George AFB to SCLA: Victorville's Airport in 2026

George Air Force Base opened in Victorville in 1941 and was decommissioned in December 1992. Most of the land is now Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA), a city-run industrial airport, plus a large logistics park. As of November 2026, the airport is busy with aviation and logistics tenants, while the Air Force's Superfund cleanup of the old base is not yet finished.

What was George Air Force Base?

According to the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) history page, the field opened in early October 1941 as Victorville Army Airfield, a training base for pilots and bombardiers.

Flying stopped after World War II. Until 1948, the field held surplus aircraft, including B-29s and trainers.

Key moments that followed, per AFCEC:

• 1950: After the Korean War began, the Air Force reopened the field as George Air Force Base. An F-86 fighter interceptor wing arrived July 1.
• 1951 onward: Tactical Air Command took charge in November 1951. Crews trained on the F-86, F-100, F-104, F-105G and F-4 series.
• Wild Weasels: The base became known as the "Home of the Wild Weasels," crews that found and attacked enemy radar defenses.

The name honors Brig. Gen. Harold H. George, a World War I fighter ace who died in an April 1942 plane accident near Darwin, Australia.

Why did George AFB close?

The Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission chose the base for closure in 1988. The AFCEC base page says it was decommissioned in December 1992. The City of Victorville says the closure was expected to cost about 7,500 jobs.

The old base totals 5,062 acres, and AFCEC says 4,196 of them went to the Southern California Logistics Airport Authority. Other parcels now hold aviation firms, a community college aircraft mechanic program, manufacturing and distribution buildings, a power plant and a 900-acre federal prison complex.

Is George AFB still a Superfund site?

Yes. AFCEC's cleanup page says EPA put the base on the National Priorities List in February 1990. An early EPA site narrative says Air Force tests in spring 1986 found trichloroethylene (TCE), a solvent, in groundwater both on and off the base.

AFCEC names these main cleanup targets:

• Jet fuel and fuel-related compounds
• Solvents, including TCE in groundwater
• Dieldrin, a pesticide
• Old munitions-related sites, two of which still needed work

AFCEC reports more than 80 underground tanks pulled out and 493,495 gallons of jet fuel removed. It also describes a fuel plume of roughly 3.5 million gallons about 160 feet under the old tank farm. Per AFCEC, no groundwater under the former base is used for drinking.

EPA has led parts of the cleanup, and monitoring for some areas was handed to the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board.

AFCEC's page puts Air Force spending at more than $113 million since 1981. It projected about $59.95 million more through 2023, and the page gives no newer figure. An AFCEC contract notice described 33 active cleanup sites under a contract running through 2020.

Superfund sites are reviewed every five years. EPA Region 9's October 14, 2026 notice includes George AFB among reviews completed in 2026, and the site also appears on EPA's 2027 review list. Review findings are posted on EPA's site page at epa.gov/superfund/georgeafb.

Who runs Southern California Logistics Airport?

SCLA is run by the City of Victorville's Airport department. The Southern California Logistics Airport Authority is made up of City Council members, who meet as the authority twice a month within regular council meetings.

The city's About S.C.L.A. page says the civil airport that came before SCLA opened in October 1994. It received an FAA Part 139 certificate in February 1995. SCLA takes up roughly 2,200 acres of the old base.

What happens at SCLA today?

SCLA is an industrial airport. The city's pilot page lists two long runways:

The same page says SCLA is a U.S. Customs user-fee airport. The city's aircraft services list includes these tenants:

• ComAv: heavy maintenance and modifications, plus aircraft storage and used parts
• Aircraft Recycling Corporation (ARC Aerospace): taking apart and recycling retired aircraft
• Boeing: repairs and modifications on Boeing jets, and finishing work on new aircraft
• GE Aerospace Flight Test: testing new engines on a Boeing 747-400 test bed
• General Atomics: overhauls and upgrades of remotely piloted aircraft
• AeroPro and International Aerospace Coatings: aircraft painting
• Million Air: the fixed base operator for private and business aircraft

Is SCLA used for filming?

Yes. Titles on the city's filming page include Tenet, Face/Off, Contact, Jarhead, Ocean's 11 and Space Cowboys. Productions need an SCLA film permit and a Victorville business license.

What is the industrial park around the airport?

The land around the airfield is the Southern California Logistics Centre. The city's About S.C.L.A. page says Prologis holds development rights to about 1,300 acres there. In December 2024, the city said about 7 million square feet of industrial space had been built, with tenants such as Keurig Dr Pepper, Amazon, Plastipak, Mars and Graco.

The city's Airport Advantages page says SCLA hosts Foreign Trade Zone #243, and Victorville Municipal Utility Services supplies power to industrial customers there. It also notes the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports are under 100 miles away by BNSF and Union Pacific.

Where it stands (as of November 2026)

• Jobs: In its December 2024 announcement, the city counted 62 businesses and about 4,500 jobs at SCLA, with 99% of leasable space filled.
• New warehouses: A 1.3 million-square-foot Goodyear warehouse at the Logistics Center was expected to bring 175 jobs, the HD Post reported in July 2025. The city's December 2024 announcement also said a 2.5 million-square-foot project is planned on the former golf course.
• Old housing area: George Boulevard between Air Expressway and Ohio Street closed for good on April 30, 2025. The city pointed to run-down, unsecured buildings in the old housing area and a long-term redevelopment partnership with Prologis.

What is still undecided or disputed?

• Cleanup end date: AFCEC says cleanup continues and gives no finish date.
• Past bond dispute: In 2013 the SEC sued Victorville and the airport authority over a $13 million tax increment bond offering. The SEC alleged the revenue projections rested on inflated property values. Both settled in 2018 without admitting or denying the claims. The Bond Buyer reported the city expected to be current on the authority's bonds with its December 1, 2018 payment.
• Health claims: In 2022 a federal judge threw out a suit by 51 people who had lived on or near the base and alleged toxic exposure. The ruling rested on sovereign immunity, per Stars and Stripes.
• Rail hub: In a 2007 agreement, BNSF and the city agreed to explore an intermodal rail facility at SCLA. We found no current official update on it.

What could it mean for High Desert homeowners and buyers?

• Jobs nearby: The city calls SCLA the largest employment center in the Victor Valley, at about 4,500 jobs.
• Truck traffic: New warehouses add trucks on Air Expressway and nearby roads. Since the George Boulevard closure, SCLA is reached via Nevada Avenue, Phantom East and Phantom West.
• Aircraft activity: Engine and flight testing and heavy jets use the long runways.
• Due diligence: If you buy near the old base, review the public Superfund and Water Board records during your inspection period, and ask about any environmental disclosures.

The base housing area is closed, and the airport offers no public tours. To see it legally, join the city's Victorville 101 Bus Tour. For other regional projects, see our BNSF Barstow International Gateway, Brightline West and Cajon Pass I-15 updates.

How Pleasant Hill can help

If you are weighing a home or land purchase in Victorville or Adelanto, we can pull public records and point you to the right agencies. Search homes, get a free home valuation, or reach Dustin Bynum or Nancy Navarro through our contact page.

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