Kalinda school used to be on the previous site of the Lake View aerodrome runway, where on Sunday August 2, 1931, Charles Kingsford Smith landed his famous Southern Cross as part of his barnstorming tour of NSW.
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A joy flight cost ten shillings or one dollar.
Three years later, Kingsford Smith and PG Taylor made the first west to east crossing of the Pacific. Captain Taylor flew into Lake View aerodrome in 1937 and took his future wife Miss Broadwood back to Sydney.
Mr J Ronaldson early Griffith historian stated that in 1927 temporary permission was granted to Australian Aerial Services Ltd to also use ground three miles north of Griffith as an airfield.
In 1945 the Area News reported an inspection of the Lake View aerodrome by Mr Wiggan of the Civil Aviation Department who was favourably impressed and said that runways of 5829 feet were quite sufficient.
The current asphalt runways are 5591 feet by 98 feet (1704x30m).
The Department of Aviation and local council jointly bought the aerodrome land so it could be expanded into a commercial airport to cope with the post-war growth of Griffith. The dusty runway was upgraded to an all-weather strip.
The formation of the Griffith Aero Club in 1946 led to the training of hundreds of pilots. In 1958 funds were raised to purchase a plane which became the air ambulance which was maintained and flown by aero club members until replaced by a state air ambulance service.
In 1970 the aerodrome was used by approximately 67 aircraft as a checkpoint in the London to Sydney race as part of the Captain Cook Bicentenary celebrations.
