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2024 SJC National Aviation Week Scavenger Hunt

2023 National Aviation Week


Monday, Aug. 19 marks National Aviation Day and the beginning of National Aviation Week. While we celebrate the history and magic of aviation, we also want to celebrate and thank YOU, our beloved passengers!

We’re hosting an SJC National Aviation Week Scavenger Hunt in our terminals from Aug. 19 through Sept. 9, 2024, and you’re invited to join the fun. Below you’ll find instructions on how to play and 10 clues that lead to QR codes throughout the terminals. After you find and scan each code, you can enter for a chance to win a San José Mineta International Airport prize pack (one grand prize valued at $500, and two other prizes valued at $250 and $100).

You’re now cleared for takeoff – good luck and happy hunting! 

Into airplane photography? Check out our Planespotter Picture Sweepstakes.

How To Play

1. Read the clues below and go to the locations they're describing. You’re looking for 11x14 inch signs with QR codes that look like the image below. 

2. Once you find a QR code, open the camera app on your smartphone and scan the code.

3. A web page will open. Enter your name and email, and you're officially entered for a chance to win one of the prizes! You can submit one entry per person per clue. (E.g. If you find and scan all 10 clues, you have 10 chances to win!) 

 

Clues

Terminal A Pre-Security

  • CLUE 1: In 1963, this airline had successfully negotiated a permit to use SJC as an alternative port for provisional landings and departure points if SFO was closed due to weather – making this current airline the longest-standing airline at SJC! Visit their ticket counter to find Clue 1.

Terminal A Post-Security

  • CLUE 2: We’ve been having a lot of fun sharing SJC’s history in honor of our 75th Anniversary. If you too enjoy learning about the past, visit the history section in this bookstore! You’ll also find Clue 2 here.
     
  • CLUE 3: For decades, San José has offered a variety of local breweries throughout the city. Explore the different taps at this ~unifying~ restaurant near Gate 6. 
     

  • CLUE 4: The very first plane to arrive at SJC 75 years ago (with the baby chicks) was a Southwest Airways DC-3 – but “Southwest Airways” actually has no relation to the modern-day Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airways became Pacific Air Lines, which merged with two other airlines to become Air West, which was purchased by Hughes Airwest, which was purchased by Republic Airlines, which was bought by Northwest Airlines, which was acquired by Delta. Yah. Airline history is wild.

    Long story short: You'll find Clue 4 at Delta Gate 13. 
     

  • CLUE 5: This enormous Millard Sheets mural near Gate 16 details the history of San José. It features a range of topics, from the indigenous Ohlone people living in the Valley to the construction of the San José Electric Light Tower. This piece was specifically designed for display in the old Terminal C, but Sheets’ files for the piece are archived at the Smithsonian!

    You’ll find Clue 5 in the best vantage spot to view the entire piece. 

Terminal B Pre-Security

  • CLUE 6: Because our first passengers in 1949 were 2,550 baby chicks, we placed a GIANT baby chick in our airport. Go find that chicken and you’ll find this clue. (He’s about 10 feet tall.)

Terminal B Post-Security

  • CLUE 7: Before it began shifting into Silicon Valley in the 1960s, the San José area was known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight because of all the orchards, fruits and flowers that grew across the land.

    Get a taste with the flavorful fruity smoothies sold at this quick-service dining establishment. You’ll also find Clue 7 here. 
     

  • CLUE 8: In the past, our Airport had amenities like shoe shiners and Fred’s Barber Shop – now you can get a massage! Check out the chairs near Gate 19 to find this clue.
     
  • CLUE 9: In 1903, Orville Wright flew the first heavier-than-air aircraft in North Carolina. As aviation geeks, it still gives us chills when a plane leaves the ground and takes off into the skies – and Southwest Gate 27 is the PERFECT place to see this moment in action at SJC! Find Clue 9 by the window. 
     
  • CLUE 10: Greenlee’s Bakery has been a family-owned San José staple for 99 years. They’re famous for their cinnamon bread and offer a wide variety of pastries and treats. And great news, you can taste them right here at SJC! Stop by their Terminal B kiosk, enjoy a snack and scan Clue 10.

Bonus Baby Chick Clue

In honor of our 75th Anniversary, we’ve added an additional clue to this year’s scavenger hunt – THE BONUS BABY CHICK CLUE! There are three Drop Water machines in the Airport – find one of them, snap a photo with the Baby Chick Clue there and follow the directions on the sign to redeem your very own Ernie + friends stickers! 

 

Prizes

  • One grand prize valued at $500 - Includes a three-day SJC parking voucher, two passes for The Club SJC, SJC apparel, 75th anniversary baby chicken swag and more.
  • One prize valued at $250 - Includes a 2-day SJC parking voucher, SJC apparel, 75th anniversary baby chicken swag and more.
  • One prize valued at $100 - Includes a 2-day SJC parking voucher, SJC apparel, 75th anniversary baby chicken swag and more.


Need a little more inspo? Check out our #NationalAviationWeek kickoff video:

 

*Up to one entry per clue per person. Open to U.S. residents only. No purchase necessary to win. Entrants must be 18 years or older. The SJC National Aviation Week Scavenger Hunt is subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations and void where prohibited by law. City of San José employees, its subsidiaries, affiliates, suppliers, partners, advertising and promotion agencies, and directors (collectively the “Employees”), as well as members of an Employees' immediate family and/or those living in the same household of Employees are ineligible to participate in The SJC National Aviation Week Scavenger Hunt. 

The entry period will close on Monday, September 9, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. PT. The winners will be randomly selected and contacted by email within 10 days. The randomly selected winners will have 48 hours to respond to SJC to claim their prize. If a winner fails to respond within the 48-hour window, that winner will forfeit the prize and a new winner will be randomly selected.