Hemet-Ryan Airport: San Jacinto Valley General Aviation Center
Hemet-Ryan Airport (FAA identifier: HMT) serves the San Jacinto Valley communities of Hemet, San Jacinto, and the surrounding retirement and agricultural communities of inland Riverside County. Situated at 1,512 feet elevation on the valley floor with the dramatic San Jacinto Mountain range rising to 10,834 feet just 15 miles to the northeast, HMT offers spectacular mountain scenery from both the ramp and the traffic pattern. The airport features a 4,314-foot paved runway and provides 100LL fuel, making it a self-sufficient general aviation destination in an area otherwise remote from major aviation infrastructure.
Hemet-Ryan has a particularly strong connection to U.S. military aviation history as the former site of Ryan Aeronautical's World War II flight training operations, where more than 8,000 military pilots earned their wings training on Ryan PT-22 and ST-3KR aircraft. The airport carries Ryan's name in recognition of this contribution to the Allied victory. Today the airport supports a diverse mix of flight training, recreational flying, skydiving operations, and aerial firefighting staging. Cal Fire and U.S. Forest Service aerial tanker assets use HMT as an air attack base during high-fire-danger periods in the San Jacinto and Santa Ana mountains.
What is the history behind the name Hemet-Ryan Airport?
Hemet-Ryan Airport is named for Ryan Aeronautical, which operated a major WWII military pilot training facility here where over 8,000 military pilots trained on Ryan trainer aircraft between 1941 and 1945.
Does Hemet-Ryan Airport have fuel services?
Yes. HMT provides 100LL avgas and basic general aviation services. Pilots should verify Jet-A availability and hours of operation before planning a fuel stop at Hemet-Ryan.
Is there skydiving at Hemet-Ryan Airport?
Yes. The Hemet area has a tradition of skydiving operations, and pilots flying near HMT should monitor appropriate frequencies for parachute activity in the vicinity.
Does Cal Fire use Hemet-Ryan Airport?
Yes. HMT serves as an air attack base for Cal Fire and U.S. Forest Service aerial firefighting operations supporting fire suppression in the San Jacinto and Santa Ana mountains.
What is the runway length at Hemet-Ryan Airport?
Hemet-Ryan Airport's primary runway measures approximately 4,314 feet, accommodating single-engine and light twin-engine piston aircraft.
Hemet Ryan Airport Contact Information
Address, Phone Number, and Hours for an Airports in Hemet, California.
| Name | Hemet Ryan Airport |
| Address | 4710 West Stetson Avenue, Hemet CA 92545 Map |
| Phone | (951) 652-0422 |
| Website | |
| Hours |
Map of Hemet Ryan Airport
Mountain Scenery and Aviation Services in Hemet's San Jacinto Valley
The San Jacinto Valley's aviation environment is shaped by the massive terrain of the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains that form the valley's dramatic eastern and northeastern walls. Mount San Jacinto, accessible by aerial tramway from Palm Springs on the other side of the range, towers nearly 9,000 feet above the Hemet Valley floor, creating powerful updrafts, wave lift, and potential rotor turbulence that make the valley rewarding for glider pilots but demanding for instrument students learning mountain flying techniques. HMT's combination of mountain proximity and VMC flying days makes it a popular training destination throughout the Inland Empire.
Hemet-Ryan's location in the geographic heart of Riverside County—equidistant from the coast, the desert, and the mountain passes—gives it strategic value for a wide range of aviation missions. Agricultural aviation serving the remaining strawberry and citrus operations in the valley, law enforcement aviation for the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, and medevac operations all make use of HMT facilities. Riverside County Airports manages Hemet-Ryan as part of the county's multi-airport system, ensuring continued service to the valley's retirement community and small business economy.