Established on October 23, 1946, Sierra Sky Park became America's first aviation community. Through the efforts of Wm. and Doris Smilie, 130 acres of rolling "hog-wallow" and hardpan were transformed into a public use airport with a sod runway, connecting taxi-way, and extra wide streets. This combination set the precedent for hundreds of similar communities throughout the United States and the world, allowing aviation-oriented families to keep aircraft in their own yards and share the camaraderie of neighbors with similar dreams.