Remembering Eliana Moreno and George Marciniw

We want to honor Eliana Moreno and George Marciniw, two longtime members of the Whiteman Airport community who tragically lost their lives last week while covering breaking news in the San Fernando Valley.

Eliana, a helicopter journalist, and George, a veteran pilot, worked out of Whiteman Airport for years as part of the NBC4 Los Angeles news operation, covering the stories that mattered to millions of Southern Californians.

Their loss has been felt deeply across the Los Angeles news and aviation communities. Our thoughts remain with Eliana and George’s families, friends, colleagues and everyone mourning their loss.

Their work was also part of Whiteman Airport’s long tradition of supporting news aviation and public service in Los Angeles.

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A Long Tradition of Public News Service

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For years, Whiteman Airport has supported newsgathering operations for Southern California media organizations, providing a home for helicopters and news crews that deliver critical coverage of breaking news across the region.

NBC4 Los Angeles and KTLA 5 news operations have flown from Whiteman, helping cover wildfires, police activity, major traffic incidents, natural disasters and other events across the region. It’s a form of public service most people probably don’t think about when they think about a general aviation airport.

But it’s one of the many roles Whiteman plays. And right now, another Southern California county is confronting what can happen when aviation infrastructure disappears.

San Diego Wants Its Airport Back. Los Angeles County Should Pay Attention.

Sometimes you don’t fully understand the value of infrastructure until it’s gone. San Diego County is confronting that reality right now.

In early 2025, San Diego County staff moved to close Agua Caliente Airport, citing rising maintenance costs and a lack of state funding. The public largely didn’t know the airport was being closed until after the decision had been made. Its operating permit was revoked that April.

Now, less than two years later, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors is exploring how to bring it back.

Aviation organizations and community members have made the case that Agua Caliente’s value extended far beyond recreational flying, supporting wildfire response, emergency medical evacuation, military activities, flight training and the broader regional aviation network.

Los Angeles County should pay attention to what’s happening just to the south.

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Now consider Whiteman. The difference in scale is striking.

Before it closed, Agua Caliente generally recorded approximately 3,300 to 4,400 aircraft operations annually. Whiteman Airport handles approximately 125,000 operations a year. That’s nearly 30 times the annual activity, using Agua Caliente’s higher figure.

Whiteman isn’t an underused piece of land waiting for another purpose. Businesses operate here. Aircraft are based here. Hangars and airport facilities generate revenue. Pilots train here. Nonprofits operate here.

Whiteman is also part of Los Angeles County’s emergency response infrastructure, supporting fire and law enforcement operations.

And it is an economic asset. A Los Angeles County economic impact analysis found that Whiteman supports more than 400 jobs and contributes approximately $110 million to the local economy.

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The Opportunity Is to Make Whiteman Better

Instead of focusing on closure or what could replace Whiteman Airport, Los Angeles County should be asking: How do we make Whiteman even more valuable to the communities and county it already serves?

That means looking at opportunities to:

• Modernize the airport facilities and infrastructure.

• Pursue available federal infrastructure funding.

• Strengthen Whiteman’s role in wildfire and emergency response.

• Expand aviation education and workforce opportunities.

• Create better, more welcoming community spaces and events.

• Prepare the airport for electric aviation and the next generation of aircraft.

San Diego County is exploring how to restore aviation infrastructure it lost. Los Angeles County still has Whiteman Airport.

The opportunity is to invest in what we already have here in Pacoima.