Antique Plane at Pearson Field Hanger

Stop by Friday to see the next COUV.COM Original on Pearson Field.

Pearson Field might lie in the shadow of Portland International Airport, but the smaller, local airport isn’t anything to scoff at.

Pearson has been in use since 1905 when a dirigible landed near Vancouver Baracks, and today the field sees around 150 flights per day, according to field manager Willy Williamson.

Those flights aren’t just hobbyists playing in the airspace above Clark County.

A recent performance snapshot shows about 60 percent of the flights into Pearson are related to business or commerce and have a positive economic impact on the community.

“We’re not a Coke and joke airport,” Williamson said on Monday. “It’s a real airport. We do real stuff here.”

That real stuff includes mapping, aerial photography, pipeline patrol and transport of blood and organ donations – and that’s just scratching the surface.

This week we’re taking a look at what goes on at Pearson Field. Check back on Friday for our full video.

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