John Rogers Airfield

If you stood outside the gates of Naval Air Station (NAS) Barbers Point 40 years ago, you would be surrounded by thousands of acres of sugar cane fileds and to the north thousands of acres of pineapple. Barbers Point Naval Air Station was the center of massive agricultural growth and commerce.

Set up on 3800 acres of land here in Kalaeloa (Hawaiian for “the long point”). Barbers Point Naval Air Station was commissioned in 1942 and at its peak accommodated 6,500 servicemen and their families. Known as “The Crossroads of the Pacific” it was at one time the largest U.S. military base of its kind in the entire Pacific theater.

Known most famously for the P-3 Orion (submarine hunter) aircraft that were based here for decades, NAS Barbers Point played strategic roles in World War II (December 8, 1941-1945) the Korean War (1950-1953) and the Vietnam War (1955-1975). Due to budget considerations in the ‘90’s, a federal program known as “Base Realignment” and “Closure action”, inevitably led to the closure of NAS Barbers Point in 1999 when land ownership was turned back over to the State of Hawaii.

On July 1, 1999, the State officially permitted the previous naval operated runways for civilian use, and since, multi-use due to the Coast Guard being co-located on the airfield. The Coast Guard Station here at Kalaeloa has always, and very likely will always, remain on the airfield because of its strategic importance to search and rescue in the Pacific.

For its first few years, the airport was a ghost town servicing GA and hobbyists. However, change was coming.

The city of Kapolei, planned as the “Second City” of Oahu since the ’50s, was and continues to growing rapidly. Though nothing on the island is too far from anywhere else, increased road traffic was becoming an urban planning problem. To reduce congestion and ease some of the strain of Honolulu, Kapolei was envisioned as a self-contained area on Oahu’s west side, boasting housing and business development, and at the time, a secondary consideration as an airport and a terminus for the light rail system. Now called the “Skyline”, Honolulu’s rail system is operational and should be completed by 2030 and run from Kapolei to downtown, Honolulu.

As Kapolei grew, so did its eponymous airport, John Rodgers Airfield. Several businesses and two flight schools, one being the University of Hawaii’s flight program and the other being private, Barbers Point Flight School, were active on the airfield until 2010. In following year, the airport’s first private FBO was established by the owner of BPFS. Each year since founded, Barbers Point Aviation Services (BPAS) saw significant growth, from a one-fuel truck operation in 2011 to a full-service operation, providing aircraft ground support and a needed alternative to the crowded Honolulu International. By taking the initiative and by pressing and working with government agencies, BPAS was able to foster a lucrative government contract and through relenting determination and marketing efforts, aircraft begin visiting and air traffic to the airport increased exponentially. For over 10 years BPAS supported military and business aircraft as well as aircraft being ferried across the Pacific. Unfortunately, the local grown BPAS was displaced in 2022 by a large mainland chain. While in service, BPAS had the honor of providing support to Solar Impulse and its very historic non-stop, 5-day solar powered flight from Japan to John Rodgers Airfield. After departing Kalaeloa for their non-stop flight to Arizona, Solar Impulse continued completely around the globe and secured its place in the history books. Finally, many major motion pictures were filmd on the airfield including Hawaii 5-0, Magnum P.I. NCIS, King Kong Skull Island and much more.

Kapolei has transformed into the Second City and populations have tripled in the past 25 years