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French Valley Airport

Coordinates: 33°34′27″N 117°07′43″W / 33.57417°N 117.12861°W / 33.57417; -117.12861
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French Valley Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCounty of Riverside
OperatorRiverside County Economic Development Agency
ServesMurrieta, Temecula, French Valley, Winchester
LocationMurrieta
OpenedJuly 1989
Elevation AMSL1,350 ft / 411 m
Coordinates33°34′27″N 117°07′43″W / 33.57417°N 117.12861°W / 33.57417; -117.12861
Websitehttp://www.rcfva.com/
Maps
FAA Airport Sketch
FAA Airport Sketch
F70 is located in southern California
F70
F70
Location within Southern California
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
18/36 6,000 1,829 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Aircraft operations89,790
Based aircraft257

French Valley Airport (IATA: RBK, FAA LID: F70) is a county-owned public-use airport in southwestern Riverside County, California, located on Highway 79 near the cities of Murrieta and Temecula.[1][2]

Facilities and aircraft

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French Valley Airport covers an area of 261 acres (106 ha) which contains one asphalt paved runway which is designated as 18/36 and measures 6,000 x 75 ft (1,829 x 23 m).[1]

For the 12-month period ending September 30, 2023, the airport had 89,790 aircraft operations, an average of 246 per day, 100% general aviation, and <1% military. There was at the time 257 aircraft based at this airport: 215 single engine, 30 multi-engine, 2 jet aircraft, and 10 helicopters.[1]

The French Valley Cafe is a popular restaurant on the field which serves three meals a day seven days a week. Best known for breakfast, the cafe also has a full bar with the occasional happy hour. The interior is decorated with air memorabilia and has views overlooking the runway. A patio allows for outdoor service.

There is also Wings and Rotors Air Museum, with military displays, flyable helicopters and an F-4 Phantom II in restoration to fly.[citation needed]

Accidents and incidents

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On July 4, 2023, a Cessna 172 rolled, inverted and crashed into a nearby industrial complex after a failed landing attempt on Runway 18, killing the pilot and injuring 3 passengers. No one on the ground was injured.[3][4]

On July 8, 2023, 2 pilots and 4 passengers were killed when a Cessna 550 Citation, flying from Harry Reid International Airport, crashed 500 feet short of Runway 18. Low visibility caused by the marine layer that formed over the area could have been a potential factor in the crash. The plane crashed on its second landing attempt after executing a missed approach. Nobody on the ground was injured. The crash caused a fire that burned about an acre of vegetation before it was contained.[5][6] This was the airport’s second accident within 4 days.[7][8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d FAA Airport Form 5010 for F70 PDF, effective July 11, 2024.
  2. ^ French Valley Airport page at Riverside County EDA web site.
  3. ^ "Temecula chiropractor died in French Valley airplane crash that also injured 3". Press Enterprise. 2023-07-06. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  4. ^ "Accident description for N5243E at Aviation Safety Network". asnflightsafety.org. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  5. ^ Deliso, Meredith. "6 dead after business jet crashes while approaching California airport amid low visibility: NTSB". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  6. ^ "6 killed in small plane crash in Southern California - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2023-07-08. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  7. ^ "Six dead in private jet crash outside Los Angeles". Reuters. 2023-07-09. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  8. ^ "Accident description for N819KR at Aviation Safety Network". asnflightsafety.org. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
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