past the end of east runways. Nonchalantly walking along the path then suddenly duck out of sight. Brilliant! It went fine until an AH-1 Cobra overflew and the crew saw me. That they circled back to overfly me again left no doubt that I had been seen. Soon enough the MPs arrived to take me see the CO. I sware, I stood rock solid before his desk. I felt my whole world about to crash down on me. He slowly, methodically peeled an orange while he inquired how often I had done that, who else was involved, what are their names, and so on. Then he surprise me and asked, will you do that again? NO SIR! Fine, would you like some orange? Now get out of here. I had been reprieved. No further discussion and no telling my dad.